Hiroshima by Laurence Yep

Bibliography

Yep, L. (1995). Hiroshima. Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0590208322

Plot Summary

It all begins as a normal day for Riko and Sachi, two sisters who make their way to their schools as usual. Except today, they will not be working in their classrooms, but at their public service jobs. Riko relays messages for the army while Sachi helps tear down houses to prevent the spread of fire should the city be bombed. Recently, surrounding cities have been bombed by the United States due to World War II. Meanwhile, the pilots aboard a United States fighter jet secretly make their way to Japan searching for the best spot to deploy their weapon upon their enemy. By chance, the clouds over Hiroshima have parted and it becomes the perfect target. Riko and Sachi have no idea that their lives are about to be changed forever. 

Critical Analysis

Author Laurence Yep chronicles the terrible day that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This historical fiction is told through two opposing viewpoints, that of two young girls living in Hiroshima and the U.S. pilots flying the fighter jet soon to drop a bomb on Japan. Through the harrowing experience of Sachi, readers are thrown into the chaos that ensues after the atomic bomb is dropped on her home. From death and devastation, Sachi becomes an outcast in her society due to facial scarring from that horrible day. She soon becomes one of the chosen Hiroshima Maidens to travel to the United States to receive plastic surgery to help heal her wounds. Although Sachi is not a real person, Yep has created her in the image of many other young children who suffered as a result of the atomic bomb. He also incorporates other factual information into the story including statistical numbers of those who perished, the effects of radiation on people and plant life, and deals made between countries to disarm and destroy their nuclear weapons. Although tragic, this historical fiction story provides readers with a cautionary tale of hope and courage among the tragic.

Review Excerpt(s)

“This powerful chronicle ensures that what was done on that awful day will remain in readers' memories for a very long time.” - Publisher's Weekly Review

“His words are powerful and compelling, and the facts he presents make readers realize the horrors of that day and its impact beyond.” - School Library Journal Review

Connections

For additional activities related to the book:

• Help readers by discussing everything they may already know about Hiroshima or World War II in Japan. 

• Discuss big ideas or themes students noticed and learned from the reading. 

• Readers will analyze key ideas from books to help make sense of the reading. Today you will write down your thoughts about the following quotes from the book: 

• “Rest in peace for the mistake shall not be repeated” (pg. 46)

• “The atom bomb is too terrible a weapon. It must not drop again” (pg. 49).

** Answer some of these questions: 

• Do you agree with the quotes? Disagree? 

• Was this a mistake? 

• Would there ever be another time when a country should drop an atom bomb? Explain. 

Scholastic. (n.d.). Guided Reading Lesson Plan (Levels M-Z) - Hiroshima. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/769901/Hiroshima_Level_S.pdf 

Other recommended books if you liked this one: 

• My Hiroshima by Junko Morimoto
• Sadako of Hiroshima by Manorama Jafa
• The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story by Sandra Moore and Kazumi Wilds