Jerry Stanley
Author of Children of the Dust Bowl
About the Author
Jerry Stanley is the author of several highly praised books for young readers, including Children of the Dust Bowl, an ALA Notable Book, a Horn Book Fanfare Outstanding Book of the Year, a Booklist Editors' Choice, and winner of the Orbis Pictus Award; I Am an American, an ALA Notable Book; and show more Hurry Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush California, a National Book Award finalist and winner of the Orbis Pictus Award. A former professor of history at California State University, he lives in Bakersfield show less
Image credit: PRWeb
Works by Jerry Stanley
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1941
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- California, USA
Detroit, Michigan, USA - Occupations
- teacher
Members
Reviews
Lists
Youth: BLM (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Statistics
- Works
- 7
- Members
- 1,613
- Popularity
- #15,973
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 259
- ISBNs
- 35
- Languages
- 1
I Am an American looks at Japanese internment in a broader historical context with regards to the war as well as what it was like for Japanese people both before and following the war. But it also presents a more intimate portrait of Shiro Nomura, as well as his girlfriend, Amy Hattori, and the woman he eventually married, Mary Kageyama. The book presents details of their lives before, during, and after internment, while also talking more generally about what life was like in the internment camps. It also focuses on the racism experienced by Japanese Americans in spite of them going to great lengths to prove their loyalty to their country. Even those who’d served in the U. S. military weren’t exempted from this inhumanity. The only slight misgiving I had with the book was how the author frequently quoted white people who used a racist slur. I commend the author for pointing out that it was a slur, so that kids hopefully won’t get the wrong idea and start using it themselves. I also like that he tried to balance these stories of racism with those of white people who supported Japanese Americans, as well as the fact that he pretty unequivocally expressed the injustice of it all. However, a part of me wonders how a child or teen of Japanese ancestry might feel if reading the book and seeing these slurs. This led me to muse on whether there might have been a way to soften the language a bit, given that even I, as a white adult, felt uncomfortable while reading these quotes. I grudgingly admit, though, that the shock value of it does help drive home how terrible and unjust it was for the Japanese Americans experiencing it. My only other concern, given that this is a book aimed at middle-schoolers and perhaps young teens, is the brief mention of a Japanese man committing suicide when he found out that people like him were to be interned. Otherwise, I think this is a great book for teaching kids and teens about this often overlooked and shameful piece of American history. I learned a number of things while reading it that I didn’t previously know, so I know that it would be informative to young people as well.… (more)