They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei

     In December, 1941, Japan attacked the United States by bombing Pearl Harbor, a Navy station in Hawaii. This occurred during World War 2, a war the U.S. had not yet joined. The country declared war because of this attack, and became part of the war against not only Japan but Hitler's Germany as well.

    Another consequence of the attack was a hysteria that quickly spread around the country, a fear of all people of Japanese descent. Anyone of Japanese heritage, even those who were born in the United States, were thought to be enemies of this nation, regardless of their thoughts or feelings about Japan, the U.S., the attack, or the war. Over the course of several years, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and businesses, and moved to "camps" in often very hot, dry, unwelcoming parts of the country. They were treated as prisoners, as enemies, old and young alike. Their property and belongings were taken from them (and never returned), except for what they could carry with them to these prisons. It was an ugly chapter in our nation's history, and has only recently begun to be revealed in any widespread way.

    Author and actor George Takei was a young boy when all of this happened, and They Called Us Enemy is his graphic novel retelling of a life lived as a prisoner in his own country. Takei later went on to be an actor in a very popular series, the original Star Trek television show, and after that as a spokesperson for Japanese Americans as well as for LGBTQ+ causes. His story is an important one as we continue to find out who we, as United States citizens, are, and the things our nation has done up to now, both good and bad.

    As a middle school book, the topic is important, and anyone wanting to know more about our country's history should read about Japanese American internment, as it is sometimes called. Takei's book is informative and moving, but also a little confusing in places, as he jumps forward and backward in time to piece together a complete picture of events and his life among them. This might not appeal to readers who simply want a good graphic novel to read, but the format does make the topic more accessible to more readers, young and old. 

    An important part of this nation's history that everyone should know, and a worthy book to help explain it. 4 paws.

The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers

     The latest Newbery Award winner (yay!), but not Dave Eggers' first book. The Eyes and the Impossible is an animal story, told by The Eyes, a dog named Johannes, and including bison, goats, birds, raccoons, squirrels, horses, and some people, but they remain at the periphery of this story throughout. Johannes lives in a park, but to him it's the whole world. He works hard to keep the world in order by watching everything that happens each day, and then sharing those events with the bison. The bison, in turn, in their wisdom, let the other animals know what must be done to keep everyone safe, and in front of, or in reaction to, nature and human activity. But Johannes decides he can make the life of these wonderful bison better, by completing a seemingly impossible task. With the help of all of the animals in his world, he discovers...himself, friendship, love, purpose...

    The Eyes and the Impossible is a wonderful - and wonderfully different - book. I love it when I start a book and right away realize that it won't be like anything else I've read before (and I've read a lot of books!). It made me realize that there aren't a lot of animal stories that come out each year, or not many that I come across. But there are a lot of really good ones: A Dog's Life, by Ann Martin; The Redwall Series, by Brian Jacques; No More Dead Dog's, by Gordon Korman (not a dog story, really, but funny just the same); any of the animal series' by Erin Hunter, but start with the original Warriors series; The One and Only Ivan series, by Katherine Appelgate; A Watership Down, by Richard Adams; A Wolf Called Wander and A Whale of the Wild by Rossane Parry, to name a few. We don't have all of these books (yet!) in the school library, but you could find the rest at the public library or at a good bookstore. They are wonderful and worth it!

    There is something beautiful about animals and animal stories that connects us all, I believe...I hope you read and enjoy The Eyes! 5 paws!