Somewhere Among

by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu (Author) Sonia Chaghatzbanian (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

In this beautiful and haunting debut novel in verse, called "a tender piece on connectedness" in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, a Japanese-American girl struggles with the loneliness of being caught between two worlds when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes an ocean away.

Eleven-year-old Ema has always been of two worlds--her father's Japanese heritage and her mother's life in America. She's spent summers in California for as long as she can remember, but this year she and her mother are staying with her grandparents in Japan as they await the arrival of Ema's baby sibling. Her mother's pregnancy has been tricky, putting everyone on edge, but Ema's heart is singing--finally, there will be someone else who will understand what it's like to belong and not belong at the same time.

But Ema's good spirits are muffled by her grandmother who is cold, tightfisted, and quick to reprimand her for the slightest infraction. Then, when their stay is extended and Ema must go to a new school, her worries of not belonging grow. And when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes, Ema, her parents, and the world watch as the twin towers fall...

As her mother grieves for her country across the ocean--threatening the safety of her pregnancy--and her beloved grandfather falls ill, Ema feels more helpless and hopeless than ever. And yet, surrounded by tragedy, Ema sees for the first time the tender side of her grandmother, and the reason for the penny-pinching and sternness make sense--her grandmother has been preparing so they could all survive the worst.

Dipping and soaring, Somewhere Among is the story of one girl's search for identity, a sense of peace, and the discovery that hope can i

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Kirkus

Starred Review
During her mother's difficult pregnancy, Ema andher parents move in with her Japanese grandparents. Usually, in August, Ema andher white, American mother visit Nana and Grandpa Bob in California. But Mom'spregnant and weak, so they move in with Papa's parents on the other side ofTokyo. A new neighborhood's hard, especially for a biracial kid who's called"foreigner" by strangers but identifies as Japanese. Ema describesher life and cares in thoughtful, quietly detailed free-verse poems. Sheworries about the baby ("Other babies have almost come but werelost"), the judgment of her domineering Obaasan (grandmother), and thefrailty of sweet Jiichan (grandfather); she misses Papa, who's almost always atwork. Carefully, she refrains from burdening anyone with her concerns. Wovenright into this family's heart are events past and present, local andfar-flung. One is Jiichan's boyhood trauma during World War II, "in thehills / watching / outside Nagasaki, "and how that bombing means thatJiichan's ancestors have nothing like a grave: "There is nothing / nothing / left of Jiichan's family." Another is the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which they watch unfold from Japan and which threaten her fragile mother'speace of mind. An occasional one-sentence poem, starkly alone on a page, strikes hard. Ema's profound choice of her baby sister's name brilliantlytouches all the themes, including peace. A tender piece about connectedness. (Verse historical fiction. 9-12)

None

a well-crafted, deeply absorbing novel.

Publishers Weekly

Ema's life is in flux: her pregnant mother needs rest, so they've left Ema's father in Tokyo while they stay with her grandparents, Obaasan and Jiichan, in the country. Ema misses her home and friends, as well as visiting her maternal grandparents in California in the summer. Meanwhile, her American mother clashes with Obaasan frequently; Ema has trouble getting to know her stern grandmother, too, though she connects with kindhearted Jiichan. As fifth grade begins, sensitive Ema has difficulties at school, including a bully, but her main concern is the health of her mother's baby. Debut novelist Donwerth-Chikamatsu makes good use of the verse novel format to emphasize that "binational/ bicultural/ bilingual/ biracial" Ema is still learning English while revealing an intimate portrait of her daily struggles in an unfamiliar place. The novel is set over the course of several months in 2001, and while the 9/11 connection feels a bit tenuous, it provides a moving outside perspective on the tragedy and helps shape a universal message of "peace among nations/ peace among peoples/ peace in the heart." Ages 9-12. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--Ema's mom is expecting a new baby, and the pregnancy has been a tricky one, so her parents decide that she and her mother will stay in Japan with her paternal grandparents until the baby arrives. Complicating matters is the fact that her grandparents are very traditional and strict, which makes the biracial tween feel like even more of an outsider. She cannot keep herself from missing her old life of spending summers with her American maternal grandparents or relaxing with her father after work. To make matters worse, it seems she can never make her Japanese grandmother happy. Then tragedy after tragedy strike--all set against the backdrop of September 11, 2001. Everything starts to fall apart. After receiving a small gift during a chance meeting on a train, Ema realizes that she must do her best to remain positive and endure. Written as a first-person novel in free verse poetry, this is an engaging, quick read. Readers will relate to Ema's struggles to grow up and understand how different people react to grief and conflict. Those unfamiliar with Japanese culture will get a glimpse into how other students grow up. Though the topic is heavy, Donwerth-Chikamatsu's writing style will keep even reluctant readers wanting to know more about Ema's life long after the novel's end. This debut is sure to get young students thinking about global connections and how remaining positive through adversity in their own lives may make things a little better. VERDICT An absorbing and affecting story featuring a biracial middle grade protagonist.--DeHanza Kwong, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu's debut novel Somewhere Among, based on life in a bicultural multi-generational home in Tokyo, won the Freeman Award, SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, Writers' League of Texas Book Award, and was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. She still lives in Tokyo, Japan, after raising two children and experiencing the 2011 earthquake and aftershocks. After inheriting the garden work from Great-grandfather and Grandfather, she has spent a lot more time gardening. It keeps her grounded.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781481437868
Lexile Measure
840
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books
Publication date
April 26, 2016
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
JUV039230 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Bullying
JUV013040 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | New Baby
JUV030020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Asia
JUV016190 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 21st Century
Library of Congress categories
Grandmothers
Families
Family life
Japan
Novels in verse
Pregnancy
JUVENILE FICTION / Family / New Baby
Racially mixed people
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001
JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / Asia
JUVENILE FICTION / Stories in Verse
Belonging (Social psychology)
Belonging (Social psychology) in children

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