Somewhere Among (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781481437868)

A beautiful and haunting debut novel in verse about an American-Japanese girl struggling 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 Ema watches her mother grieve for her country across the ocean--threatening the safety of her pregnancy--and her beloved grandfather falls ill, she 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, inner peace, and how she discovers that hope can indeed rise from the ashes of disaster.

Author: Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
ISBN-10: 1481437860
ISBN-13: 9781481437868
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Language: English
Published: 04/26/2016
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.50w x 1.50d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.2
Point Value: 4
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 182203 / Somewhere Among


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2016
Publishers Weekly 03/28/2016
Booklist 04/15/2016 pg. 60
School Library Journal 04/01/2016 pg. 148
Horn Book Magazine 05/01/2016 pg. 99
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 05/01/2016 pg. 462
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2016 - Superior,Well Above Average