Genre: Multicultural
Annotation: This historical non-fiction novel is about a Korean family that lived under the Japanese occupation during World War 11. The close-knit family which was made up of five members which includes; the father, mother, two kids and an uncle, went through a lot of struggles that tested their family bond and patriotism. They were forced to undergo a name change, had their property seized, were subject to suspicious and frequent unannouced searches until the family was torn apart. The uncle ran away after being accused of treason by the Japanese and there was no trace of his whereabouts and Tae-yul (the son) was forced to join the Japanese army in order to save his family.
Non-Nomination Justification: This novel has a lot of merits in dealing with multicultural issues which includes the struggle of the characters with ethnic and Identity Issues, conflict which drives the family apart and social justice and courage themes. It also presents a lot of historical information and teaches about the Japanese and Korean culture but in I don't nominate this book for an award.
The story line presented in the novel lacks depth and there is no intrigue. The interaction of the characters within the family unit in relation to the issues presented in the plot is somewhat boring. The author's style of telling the story from the perspective of Sun-hee and Tae-yul (the brother and sister) was a little bit repetitious. The resolution of the plot was even more surpising, sudden and uninteresting. The book was catalogued as an ALA Notable Children's book and an ALA best book for young adults but I think it is more suited for the children than for the adolescents.
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