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Girls Survive
Alice on the Island: A Pearl Harbor Survival Story
In 1941, thirteen-year-old Alice's days are filled with swimming in the Hawaiian sea, going to school, and helping watch her younger siblings. But on December 7, everything changes when she experiences an act of war, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As the United States enters World War II, Alice's father is sent to a Japanese internment camp, leaving Alice and the rest of her family struggling to adjust to life without him. Featuring nonfiction support material, a glossary, and reader response questions, this Girls Survive story takes readers to one of history's most important moments.
104 pages, Library Binding
Published January 1, 2019
About the author
Mayumi Shimose Poe
8 books3 followersMayumi Shimose Poe is a freelance editor and writer. Recent work has appeared in Bamboo Ridge, Drunken Boat/Anomaly, Frontier Psychiatrist, Hawaii Women’s Journal, Hunger Mountain, Hybolics, and Japan Subculture Research Center. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Hunger Mountain and won an Editor’s Choice Award from Bamboo Ridge. She is a proud graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Vermont College of Fine Arts; has been on staff with Bamboo Ridge Press, Hawaii Women’s Journal, and American Anthropologist; and is a reader for Black Lawrence Press. She lives with her husband and two sons in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 29, 2024
Kudos to the author of this book! I have read many historical fiction books about Pearl Harbor, and I think this is the first one written from the viewpoint of a Japanese-American citizen who lived there.
The attack and its aftermath are described through the eyes and voice of 13-year-old Alice, who considers herself and family loyal Americans. Unfortunately, after December 7, 1941, many people feel differently about anything or anyone remotely Japanese…
A confession, and a wish:
I’ve always hoped that the American Girl Company would feature an historical fiction book about a Japanese-American child and the incarceration of Japanese citizens during WW2. Not quite sure why this hasn’t happened yet, but I wish it would, because some people know little about that blot on American history.
The attack and its aftermath are described through the eyes and voice of 13-year-old Alice, who considers herself and family loyal Americans. Unfortunately, after December 7, 1941, many people feel differently about anything or anyone remotely Japanese…
A confession, and a wish:
I’ve always hoped that the American Girl Company would feature an historical fiction book about a Japanese-American child and the incarceration of Japanese citizens during WW2. Not quite sure why this hasn’t happened yet, but I wish it would, because some people know little about that blot on American history.
September 11, 2021
I always want these to be longer than they are, but such as it is, I’d say this book is good for ages 10 and up. It’s a brief look at a moment in history through the eyes of a young girl (normally around 12), but this main character (Alice) turns 13 at the beginning of the story. She lives in Hawai’i with her family when Pearl Harbor and surrounding places are bombed on December 7th, 1942. I wanted the story’s arc to continue, and I wish there was a resource guide at the end that shows where the author got her research, for further reading or for teachers.
September 20, 2022
One of my students loves this series, so I knew I had to check them out. I was pleasantly surprised by how well done it was, and I appreciated that there was a glossary and a few discussion questions in the back.
September 18, 2021
Really enjoyed this one. I feel like the civilian aspect of Pearl Harbor often gets overlooked so it’s wonderful to have something like this to teach children. Wish it was longer. Really great family dynamic.
January 25, 2021
Alice has a comfortable life in a loving Japanese American family on the island of Oahu. When Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, Alice witnesses some of the bombing destruction first-hand and then her father is taken away by the government because of his position as a Japanese newspaper journalist. Will her father ever be freed, and how will they manage without him?
This is obviously well-researched and the cultural feel is on point thanks to the author's cultural background. It is an important, and unique look at the Pearl Harbor bombing and what it was like for those of Japanese descent on the islands afterward. Alice's father is interred, but her older sister who is a nurse gets treated differently, her older brother who is in ROTC at the outbreak of war is treated yet another way, the neighbor lady who had homing pigeons is interred, and Alice herself eventually faces a variety of responses from kids in her class at school, many of whom are also Asian Americans. Hand this to reluctant historical fiction readers, and those looking for a Japanese American perspective of WWII events.
Notes on content: Some derogatory terms for Japanese are used. No sexual content. Alice witnesses some bomb victims (nowhere near as gory as it could be, but some blood and fatalities).
This is obviously well-researched and the cultural feel is on point thanks to the author's cultural background. It is an important, and unique look at the Pearl Harbor bombing and what it was like for those of Japanese descent on the islands afterward. Alice's father is interred, but her older sister who is a nurse gets treated differently, her older brother who is in ROTC at the outbreak of war is treated yet another way, the neighbor lady who had homing pigeons is interred, and Alice herself eventually faces a variety of responses from kids in her class at school, many of whom are also Asian Americans. Hand this to reluctant historical fiction readers, and those looking for a Japanese American perspective of WWII events.
Notes on content: Some derogatory terms for Japanese are used. No sexual content. Alice witnesses some bomb victims (nowhere near as gory as it could be, but some blood and fatalities).
June 26, 2024
A middle-grade historical fiction book based on the attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7th, 1941.
Alice has recently turned 13 years old, when the attack on Pearl Harbor strikes Hawai'i and brings the United States into WWII. Told in a first-person perspective, the reader follows Ali as she navigates an uncertain world -- trying to obtain emergency supplies for her family, witnessing fire and danger in the streets, watching the world change around her as her father is held at a Japanese internment camp. With her family by her side, Alice learns many life-changing lessons while the reader learns about the tragedy that is PEARL HARBOR.
I love that this book weaves historic events into a fictional first-person narrative. The reader gets a sense of what living through such events may have been like, and includes an author's note at the end about the historical research involved in writing this story. There's also a list of vocabulary words defined at the end of the book.
Trigger Warning: blood, bodily injury, racism, prejudice towards Japanese nationality, internment camp, parent arrest (off-page), single-parenthood (mother), child death
Suitable for middle-grade readers.
Alice has recently turned 13 years old, when the attack on Pearl Harbor strikes Hawai'i and brings the United States into WWII. Told in a first-person perspective, the reader follows Ali as she navigates an uncertain world -- trying to obtain emergency supplies for her family, witnessing fire and danger in the streets, watching the world change around her as her father is held at a Japanese internment camp. With her family by her side, Alice learns many life-changing lessons while the reader learns about the tragedy that is PEARL HARBOR.
I love that this book weaves historic events into a fictional first-person narrative. The reader gets a sense of what living through such events may have been like, and includes an author's note at the end about the historical research involved in writing this story. There's also a list of vocabulary words defined at the end of the book.
Trigger Warning: blood, bodily injury, racism, prejudice towards Japanese nationality, internment camp, parent arrest (off-page), single-parenthood (mother), child death
Suitable for middle-grade readers.
May 23, 2022
Note: there are spoilers so you might want to stop reading at this point.
First, this is not related to Alice in Wonderland. It's about a girl named Alice who lives in Hawaii. She's 13 and the starting date of the story is just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Her father works for a Japanese language newspaper so you can pretty much guess what is going to happen to him. She has an older brother in the ROTC.
On December 7th she sees Japanese warplanes. On her way the store a bomb falls nearby and from that point on things get rather bad. Her older sister, Pearly, is a nurse and she does what she can to help at the hospital. Martial law is declared.
This part is very important but the declaration of marital law was a major step in keeping Hawaii in order and in not having the 'need' to ship out everyone who was of Japanese ancestry and sending them to internment camps like was done in the mainland.
(Also, there were a significant number of people like that on the island and to remove everyone of Japanese ancestry like they did from the West Coast would have very severely damaged Hawaii's economy.)
Then her father is taken by the police, her mother gets rid of anything from their home that can be tied into their Japanese heritage. There's rationing, monitoring of communications and other things going on. Finally, things calm down enough later for school to start again.
(These are things that happened on the mainland also. Certain people of Japanese ancestry, even if there were born in the United States were taken from their families and held without charge or trial. A lot of families destroyed everything they had that would tie them in to Japan directly. )
This is a well-done book from the viewpoint of a young girl living there at that time. It is a very different situation from what happened to the persons of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast.
First, this is not related to Alice in Wonderland. It's about a girl named Alice who lives in Hawaii. She's 13 and the starting date of the story is just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Her father works for a Japanese language newspaper so you can pretty much guess what is going to happen to him. She has an older brother in the ROTC.
On December 7th she sees Japanese warplanes. On her way the store a bomb falls nearby and from that point on things get rather bad. Her older sister, Pearly, is a nurse and she does what she can to help at the hospital. Martial law is declared.
This part is very important but the declaration of marital law was a major step in keeping Hawaii in order and in not having the 'need' to ship out everyone who was of Japanese ancestry and sending them to internment camps like was done in the mainland.
(Also, there were a significant number of people like that on the island and to remove everyone of Japanese ancestry like they did from the West Coast would have very severely damaged Hawaii's economy.)
Then her father is taken by the police, her mother gets rid of anything from their home that can be tied into their Japanese heritage. There's rationing, monitoring of communications and other things going on. Finally, things calm down enough later for school to start again.
(These are things that happened on the mainland also. Certain people of Japanese ancestry, even if there were born in the United States were taken from their families and held without charge or trial. A lot of families destroyed everything they had that would tie them in to Japan directly. )
This is a well-done book from the viewpoint of a young girl living there at that time. It is a very different situation from what happened to the persons of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast.
August 4, 2020
An engaging chapter book for upper elementary, early middle school readers that tells the story of a Japanese American girl and her family living in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor is attacked. Alice's father, who was born in the US gets taken away, and neighbors are sent to internment camps as well. Young readers can relate to Alice and get a peek into a dark and important time in U.S. history. A great addition to a classroom or family library, it presents many opportunities for discussions on bias, bigotry, and being an aware, thoughtful citizen. It needs a part 2, as kids will want to know what happened next.
February 6, 2022
I was intrigued to read this series, as I wondered how such a tragic and terrifying situation could be made into children's books. I think it was really well done, however I might caution children who are quick to worry about small things to maybe wait until they are older to read these. Though death is addressed and it isn't gruesome, it is present- there is an instance of child death (not a main character).
Overall, I liked the book, and I will definitely read more in the series. A good early intro to historical fiction.
Overall, I liked the book, and I will definitely read more in the series. A good early intro to historical fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2019
Part of the Girls Survive series.
This book follows the story of Alice, a thirteen year old Japanese American girl, living in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor. This book is filled with historical facts, definitions, as well as life lessons. Would recommend this to everyone and anyone, particularly young girls. The story of resilience is one that needs to be told over and over again.
This book follows the story of Alice, a thirteen year old Japanese American girl, living in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor. This book is filled with historical facts, definitions, as well as life lessons. Would recommend this to everyone and anyone, particularly young girls. The story of resilience is one that needs to be told over and over again.
February 21, 2021
Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed. It is almost written as journal entries: different days and times. It starts off a few weeks before Pearl Harbor was bombed, then the day of and the days after, then it jumps ahead a month, then several months. It’s called “A Pearl Harbor Survival Story”, but I don’t feel like that matches the book well.
December 29, 2022
10 y.o. review: 4.5 Stars my favorite part of the story was the complexity of the language. Some of the words were in Japanese and that was interesting because I was learning and reading things that were hard and very new to me. I like the descriptions of all the explosions and the drama of the bombing. I also liked all the family drama that was written into the story as well.
October 11, 2020
Cute little chapter book. It does a nice job of sharing what it could have been like to be of Japanese descent after Pearl Harbor. Quick reading. Great for reluctant readers that enjoy historical fiction.
August 8, 2020
Another great series like I Survived.
December 29, 2020
Extremely short MG novel about living in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor and the impact after. I don’t see much literary merit, but could be used in a WW2 unit for extra reads.
June 22, 2021
Have really good memories of it
November 30, 2021
One error I noticed: I am pretty sure there were no sticky notes in 1941. Other than that, pretty good.
July 5, 2022
I loved this book it was super cute. Told the story of a girl during Peral Harbor. The book is short but it’s made for younger readers. Overall, loved it!
January 30, 2023
Ugh. the plot didn't go anywhere and it ended suddenly. i only recommend to a kid just starting to read chapter books.
March 16, 2023
3.5 stars
July 16, 2023
Yet another great addition to this fantastic series!
March 20, 2024
3.5 stars.
The girls in my library are loving this series!
The girls in my library are loving this series!
June 8, 2021
I'm enjoying this series -- packs a lot of punch for a short book, illuminates a time and place in a way that's very appealing and accessible for kids, and consistently good characters. I haven't seen a lot about the experience of Japanese Americans in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor, so that is a feature. It seems like there were fewer wholesale interments than on the mainland, but the community still lost fathers, friends, leaders to the Sand Island Camp and were subject to racist remarks, confiscation of goods and other deprivations. This book has a good balance of family support and disaster conditions. Alice is an engaging character.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews