The Fences Between Us

Author:  Kirby Larson

My recommended age: 11+

Their recommended age: 8-14

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Number of pages: 320

Publisher’s description:

"With this sweeping tale of life on the World War II home front, Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson brings her incredible talent to the Dear America series. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, America is finally unable to ignore the wars raging in Europe and Asia any longer. And one girl's entire life is about to change when everything she knows is turned on its head. After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, where her brother, a navy sailor, is stationed, Piper Davis begins chronicling her compelling journey through one of history's most tragic and unforgettable eras.
Piper's father is the pastor for a Japanese Baptist church, and when its members are taken away to Minidoka, Idaho, to be interned, Pastor Davis moves his family from Seattle to Idaho to be with his congregation. Piper is jealous of her older sister, who gets to remain at home and go off to work. Her brother, who survived the Pearl Harbor strike, is stationed in the Pacific, while her brother-in-law is shipped off to Europe to fight. Piper, meanwhile, hates her new life, but soon, through her budding friendship with Betty, a Japanese-American girl who is interned in the camp, Piper learns how it important it is to bear witness to the events that were bound to change America."

My thoughts:

 I've always liked the dear America series.  Yeah..I'm 15, and they are for 14-....but that doesn't mean anything to me.  I like the diary form, and how you're in the MC's thoughts. I think Ms. Larson did really well in construction a real-to-life diary.  I've read some where there is non stop action, the 'writer' can remember EVERY SINGLE detail from past conversations 2 days old.  I can't help but find that rather unrealistic.  But Piper has those dull days we all have.  Days all she raves about is this-and-that, days where she just rambles, and some where she fumes.  Like us all.  It isn't all fun and fire.  This is one of my most favorite Dear Americas for that very reason.

Cons:

 Piper has a crush on a certain boy character, but later on in the story, she sees how futile crushes are, and the heartbreak they create, and stops.

Pros:

 Realistic diary format.

Much Character development.

You can't help but love Piper.

Overall clean.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Piper has a crush for the first 2/3 of the book.

Violence:

 Some Japanese get mobbed, and it is during war time.

Drugs and drink:

 None.

Ratings:

I really loved this book. Piper was easy to relate to, it was easy to read, and fun.  

Where you can buy it at:

Amazon has it for 9.09 and Scholastic for 12.99

*I received this book from Scholastic Publishers.  I was neither paid nor made to do this, but did because I wanted to*