Manami Tanaka's life on Bainbridge Island, Washington, is nothing remarkable.  The 10-year-old spends her days going to school, walking with her grandfather along the beach, and playing with her dog, Yujiin.  It's only when she's forced to leave her home that Manami realizes how much she's lost.  Ordered to relocate to an interment camp in California, she must give up not just her freedom, but also the companionship of her beloved dog.  It's this sacrifice that breaks her heart and steals her voice.

With around 10,000 residents, Manzanar is bursting at the seams.  The camp is like a large village, boasting its own school, hospital, store, baseball diamond, and cemetery.  Living in such crowded quarters is bad enough, but the people interred there have to deal with the unrelenting heat, dust, and confinement.  Manami feels as if she might go crazy.  She needs Yujiin now more than she ever has.  If she sends him pictures, will her faithful companion come running?  Will her family be happy again?  Or will Manami be forever mute, lonely, and sad?

Paper Wishes, Lois Sepahban's fictional debut, paints a vivid, sympathetic picture of the plight of Japanese Americans unfairly interred during World War II.  Through young Manami, we get a feel for the fear, anger, and dismay that must have accompanied such an experience.  Although short and spare, Paper Wishes teaches some valuable lessons about prejudice, hope, and making the best of bad situations.  It's an interesting, poignant story.  Its plot is quite thin, however, making the tale drag in places.  Because of this, I liked Paper Wishes, I just didn't love it.

(Readalikes:  I haven't read any other children's books on this subject.  Have you?)

Grade:

If you're not sure what a Mormon is, let alone a Mormon Mention, allow me to explain:  My name is Susan and I'm a Mormon (you've seen the commercials, right?).  As a member of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon or LDS Church), I'm naturally concerned with how my religion is portrayed in the media.  Because this blog is about books, every time I see a reference to Mormonism in a book written by someone who is not a member of my church, I highlight it here.  Then, I offer my opinion—my insider's view—of what the author is saying.  It's my chance to correct misconceptions, expound on principles of the Gospel, and even to laugh at my (sometimes) crazy Mormon culture.

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In Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley, 34-year-old Cassie Sunday is composing a letter to her sister.  An exhausted stay-at-home mom, she writes:

"I just remembered something.  When the boys were about four months old and I had been back at work for a month, I used to watch TV during their two a.m. feed.  I got into that show on Showtime with Chloë Sevigny about the Mormon polygamists, and I remember thinking, these people are genius!  A few extra wives really come in handy with a house full of kids.  It's just good sense.  We could have used an extra wife right about then (still could, actually).  I would have gladly let her sleep with Leo.  God knows I wasn't.  I fantasized about it for weeks—not the sex part, but the wife part, the extra set of hands to take care of the babies, cook, clean, all that" (36).  

--  All I can say is ha ha.  And members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints haven't practiced polygamy in more than 125 years.  The practice is continued by some fundamentalist sects, but these groups are not associated with the mainstream LDS Church.  If you want to read more about plural marriage and the history of the Church, click here.