Fred Korematsu Speaks Up

Fighting for Justice #1

by Laura Atkins, Stan Yogi, Yutaka Houlette (Illustrator)

Fred Korematsu liked listening to music on the radio, playing tennis, and hanging around with his friends—just like lots of other Americans. But everything changed when the United States went to war with Japan in 1941 and the government forced all people of Japanese ancestry to leave their homes on the West Coast and move to distant prison camps. This included Fred, whose parents had immigrated to the United States from Japan many years before. But Fred refused to go. He knew that what the government was doing was unfair. And when he got put in jail for resisting, he knew he couldn’t give up.

Inspired by the award-winning book for adults Wherever There’s a Fight, the Fighting for Justice series introduces young readers to real-life heroes and heroines of social progress. The story of Fred Korematsu’s fight against discrimination explores the life of one courageous person who made the United States a fairer place for all Americans, and it encourages all of us to speak up for justice.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Middle Grade, Historical, Graphic Novels, Social Justice

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 2017

About the author

I am a children's book author and editor who has worked in the children's book field for over twenty years. My books include picture book Sled Dog Dachshund (illustrated by An Phan), and the middle grade biography Fred Korematsu Speaks Up (co-written with Stan Yogi, illustrated by Yutaka Houlette). This is the first in the Fighting for Justice series. The second book, Biddy Mason Speaks Up, is out in February 2019.

I spent seven years in editorial departments in the United States where I helped to produce winners of the Coretta Scott King Award and American Library Association Notable Book selections, among others. I continued to work as a freelance editor and as a Senior Lecturer at the National Centre for Research in Children's Literature (NCRCL) at Roehampton University in London. Now based in Berkeley, California, I work with clients all over the world. I have an MA in Children's Literature from Roehampton University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. My website is www.lauraatkins.com.

Reviews

[Yamile Méndez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a fantastic book. So painfully relevant again. We're cursed to repeat the history we don't know about, and this is why books like this are so important.
The writing is gorgeous and so crystal clear. The author includes questions for young readers to put themselves in Fred's situation. Everyone can be an activist. Everyone should be an activist because like another brilliant author wrote, silence protects the oppressor, never the oppressed. I'd give this book 10 stars if I could.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fred is born in America to parents who immigrated from Japan. Fred learns the hard truth about white Americans and white politicians; if you don’t look white; you’re an enemy of America and will be place in American concentration camps.

Against the will and embarrassment of his family Fred fights for the rights of all People who live in discrimination.

Fred Korematsu Speaks Up was not only a great read it’s a must read. We follow the journey of Fred who had the courage to fight for what’s right and for his freedom! Yutaka Houlette illustrations brought reality to the story.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born in Oakland, California in 1919, Fred Korematsu was a young Japanese American who wanted more out of life than working in his parents nursery growing roses. He had been a boy scout, had a bit of a mischievous streak, ran track and played tennis in high school, and loved to dance to the jazz music of Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington.

At twenty-two, he had a girlfriend named Ida, an Italian American girl whom he had to date secretly - both of their parents disapproved of them as a couple. Fred took a job building ships to save for a snazzy Pontiac, and planned on marrying Ida (despite family objections).

But on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Fred’s life turned upside down. But after President Roosevelt sign Executive Order 9066 which forced all Japanese and Japanese Americans into internment camps, Fred decides to defy the order. Claiming he is Spanish and Hawaiian, Fred gets away with his ruse for a while, but eventually the authorities find and arrest him.

Fred’s arrest leads to a friendship with ACLU lawyer Ernest Besig, who represents him in court, believing that the internment of Japanese Americans is wrong and a violation of their rights. Meanwhile, Fred finds himself living in a horse stall at Tanforan race track. Sadly, no one at Tanforan is proud or supportive of Fred’s stand against Executive Order 9066, not even his family.

Eventually, Fred is sent to an internment camp in the middle of nowhere in Topaz, Utah. Ernest Besig is still working on his case, but ultimately even the United States Supreme Court agrees with the President that it is a “military necessity” to intern the country’s Japanese Americans.

While he lost his case in 1944, and believed that was the end of it, little could Fred imagine that his simple act of defiance would ultimately resurface many years later, after evidence of government misconduct is discovered in relation to the internment of so many Japanese Americans and the loss of everything they loved and had worked so hard for. In 1983, Fred finds himself back in court when his case is reopened. This time, Fred wins and that win leads to the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which grants reparations to the Japanese Americans interned during WWII.

Fred Korematsu Speaks Up is a fascinating book, and part of what makes it so engaging is that it is told using various means. Each important aspect of Fred’s personal story is related at the beginning of every chapter in free verse. This gives the reader a more intimate picture, accompanied by Houlette’s simple but affective illustrations, of who Fred really was and what he was up against, as well as his reasons for defying an Executive Order.

Fred’s story is followed by factual information pertinent to what has proceeded it, the national events that impacted his life. Each of these pages contains definitions, and a timeline, as well as plenty of photos that also illustration the information presented.

Fred Korematsu Speaks Up is the first book in the new Fighting for Justice series, and it is a truely excellent book for introducing young readers to this shameful aspect of WWII on the home front. Back matter includes Source Notes, Bibliography, a personal reflection by Fred’s daughter Karen Korematsu about her father, and a section on “Speaking Up for Justice: From Fred’s Day to Ours: with suggestions for what young people can do in today’s world, a world that is seeing a resurgent of the kind of thinking that put people into internment camps in the first place.

A word about Fred’s name: his parents named in Toyosaburo, but his 1st grade teacher couldn’t or wouldn’t learn to pronounce it, and suggested Fred, instead. I wonder how that made him feel.

If you have ever really wondered whether one person can make a difference in the world, Fred Korematsu’s story will definitely be one that will reassure and inspire you.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was bought for my personal library

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Korematsu's story is an important one, and inspirational. This particular book is written in text book format almost. There are lots of side notes and captions on photos. None of that is objectionable, but it's not my style. Also, the authors aimed to take a very complex subject, standing up to the government over injustice, and present it in a tone appropriate for young readers -- intermediate school, at best. I am going to look up more information about Mr. Korematsu, and perhaps I'll find a piece written in a style that appeals more to me.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great format in this series--rich with primary source material, timelines, and other visuals that accompany the text.

[Kate J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this book. Even though i has very few pages it packs a punch. It talkings in a view that i would never understand. My life has been for the most part awesome but fred has a very different story. He was taken and traveled and did so many things. He was lonely for most of his life and it seems like there was never anything good. Then he said something about it and the weight was lifted off his shoulders! Thanks Laura Atkins for writing in such a wonderful way.

[Laurie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know much about Fred Korematsu’s story before reading this brand new book. I’m so thankful, now, that I do.

The book shares the story of Fred, and second-generation Japanese American living on the West Coast during World War II, when the United States forced immigrants and citizens alike into internment camps. Fred resisted the order, and was jailed. The ACLU took up his case, which he eventually lost. He lost more than just the case. Many Japanese Americans turned on him, and he was officially considered a convicted felon. More than 40 years later, the ACLU decided to try his case again after finding new documents showing that the government had lied in his original case… and this time they won, setting an important precedent going forward. Fred knew what was happening was wrong and stood up against it. He was a changemaker.

Here’s an excerpt from the main text:

"Fred challenged something
he thought was unfair.

He spoke up–
for himself
and for all Japanese Americans,
even when no one stood with him.

It was not easy.
But Fred fought
to make the United States–
his country–
a fairer place.

And he won.

We all won."

I love the lyrical, spare text of the book. I love the engaging layout and design featuring illustrations, full-color photos, definitions of terms, and historical timelines. There are also sidebars and pullout boxes that explain concepts in greater detail and add context. And I especially love the callout bubbles that ask readers direct questions, such as, “Have you ever been punished for something you didn’t do?” These make Fred’s story all the more relatable and help readers make personal connections from Fred’s story to the injustices they see all around them every day.

In addition to nonfiction text features such source notes, bibliography, photo and text credits, and an index, the book also includes a fantastic section about how readers can stand up for social justice themselves. I’m sure it will encourage readers to pursue activism and changemaking for themselves.

I urge you to check this one out for the children in your life, for yourself, for our country, and for ALL of its citizens.

[Caitlin M · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly timely book for young readers, Fred Korematsu Speaks Up uses an engaging mixture of format and style to relate the story of an icon in the fight for civil liberties, detailing the historical context and contemporary relevance of his legal struggle against the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Fred Korematsu, the son of Japanese immigrants, was in his early twenties when Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the forcible removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans (two-thirds of them American citizens) from the west coast in the name of national security following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and declaration of war with Japan. He refused to register for internment, believing it violated his constitutional rights, and was jailed. With the help of the ACLU, he fought his conviction, ultimately losing the case before the Supreme Court. Decades later, the discovery of suppressed evidence led to the reopening of the case, and Fred Korematsu spent the remainder of his life speaking out in defense of civil liberties.

Each chapter of Fred Korematsu Speaks Up begins with narration from Fred's point of view in spare free verse, accompanied by original illustrations. Following are visually engaging pages that detail the context of Japanese internment, from racial discrimination and immigration patterns to the American government's response to Pearl Harbor and conditions in the camps, as well as other civil right issues and struggles, up to the post 9/11 roundup of people of Middle Eastern background. These include timelines, definitions of terms, lots of period photos, and prompts to think about the issues. The book finishes with ideas and resources for how young people can take action to speak up for justice and civil rights.

This is an approachable and beautifully produced book that covers a subject too often elided in school curriculums, and its message is all the more urgent in 2017, as what was alarming campaign rhetoric hardens into prescribed policy under the current administration, threatening a repeat of history.

[Dedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the format of this book, and I feel like it will make it quite accessible to readers. The book alternates between poems focusing in on specific moments of Fred's life, and then pages of factual information with photographs, illustrations, and timelines. I am definitely interested in reading more books from the Fighting for Justice series.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding overview of the life of Fred Korematsu and his experience in seeking justice for interned Japanese-Americans, which led to the later reversal of a landmark Supreme Court case and both an apology and reparations from the U.S. Government to Japanese Americans who were interned . "In 1998 when President Clinton awarded Fred Korematsu the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, he stated, 'In the long history of our country's constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls. Plessy, Brown, Parks … to that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.'" (Source: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/...)

Each chapter begins with free-verse poetry that thrusts readers into the incidents and emotions that drove Fred Korematsu to resist being sent to an internment camp, to testify before the U.S. Supreme Court about the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans during WWII, and finally to testify about the suppressed evidence before a judge 40 years later in order to clear his name and ensure this type of action was not repeated in the future. The writing is smooth and compelling, allowing readers to think about Forematsu's situation and point of view as it unfolds. Cited quotations within the text such as "We don't cut hair of your kind." add impact. Then chapters continue with a brief discussion highlighting the main point of the poem, including definitions of terms in sidebars, captioned photographs and other primary source materials that punctuate the point, and a timeline that includes civil rights milestones and events in Korematsu's life. Backmatter includes social justice activities for young people, a letter from Korematsu's daughter, source notes, a bibliography about Korematsu, image and text credits, and an index.

The layout and pacing of the book is spectacular. Students will learn from this treatment, as they hear the experiences and then digest the facts surrounding them. It was awarded the 2018 Children's History Prize Book Award formt he New York Historical Society, was named a 2018 Honor Book by the Jane Addams Children's Book Award Committee, and was the Middle Level Winner of the 2018 Carter G. Woodson Book Award from the National Council of Social Studies Teachers. Download free classroom-ready activity and information from the U.S. Courts website: https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-...

Very well done and an essential purchase for libraries supporting studies of the Japanese Internment, the Holocaust, civil rights, and social justice.

Highly Recommended for grades 5-9.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been meaning to read this book for awhile now and I'm glad I finally did. Very timely with what's going on and the fact that Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution is recognized in a few states on January 30th.

I'm looking for future titles in the Fighting for Justice series.

I have to admit that I was initially put off by the layout but grew to appreciate it as I got more comfortable with it. In fact, ultimately, it's a great way to present all the information this book gives.

Each chapter starts off with a biography in verse of Fred's life in increments from childhood to wartime to imprisonment to reparations. Then with timelines and focus on certain topics as well as a built in glossary, readers are able to go a bit deeper with what they've read.

A couple things I appreciated were the discussion prompts and the paintings done by Japanese Americans. There's so much in this book that seems perfect for classrooms and libraries. I hope people check it out.

It reminded me, too, I should renew my ACLU membership!

[Ashley Kohls · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal nonfiction book about a young Japanese American boy's life which begins in 1919. He was born in America but was treated differently because he wasn't white, whether it was in school or at the barber shop. Once the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor his life changed forever. He tried to run away, but was soon arrested and put into a prison camp like the rest of the Japanese Americans. He struggled the rest of his life as a result of being in the camps. He didn't give up hope though, and married a white woman and raised two children. He took his case to the supreme court and lost. However, years later a new lawyer took up his case and they won! It was a victory for all Japanese Americans. This book is written for young people to understand what racism looks like and how to be an advocate. There are many text features that would make this an excellent teaching book. Fred was quoted saying: "No one should ever be locked away simply because they share the same race, ethnicity or religion as a spy or terrorist." How powerful is that for today?

[B220 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very accessible non-fiction text for middle schoolers which tells the story of Japanese Americans who were forced into relocation camps during wartime. Specifically, this is the story of Fred Korematsu, a man who was of the mind that this treatment was not constitutional and who fought against it.

Told in vignettes, timelines, and connected civil rights issue inlays, this book provides a great look into what anyone can do when he/she may see injustices occurring in our country. I found this book to be enthralling, very straight forward, and a great look into a dark time in our history.

As a current nominee for the 2020 Rebecca Caudill Award, I think this is a piece of non-fiction that kids will easily digest and learn a lot from! I'm thinking it may also be a read aloud for my English class this year in the fourth quarter! Great read.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on DAWCL.com. I wanted to read something about Japan because I love Japanese culture so much. I was happy to find this book because I am ashamed by the Japanese-American internment camps and wanted to find out more about the history. This is a nice little non-fiction book that reads like a novel, sometimes feeling almost like it is told in verse. One chapter will be a narrative focusing on the main character Fred, the next chapter will focus on history. The book details the history of Japanese immigrants in America, Japanese-American internment camps, and a young man’s fight for his civilian rights. Fred is that young man, and he is our hero.
When we meet Fred, he is a young Japanese-American child. The book tells the history of Fred’s life, so we see him in his 20s, his 30s, and later in his 60s and 70s. The book mostly focuses on Fred’s fight against the US government concerning the wrongful imprisonment of Japanese Americans following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. There are some excellent pictures in this book, many of them disturbing in content but highly educational and helpful to the text. For instance, there are pictures of the bombing of pearl harbor and racist illustrations of propaganda used by the US government against Japanese-Americans and Chinese. I read this book online on “internet archive” through archive.org. It was easy to read online and actually quite enjoyable because I could zoom in on the pictures as much as I wanted. I would recommend this book to 3rd-5th graders. It is not a very tough read but there is a lot in it about discrimination and segregation that younger readers may struggle with. In the classroom, I would use this book to talk teach students about discrimination, then use the content and skills from that lesson to connect it to discrimination in America today.

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. It simply and powerfully tells Fred's story and provides lots of rich historical detail that situates his story within a larger context. Throughout the book, the authors encourage the reader to engage with the complex and important ideas brought up in the text in an engaging way. In 2017, Fred's story is more important than ever, and this book does a wonderful job of helping young readers think about complicated topics like discrimination, equality, citizenship, and the rule of law.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long over due book for young readers about Fred Korematsu, a young man that stood up to the U.S. government during WWII for the rights of Japanese-American citizens. Written in prose, this book is easy to read for 4-6 graders, and appropriate for up to 10th graders. The book includes inserts covering key terms, a time-line that corresponds to events unfolding in Korematsu's life, photographs, and other historical details that help to give the reader a good sense of what was going on during the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, accessible story about Fred Korematsu and his fight against the unjust imprisonment of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. It contains reflection questions throughout and lots of ideas for how kids can take action and fight injustice today. It is especially timely given the increase in violence against Asian Americans during this pandemic.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Korematsu's story is one that everyone should read. The way that this book was formatted, with his life paralleled with the official terms and legal jargon needed to understand the history, worked very well. Highly, highly, recommend.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this kids' book pretty engaging, even as an adult who knows some of the relevant history. It does a good job of showing us Fred's personal life, weaving in artifacts like the racist guide to Chinese faces and Japanese faces, and depicting the brutality of the desert prison camps.

If there were any justice, Fred Korematsu would be a household name. I'm glad this book and his daughter's institute are continuing to tell his story.

[Em theglitterybookworm_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this for my reading challenge of reading all the 2020 caudill nominees, where i will be picking a third, second, and first place winner for my bookstagram.

the ebook for this was so poorly put together ack someone fix it PLEASE

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tremendous book, filled with photographs, letters, posters, definitions, questions, timelines and ways to speak up for justice.

[Angeline J. 8A20]

This book is about a guy named Fred. He is a Japanese American. He fights for freedom his entire life and the book is about him from a little boy all the way to when he very old. Fred goes through a lot of struggles and he fights for justice. Will he win?

[Aryana Parmar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book... I feel like there was less of a story about Fred than there was just facts.

[Craig Wiesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was based on an advanced review copy (ARC). I now have the final version in hand and it is even more fantastic!!!

This book starts with a simple message. Sometimes someone has to speak up for justice, and perhaps, after reading this painful, powerful, and inspiring story, should the moment come when it is needed, you may be that person.

Laura Atkins, Stan Yogi, and Yutaka Houlette have taken one of our nation's ugliest injustices, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, and turned it into a beautiful, life-changing lesson which will influence future generations to be on the lookout for discrimination and to take a stand. The story is compellingly told, bringing Fred Korematsu back to life as a real person, struggling to survive in a situation where he is despised simply because of his ancestry, and alienated from his own family and other Japanese internees because of the stand he took against the United States government.

Korematsu's name is best know because of the Supreme Court case that upheld Executive Order 9066, which authorized the internment of people of Japanese ancestry in camps after the United States declared war on Japan following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Korematsu avoided the roundup and was arrested and prosecuted. The ACLU took the case to the Supreme Court which decided against Korematsu. Decades later his conviction was overturned, the United States apologized and offered reparations to those who were interned, and Korematsu was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The paragraph above describes the facts, Fred Korematsu Speaks Up makes it the stuff of legends. The book's scrapbook-style design is approachable and accessible to so many different types of readers and learners, weaving prose that humanizes Korematsu as someone to whom we can all relate, with comic-book style illustrations for the reluctant reader, spot-on photographs for history buffs, interest-grabbing fact-boxes for lovers of detail, superb use of colors, fonts,and eye-catching design elements for this generation of device-users, and thought-provoking questions to ponder which make the reader part of the action instead of being an outside observer.

The book brings the story up to date with comparisons to the rounding up of Muslims after September 11th 2001 and Korematsu's crusade to ensure that nothing like what happened in WWII would ever happen again. And finally, the book offers the inspiration and tools necessary for all of us, young and old, to recognize injustice, stand up against it, and win.

The authors and illustrators have given a gift to the world with their telling of this story, one which instead of needing to be "required reading" will simply be devoured by young and old alike.

[Bayneeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the "Fighting for Justice series aimed at 8 to 12 year olds. Lots of useful definitions and thought- provoking questions in each chapter. Believing that as an American citizen he has rights, Fred refuses to go to a Japanese relocation camp. He's arrested and convicted. FORTY years later his conviction is finally overturned. And before we pat ourselves on the back for finally admitting a wrong, let's hope we can prevent things from going any further against our Muslim citizens today. Lots of resource materials for teachers.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the slimness of this book or its gray cover. Its contents are important and inspiring. I actually like the cover and the book the more I read it. The cover shows the book's subject outside his home as he faces government officials who have come to raid his home. The feeble gesture of shielding his eyes from the bright lights of the police foreshadows this man's attempts to bring to light the truth about what happened during that shameful part of our nation's history, one that is often neglected or ignored in history books and social studies classes. Part of the Fighting for Social Justice series, this book highlights the little-known story of Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American man who questioned the policies that led to Japanese internment during WWII and was jailed for his actions. The book traces Fred's life, focusing on what happened after Executive Order 9066 was followed. Relying on short poems, a timeline, informational text, sidebars, and abundant source materials, the author tells Fred's inspiring story in 12 short chapters. Readers will be intrigued and somewhat shocked that even though Fred was right in his contention that these actions were discriminatory since he was an American citizen and should have the same rights as any other American citizen. His case went all the way to the nation's highest court. Although the Supreme Court originally ruled against him, forty years later, in 1982, two individuals interested in the case, Peter Irons and Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, sifted through the case's records and discovered incidents of government conduct and that there was no evidence of Japanese or Japanese-Americans spying for the enemy as some had claimed. The case was retried with a different result, and finally, Fred Korematsu was vindicated. The inclusion of archival photographs, a brief note from his daughter Karen, and interactive prompts that encourage readers to ask themselves hard questions such as "Why do you think discrimination happens?" and "Have you ever disagreed with your family or friends about something important to you?" and "If you failed at something, have you ever taken a big risk to try again?" while drawing them into Fred's story and enabling them to see the importance of resisting against something that seems wrong.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography in free verse follows the story of historical figure Fred Korematsu during the second World War. His life is turned upside down when the US decides to remove Japanese-Americans from their homes and send them to prison camps. Though Fred initially wants to keep his head down, he soon finds himself at the forefront of what will come to be the famous court case. The book follows his fight against the injustice of internment camps as he questions the true meaning of citizenship in a time of distrust.

This was a great book, and definitely a WOW book for me because of how it drew me into Fred’s story! He went from an average American teen to losing everything, and then finally to seeing justice achieved in the end. It is an awesome true story of bravery and fighting for the right thing. I especially liked how the book would alternate between pages of poetry describing Fred’s life and informational pages that gave a bit of background along with photographs, art, and timelines. Above all, I think this would be a great addition to the classroom because it covers issues that the US continues to wrestle with today.

This book could be used in conjunction with a 5th grade social studies unit on the Japanese-American internment. It’s a very compelling peek into what it was like for people who were forced out of their homes into inhospitable internment camps. It provides many examples of primary sources, and perhaps students could do some of their own research about the portrayal of Japanese-Americans during this time period. This book also touches on how people and organizations can fight for justice using the courts, which might provide some good discussion points for students learning about the court system. There are several social studies topics that students could discuss and explore while reading this book. One other idea would be for students to make their own poster or multimedia creation in the style of the informational sections in this book. The kids could create their own timelines about a specific event and find art or photographs to add as visuals.

[Leslie Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelent book perfect for a homework assignment or just reading to learn about history. Very moving and well written with great pictures. Even a 3rd grader could read this book but I would generally recommend it for 4th grade and up.

[Harini M. 8A20 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find Fred Korematsu inspirational because of his bravery to stand up for the Japanese Americans, I recommend this to anyone who loves to read fiction, this may seem odd, because the story is non-fiction, but I as a non-fiction lover have this book, note that I am NOT saying everyone will necessarily like it, but I am saying it for those people who are willing to try something new, this would be a great way to start. Anyway, the story takes place when the Japanese decided to bomb Pearl Harbor, so now people who "look" like the enemy now have difficult consequences they have to face even if a majority of them have done nothing wrong.

[Michelle Glatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing true story about a Japanese American who fought in court to prove that he had been wronged by Japanese internment policies during WWII. The format is fantastic-- poetry tells Korematsu's story as it happens--with interludes of straight-up informational text to give readers background needed to understand events and procedures of the time. The timelines and photos added to the work as well. There's also a call to action for younng people to live out their beliefs and to fight injustices. I will definitely look into getting other books in the series.