Three Years and Eight Months

by Icy Smith, Jennifer Kindert (Illustrator)

Based on true events during World War II, Three Years and Eight Months tells a compelling journey of hardships and human endurance of ordinary people in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation. A 10-year-old Chinese American boy secretly joins the Chinese war resistance group to help save the lives of thousands of prisoners of war, as well as allied American, British, and Canadian forces. The book features extensive historical notes and photographs documenting the Japanese occupation in Hong Kong from 1942 to 1945. Book Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Award Gold Winner Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Delaware State Reading Association Children Choices Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices Benjamin Franklin Awards Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal Winner Moonbeam Children s Book Award Gold Winner and many more.

Genres: Picture Books, History, World War II, Middle Grade, War

44 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Icy Smith (Sui Bing Tang) is an award-winning author and the founder of East West Discovery Press, which specializes in publishing and distributing multicultural and bilingual books in more than 50 different languages.

Her acclaimed book, The Lonely Queue: The forgotten history of the courageous Chinese Americans in Los Angeles, was described by the Los Angeles Times as “a bilingual book that celebrates the Chinese American community of Southern California… with the intimacy of a family album and the authority of a historical monograph.” The Lonely Queue won the 2002 Clarion Award for best nonfiction book.

Smith’s first children’s book Mei Ling in China City was named the winners of the 2009 Chinese American Librarian Association Best Children’s Book Award, 2008 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and 2008 Independent Publisher Award.

Reviews

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and haunting picture book about a sad part in Hong Kong's history: the Japanese occupation during World War II. Told through the eyes of a 10year old boy, the story talks about the terrible suffering of the Hong Kong population, about the Japanese atrocities, but also about finding help and support in the most unexpected places. Great additional historic material at the end of the book.

[Andrea Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had not read much about this period in WW2 history. I have family who lived in Hong Kong (not during this time, though), so it was of even more interest to me. It is a very dark time in history, but it was inspiring to read about the resistance in Hong Kong.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful story about a ten-year-old boy experiencing the brutal occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Based on the experiences of the author's family.

[Larry Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This compelling tale of survival is set during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, an often overlooked aspect of World War II. The story reflects extensive research by the author. Particularly useful is "Remembering History," a five-page section at the conclusion of the story that discusses the conquest of Hong Kong by the Japanese, life during the occupation, the aftermath, and issues arising from the occupation that endure to this day.

[Alex Baugh]

Living in Hong Kong, 10 year old Choi is told to go home when he arrives at school on the morning of December 8, 1941. The Japanese are bombing Hong Kong amd on the way home, he sees soldiers breaking into shops and homes and taking people away. Afraid, Choi makes his way home just in time to see his mother being led away by a soldier. Already fatherless, Choi is left alone with just his Uncle Kim.

Hong Kong was a British colony and on Christmas Day 1941, British and Canadian forces surrender it to the Japanese and leave. Within months, more people have disappeared, food is scarce and people are starving, whole villages are set on fire.

To survive, Choi and Uncle Kim head out to the mountains to collect firewood to sell to the Japanese along with Uncle Kim's friend Aaron and his son Taylor. Taylor's mom, who is American, was in the states when the invasion of Hong Kong happened. The two boys take their firewood and sell it to a soldier, Watanabe-san.

Watanabe-san is kind to the boys and teaches them Japanese. Within a year, he gets them jobs as "slave boys" at the Japanese military station. Uncle Kim promises to visit him every week, but also asks Choi to listen carefully to what the Japanese soldiers say in his presence. He might hear something important.

Taylor is asked to deliver a package across town and when he returns, he tells Choi he has seen his mother scrubbing clothing by hand. Choi asks if he can make the next delivery and he, too, sees his mother and even has a brief conversation with her. He continues to make deliveries in order to see her.

One day, Uncle Kim comes to visit and tells Choi about the shortage of medical supplies to help wounded Chinese people. Choi knows where the Japanese keep these supplies and tells his uncle he will get them to help his people.

And so Choi and Taylor begin resistance work along with Uncle Kim. But can they get away with it for long under the watch of Japanese soldiers? The answer may surprise you.

The story is told in the first person by Choi. The language is simple and clear, giving enough detail of events without being overly graphic. Although this is a picture book, it is for older readers, not young children. And, in fact, since many kids begin to learn about WWII in 4th or 5th grade, it is an ideal choice for use in the classroom.

Based in part on the stories her father and grandmother told her about their experiences living under Japanese occupation in WWII, Icy Smith has given us a rare look at what life was like for the people of Hong Kong at that time through Choi, a character that seems to be modeled on her dad. Do read her dedication to them to fully appreciate the story in this book. The title, Three Years and Eight Months, is exactly the amount of time that Hong Kong was occupied.

Choi's story is complimented and enhanced by the beautifully detailed watercolor illustrations of Jennifer Kindert. As you study each thoughtful illustration, you will notice subtle touches that broaden the story and tell you more about what life was like then. Choi was only 10 when the Japanese arrived, but was 13 1/2 when the war ended and Kindert has successfully depicted that maturation.

At the end of the book, there are five pages of back matter, called Remembering History, that gives more detailed information about life and conditions in Hong Kong, including black and white photos and a map of countries in the Pacific that were occupied by the Japanese.

This is a valuable contribution to documenting the history of China in WWII and should not be missed.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was borrowed from a friend.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based in part on her own family's experiences during WWII, this book describes the atrocities committed by the Japanese during their occupation of Hong Kong. Food for civilians was severely rationed, and local currency no longer had any value. Choi, the ten-year-old narrator and his friend, Taylor, become slave boys for the Japanese military, and run errands and deliver packages. They also join the resistance movement. When the war finally ends, Watanabe-san, a kind Japanese soldier, returns home to an uncertain welcome, and the boys wait for news from their families. I especially liked how the author describes the complexity of war, which featured great cruelty as well as small acts of kindness and courage such as those of the two boys. Back matter includes archival photographs of the events described so movingly in the book. History fans will be delighted to have a book for children that deals with a part of history that seemingly has been forgotten or whitewashed in some cases. The softly-hued illustrations add even more depth to the story as readers can see that these are real men, women, and children, civilians, trying to endure harsh treatment.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be great for 5th-8th grade small group, student-led reading and rich, substantive conversations. I'd recommend building some background knowledge about WWII prior to reading or using as part of an integrated unit of study. In the back, the author has included several pages of details about what happened to the citizens of Hong Kong when the Japanese attacked and occupied their home. While students in 5th grade could easily engage with the content of this book, the back matter includes graphic details that might be saved for the older grades. I wouldn't shy away from using this with 7-8th grade students - the main text and the back matter with primary sources. It's a picture book, yes - but the illustrations and content are complex enough for this group to engage in thoughtful discussions and written responses. This is a dimension of WWII that many of us may not know about as well.

So glad to have found Icy Smith and her books (and East West Discovery Press)--I met her at a conference recently and was inspired by her passion for and knowledge about the topics she tackles in her books. I think for students engaging in research--she'd be a great author to interview.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Years and Eight Months by Icy Smith, illustrated by Jennifer Kindert – 5th grade and up through adult – Historical Fiction picture book – Well done picture book that covers the devastation of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong from 1942-1945 from the point of view of two boys who work to help the resistance. There are really sensitive topics throughout this book that would need to be discussed and explained to younger children, prepare for this by reading in advance. Additionally, I think this is a prime example of a powerful world-awareness title. During the story, there is a character who demonstrates empathy in an unexpected manner in addition to characters who take action to help others.

[Patty Thiets · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a picture book that tells how a family living in Hong Kong is torn apart during WWII. The lives of these boys along with a Japanese soldier will be forever changed. A great historical perspective of WWII from another cultural that was affected by this war. This book is a great read for older elementary students. #ReadYourWorld
As I was reading I was wondering why haven't read any other books about the WWII where the Japanese invaded other countries. This book not only did that but taught me more about this war and what others around the world had to do during this time.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always amazed at the glaring holes I have in my knowledge of world history. I had no idea that the Japanese occupied Hong Kong during WWII. There were many civilian deaths. I knew WWII touched many countries, but I was missing that piece of information. This book shows the history in a personal way because the author is telling the story of her own family members. Here is a video I found of the author talking about her writing. http://youtu.be/2nQy5d9-E4Q

[Matthew Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super informative as well as very personal. I enjoyed how nothing appeared sugar coated and although I can imagine it was hard to write. The author Icy Smith gave us an idea of her families struggles as well as their background.

I would recommend this book.

[Brenda Kahn]

Powerful piece of historical fiction based on author's family stories, beautifully illustrated with solid backmatter.