You know those books that you finish and just sit there and think about them? They just stay with you and your mind keeps thinking through the story? That was my reaction to “Paper Wishes” by Lois Sepahban. Since finishing the book, I just keep thinking it over. I sit down and try to write this and nothing I write seems to do it justice so bear with me as I attempt to write about this brilliant historical fiction.
In “Paper Wishes,” we meet 10-year-old Manami. The year is 1942 and it is right after Pearl Harbor. Manami’s family, along with other Japanese American families, are being sent by the government from their home in the Pacific Northwest to a prison camp in the desert. Manami and her family are scared and sad to leave their home but Manami especially does not want to leave her grandfather’s dog. She tries to sneak him along with them but is caught and the dog is taken away.
Manami is devastated to lose their dog, scared of this new life in the prison camp, and wishing her dog could find his way to them. Manami is mute from the pain, and from the time she arrives at the camp she only communicates through drawings. She sends her wishes, drawings on paper, out into the world in paper airplanes, hoping her dog will find them and heal some of the pain she is feeling.
Sepahban’s beautifully written story shows this dark time in our history through a 10-year-old’s eyes. When we think about camps like this, it’s easy to see them as far away in a different period of time, separate from us. Sepahban takes us into the camp with Manami. We see families, communities, friends. We see their struggle and their attempts to keep some semblance of normal for their children. While the subject might seem too dark for young children, Sepahban writes this story in a way that young readers can understand and see this experience through Manami’s eyes.
It’s been weeks since I’ve read this and I’m still thinking about Manami and her family. I’ve always believed a great children’s book is a great story that is written appropriately for children but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. “Paper Wishes” is definitely one of those books.
