Hiroshima by: Laurence Yep

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 1995

Number of Pages: 52

Reading Level: 9-12

Summary:

This is an accurate account of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima using a girl named Sachi as the main character. The town was going through their normal daily routines that day. People were working to build a street of gravel just in case their town started on fire that would make them safe. Sachi went to her job working in a center that detected bomb threats. Up in the air there were three planes getting ready to drop the bomb on Hiroshima. One held the bomb and the others were there to document its magnitude. It was cloudy that day which would have impeded their mission but there was a clear patch right over Hiroshima so they were given the clear. When the first plane flew over Hiroshima the city was alerted and everyone got into their bomb shelters. But the plane just flew by. They knew they were safe because they bombers wouldn't trick them like that. So when the plane that held the bomb flew over everyone was out on the streets, not under cover. The bomb was dropped. It caused maximum destruction. its radiation was so hot that people burned up instantly. Some people right in the blast were subjected to such high heat that they disappeared but an outline of them was left on the cement. Houses disintegrated, people two miles away were getting burned. Fields started on fire...Out of 76,327 buildings, over 50,000 were destroyed. 125,000 people died just on that day. Thousands die days, weeks, months, and years later. People are still dying from it today. Sachi was burned badly from the blast but she was not killed. She went out to find her family. Her sister and father died.

The bomb ended WWII but at what cost? Was it worth it? Those questions are still being asked today. The bombing cuased the cold war with the Soviet Union. Many other countries started making atomic bombs. But, the U.S. decided that nothing like that should ever happen again. 25 girls were chosen that suffered from the bombing and they were brought to the U.S. to have operations that would make them look normal again. Shachi was one of them. She had plastic surgery to heal her scars.

There is now a monument in Hiroshima and on a plaque it says, "Rest in peace, for the mistake shall not be repeated." Millions of people visit it each year.

Who would benefit from reading this book/who would I recommend this book to?

Teachers who are teaching a unit on WWII should teach with this book. It is honestly presented with just the facts.

What problems/conflicts could this book potentially cause?

This is a very controversial subject. Was it the right thing to do? Was it the wrong thing? It is an extremely sensitive subject to discuss and should be done so lightly.

My Reaction:

I found reading this book to be extremely educational and influential in my knowledge about what happened in Hiroshima. It really shows the horrors of what happened and the after math that something like the atomic bomb causes. It was interesting and sad, but definitely worth reading.