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Hiroshima
Based on real accounts by Hiroshima survivors, the fictional story of twelve-year-old Sachi follows her witness to the devastation in her city as a result of the bombing and describes her healing process as she helps to rebuild her home.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
15 people are currently reading
718 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Yep
120 books295 followersBorn June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
December 22, 2021
Despite its brevity (49 pages, plus the afterword and bibliography), this novella is emotional, compelling and educational. It explains the events of August 6, 1945, when the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The language is simple and easy to understand. A perfect introduction for young readers, though the subject matter is understandably very sad. It may be difficult for children to understand and deal with. Though, as an adult, it was still the case for me. However, it's a reality of the world, and I feel like this is a good way to introduce this terrible historical event to curious readers. It intersperses factual events (which can be researched using the resources listed at the back of the book, or others) with a story of a fictional girl named Sachi. Even though Sachi was not a real person, her story is "a composite of several children who were in Hiroshima," according to the author's afterword. I would definitely recommend this book to upper-elementary/middle school students who are learning about WWII.
December 5, 2024
I picked the smallest book on my TBR bookshelf and was moved by this succinct novella. It tells the horror of the Hiroshima bomb from the perspective of two young sisters. Very sobering to think that this was the reality of hundreds of thousands of people.
June 17, 2010
Laurence Yep gives a very interesting, real and informative look into the August 6, 1945 events. The book begins giving a background of the war and the development of nuclear weapons.
Simultaneously, the reader follows the life of Sachi and her little sister, Riko. When the first bomber passes over the city to check the weather to make sure that Hiroshima would be a good target, Sachi telles her sister to cover her head with the coat that she has. They are relieved to find that nothing happened and that it passed over them. She drops her sister off at school and helps out with the war efforts in the factory.
Then another plane passes over and drops the bomb. The book describes in great detail what happened and gave specifics on how the bomb works. Riko suffers terrible injuries and is the only survivor in her school. Sachi is hurt, but she finds refuge from the heat by jumping into a river.
Despite all this tragedy, countries continue making weapons like the one at Hiroshima, even worse. The book concludes, “The atom bomb is too terrible a weapon. It must not drop again.”
This book would give a younger young adult a very good and informative look into the events of that day. The book also is very good about giving both perspectives– that of the Americans and that of the Japanese. A reader may have difficulty connecting with the main character because she’s not very well developed, but I think that the effects of the atom bomb was more important to the author
Simultaneously, the reader follows the life of Sachi and her little sister, Riko. When the first bomber passes over the city to check the weather to make sure that Hiroshima would be a good target, Sachi telles her sister to cover her head with the coat that she has. They are relieved to find that nothing happened and that it passed over them. She drops her sister off at school and helps out with the war efforts in the factory.
Then another plane passes over and drops the bomb. The book describes in great detail what happened and gave specifics on how the bomb works. Riko suffers terrible injuries and is the only survivor in her school. Sachi is hurt, but she finds refuge from the heat by jumping into a river.
Despite all this tragedy, countries continue making weapons like the one at Hiroshima, even worse. The book concludes, “The atom bomb is too terrible a weapon. It must not drop again.”
This book would give a younger young adult a very good and informative look into the events of that day. The book also is very good about giving both perspectives– that of the Americans and that of the Japanese. A reader may have difficulty connecting with the main character because she’s not very well developed, but I think that the effects of the atom bomb was more important to the author
January 26, 2010
ww2 books are my favorite i have told everyone before. But this is the most tragic book i have read. In this story lies a little village named Hiroshima. The stories main characters are 2 young girls who are attacked by the americans atom bomb. the city was left in rubble and ash. The streets were paved with fire, and the reek of burning bodies was floating in the air.
The reason I chose this book was to learn more about the atomic attacks. I considered the Germans lucky that we didnt strick them with such a bomb. Another reason I chose this book was because I wanted to hear the story from a Japaniese perspective.
The reason I chose this book was to learn more about the atomic attacks. I considered the Germans lucky that we didnt strick them with such a bomb. Another reason I chose this book was because I wanted to hear the story from a Japaniese perspective.
May 6, 2009
this book is good. it shows the things that the people on hiroshima went through in that horrific bombing. this book may be small but it is very good.
June 4, 2015
It was okay, I picked it up to read for historical fiction, it was short and easy and told about the awful bomb being dropped.
December 9, 2019
This little novella put the happenings at Hiroshima into a strange kind of perspective for me. I knew, like many, that the bombings in Japan killed many, many people. I did not realize that they incinerated them instantaneously. The thought is nauseating. I wish for peace even as my analytical brain supplies that fighting is in the nature of the ape-- even chimps commit murder. I hope the world LEARNS from what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That kind of horror should never be repeated. Perhaps everyone should learn to found paper cranes as Sadako did as we wish for peace...
November 25, 2019
I think Laurence yep did a great job writing this book.
This book is about the city of Hiroshima and how the united states dropped an atomic bomb on the city and it also tells what people were doing before the bomb was dropped what was happening when the bomb was dropped and what life was like after the bomb went off and it tells about the monument with all thee names.
This book is about the city of Hiroshima and how the united states dropped an atomic bomb on the city and it also tells what people were doing before the bomb was dropped what was happening when the bomb was dropped and what life was like after the bomb went off and it tells about the monument with all thee names.
November 22, 2017
Short, straight-forward, and yet horribly upsetting. I almost cried several times in the whole forty pages of this book. Something like this, short yet profound, should be required reading for anyone who wants to wield a weapon.
June 7, 2017
This book was so sad but it was so good I could not put the book down.
September 1, 2025
This is a simple factual telling of the events of August 6, 1945 and their aftermath. Sobering and well written for children to understand the horrible truth.
April 16, 2021
Compassionate and informative, this story is a quick read, good as an introduction to the bombings for young people. So sad, but so important for all of us to know about.
March 19, 2017
Laurence Yep is my favorite author for young adult material, and this novella is a good length and explains what occurred without going into traumatic details unsuitable for young people. The emotional impact is explored in a manner appropriate for the upper elementary and middle school child, and the illustrations add interest. I keep a copy in my home library and had it in my classroom during my years as a teacher. Highly recommended.
May 17, 2016
Personal Response:
I really did not like this book. It was very short and really only took me a little more than a half hour to finish it. I feel that if I were to read another book about this or other historical events, it would need to be a bit more than a children's book for me to actually get anything out of it. Again, this was a children's book and it did not have nearly enough good information for me to get anything out of it's extremely short sentences.
Plot:
The plot of this book was very simple. Sachi has a sister and a mother who go out to do their regular duties, just as she does. What she doesn't know is that that day, the world's first atomic bomb was to be dropped on her hometown- Hiroshima. It was described as a big flash of light and then a searing heat that lit everything on fire. People were incinerated instantly and many who didn't would die later of radiation poisoning. The book went on to say that Sachi survived the explosion and was actually taken to the United States for treatment of her injuries from the bomb. She becomes one of the 25 Hiroshima Maidens.
Recommendation:
I don't recommend this book to anyone of high school age or middle school age. This book is probably made for children in elementary school in 3rd through 5th grade. This book is definitely not appropriate for middle and high school students like myself. The topic is Hiroshima, but it is not good information for older kids, it is just a short overview of events projected toward young children.
I really did not like this book. It was very short and really only took me a little more than a half hour to finish it. I feel that if I were to read another book about this or other historical events, it would need to be a bit more than a children's book for me to actually get anything out of it. Again, this was a children's book and it did not have nearly enough good information for me to get anything out of it's extremely short sentences.
Plot:
The plot of this book was very simple. Sachi has a sister and a mother who go out to do their regular duties, just as she does. What she doesn't know is that that day, the world's first atomic bomb was to be dropped on her hometown- Hiroshima. It was described as a big flash of light and then a searing heat that lit everything on fire. People were incinerated instantly and many who didn't would die later of radiation poisoning. The book went on to say that Sachi survived the explosion and was actually taken to the United States for treatment of her injuries from the bomb. She becomes one of the 25 Hiroshima Maidens.
Recommendation:
I don't recommend this book to anyone of high school age or middle school age. This book is probably made for children in elementary school in 3rd through 5th grade. This book is definitely not appropriate for middle and high school students like myself. The topic is Hiroshima, but it is not good information for older kids, it is just a short overview of events projected toward young children.
November 16, 2010
This is an account of the dropping of the 1st atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August, 1945 told from the persepctive of Sachi, a 12 year old Japanese girl, and resident of Hiroshima. Sachi is outside with her school group when the bomp explodes. Her pitiful air raid hood is no protection for the devastation of this powerful weapon. Sachi survives but is burned and badly disfigured. She hides in her house for 3 years until she is selected as a "Hiroshima Maiden" and travels to the United States for plastic surgery. There is also a small storyline about the crew members of teh Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the bomb. The book ends with a discussion of nuclear warefare today and efforts for disarmament. This book is a quick read but its simple language is deceptive. The author gives us easily understood information on atomic bombs, how they work and why they cause so much devastation. A powerful and touching story for all ages/
February 8, 2011
Published: 1995, Scholastic, Inc.
Age: 8-11
The events of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the aftermath is told through the experiences of a 12 year old girl named Sachi. Though she is fictional she is believable and her story is so horrible it is unforgettable. The novella also touches on the copilot of the Enola Gay who writes the note, “What have we done?” Yep writes in detail about the bomb exploding and what it looked, sounded, felt, and smelled like. Some interesting points were the hoods that the Japanese wore that were supposed to protect them from the bomb effects, and the 25 “Hiroshima Maidens” sent to America for plastic surgery. There is an afterword by Yep explaining statistical conflicts he had when writing the book. He also includes a source list. This is a fast, powerful read.
Age: 8-11
The events of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the aftermath is told through the experiences of a 12 year old girl named Sachi. Though she is fictional she is believable and her story is so horrible it is unforgettable. The novella also touches on the copilot of the Enola Gay who writes the note, “What have we done?” Yep writes in detail about the bomb exploding and what it looked, sounded, felt, and smelled like. Some interesting points were the hoods that the Japanese wore that were supposed to protect them from the bomb effects, and the 25 “Hiroshima Maidens” sent to America for plastic surgery. There is an afterword by Yep explaining statistical conflicts he had when writing the book. He also includes a source list. This is a fast, powerful read.
April 20, 2009
I don't know if this is classified as fiction, really. It's like a research paper with a small amount of fiction, as there are two girls very briefly characterized who represent some of the children in Hiroshima at the time, but not enough to care about or become attached to them. The rest of it reads like a research paper. Full of interesting facts & details that one wouldn't get from their Social Studies textbook, this book is written in simple sentences at what seems like a 3rd grade level, even though it's labeled to be 4th grade. My son could easily understand this (grade 3). It's a perfect trade book to have in your classroom, grades 5-8. (I read the whole book in 20 minutes).
December 10, 2012
Yep presents a fictionalized account of the bombing of Hiroshima seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Sachi. The perspectives of Japanese and Americans are equally represented in this book. Thorough research on the topic is evident with numbers of deaths. Yep also included information about the "Hiroshima maidens." 25 Japanese women who were seriously disfigured as a result of the atomic bomb received plastic surgeries from American doctors. Readers in intermediate and upper elementary school will be captivated by the story of humankind.
Themes: peace, survival, family
Themes: peace, survival, family
October 22, 2011
Written in very simple sentences, this book can be annoying for adults to read. However, it tenderly revealed the reality of the bombs on real people living in Hiroshima at the time. It also continued the story forward to the time of the Hiroshima Maidens, briefly explaining what they went through, as well as the arms race and the problem of not all the countries wanting to sign a treaty.
June 4, 2015
This was a very quick read for me, the story didn't focus on one specific event but on multiple. This was a good book to read if you need nonfiction credit. This is not a book I would have picked up on my own. If you need a quick book to receive credit for nonfiction I recommend this book.
November 13, 2018
The start of the book is talking about the history of the United States and Japan. It introduces Enola Gay and says that he is going to drop the Atomic Bomb to start the war. It says on December 7, 1941, planes from Japan started to attack ships in Hawaii without warning them. Sachi, a 12 year old kid has a sibling named Riko and they are going to school. School starts and the alarm starts to ring, one of Sachi’s friends start to yell because so say the Americans coming to attack. Then the bomb hits was it destroyed a lot of land and it killed Riko and Sachi’s classmates. Sachi wakes up and finds everything destroyed.
The theme of the book is be prepared for the best and the worst. It tells the history of the atomic bomb and it says that a lot of people were shocked and lots of damage was cause a pond Japan. It so that Sachi and her friends and family was not ready for the bomb and it show there consequences.
My opinion for this book is that it has a good story, it tells it very well and it has good history about the atomic bomb and the America and Japan war. I like that it tells the story as a person perspective and other perspective throughout the story. It shows that war really happened in our time, but in my opinion it was a good book.
The theme of the book is be prepared for the best and the worst. It tells the history of the atomic bomb and it says that a lot of people were shocked and lots of damage was cause a pond Japan. It so that Sachi and her friends and family was not ready for the bomb and it show there consequences.
My opinion for this book is that it has a good story, it tells it very well and it has good history about the atomic bomb and the America and Japan war. I like that it tells the story as a person perspective and other perspective throughout the story. It shows that war really happened in our time, but in my opinion it was a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2019
Book Title: Hiroshima
Author/Illustrator: Laurence Yep
Reading Level: MG
Book Level: 4.9
Book Summary:
In this story, Sachi and her classmates deal with the fallout of the bombing of Hiroshima.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Trait:
Sentence Fluency- This book would be mostly effectively used in a classroom by including it in small group instruction to practice sentence fluency. I would work with small groups to practice reading fluency by taking turns reading aloud sections of the book. I would then have students work each small group time to find where the author has used sentence fluency (i.e. varied sentence structures, breaking the rules for sentence structure, effective sentences, and sentences that sound "nice") to help them identify sentence fluency traits. Then I would have students practice these sentence fluency techniques by providing them with an opportunity to re-write some sentences using the specific technique talked about each day. This would mean I would meet with this small group a total of 4 times and would provide them practice for each technique each meeting time.
Author/Illustrator: Laurence Yep
Reading Level: MG
Book Level: 4.9
Book Summary:
In this story, Sachi and her classmates deal with the fallout of the bombing of Hiroshima.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Trait:
Sentence Fluency- This book would be mostly effectively used in a classroom by including it in small group instruction to practice sentence fluency. I would work with small groups to practice reading fluency by taking turns reading aloud sections of the book. I would then have students work each small group time to find where the author has used sentence fluency (i.e. varied sentence structures, breaking the rules for sentence structure, effective sentences, and sentences that sound "nice") to help them identify sentence fluency traits. Then I would have students practice these sentence fluency techniques by providing them with an opportunity to re-write some sentences using the specific technique talked about each day. This would mean I would meet with this small group a total of 4 times and would provide them practice for each technique each meeting time.
June 1, 2023
In sparse, gentle prose, Laurence Yep details the moment of greatest manmade destruction in history. Hiroshima is almost not a novella. Facts are provided—dates, the weight of bombs, the number of murdered innocents, names (of aircrafts and historical figures, as well as fictional characters)—but Sachi, the twelve-year-old protagonist, and her sister Riko appear on only 23 of the book's 49 pages, and they are mostly an excuse to describe the events on and surrounding the day when America first attacked Japan with an atomic weapon. Little attempt is made at characterization or plot. Truly the book is a primer on nuclear war and a call for complete disarmament.
Yep is not theatrical. He needn't be: the bare facts disturb. Even the book's dialogue--"My God, what have we done?"--though haunting, is nevertheless documented historically.
So short it can be read in a single sitting, so moving it will never be forgotten, Laurence Yep's Hiroshima is a classic of antiwar literature and an indispensable tool to the parent, guardian, and teacher who wishes to carefully contextualize the tragedy for those unfamiliar with the tragic end to WWII.
Yep is not theatrical. He needn't be: the bare facts disturb. Even the book's dialogue--"My God, what have we done?"--though haunting, is nevertheless documented historically.
So short it can be read in a single sitting, so moving it will never be forgotten, Laurence Yep's Hiroshima is a classic of antiwar literature and an indispensable tool to the parent, guardian, and teacher who wishes to carefully contextualize the tragedy for those unfamiliar with the tragic end to WWII.
December 10, 2018
Hiroshima by Laurence Yep is a description of the events leading up to and the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima. This story is an expository rendition of the events as they relate to a young girl name Sachi. The story is not a narrative told by the young girl. Instead, the author describes the events leading of World War II and the reconstructive surgery for the young girls forever scarred by the bombing.
As I read this story, I was aware of the distance created between author, character, and reader. The horrific events were described in precise and clear detail, yet due to the structure and descriptive style, I was never allowed to enter into the world. The author keeps the reader at a distance, and this may be more harmful to the story than helpful. I wanted to know more about Sachi and her experiences. I wanted her to tell her story. Unfortunately, this book left me wanting to share the fear, pain, and tragedy as well as the healing as she rebuilt her life after losing everything.
As I read this story, I was aware of the distance created between author, character, and reader. The horrific events were described in precise and clear detail, yet due to the structure and descriptive style, I was never allowed to enter into the world. The author keeps the reader at a distance, and this may be more harmful to the story than helpful. I wanted to know more about Sachi and her experiences. I wanted her to tell her story. Unfortunately, this book left me wanting to share the fear, pain, and tragedy as well as the healing as she rebuilt her life after losing everything.
May 10, 2021
We are currently doing an interdisciplinary lesson with history and students are reading historical fiction novels about World War II while learning about World War II in history class. The culminating project will be to research the historical event they read about. One of the events students will be researching is the bombing of Hiroshima. One of my book groups chose this book and since I haven't read it before, I decided to read it along with them. This short little narrative does give students a window into what that day was like without going into graphic detail. My students are 6th-graders and I feel that the narrative is appropriate for this age group. It is a very quick read and stimulated some good discussion, especially the end of the book that talks about the long-term effects of the bomb.
February 23, 2018
A good book about the bombing of Hiroshima written for 8-12 year olds. It is fictional, but is based on true accounts of people who lived through the devastation. The chapters are short and I was able to read it out loud to my kids in about one hour. It does not have a lot of gruesome details, but after we listened to Hiroshima by John Hershey, we heard some of the same details John talked about in his book. Reading these books and then visiting the Hiroshima Peace Museum was powerful. We reflected on the stories we read and then saw the evidence talked about in the books such as the displayed clothing elementary school children were wearing while they were out in their community disassembling houses to make fire lanes for the city.
September 15, 2024
Very short, but long enough to horrify even me, a survivor of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race. I learned details I did not know; the most interesting ones were about life in Japan before the bombing. Includes note and extensive bibliography.
Do note that it was written in 1995 so when the author says that people are still dying "even today" that is dated information. A good class project would be to research what has happened since the book was written.
The text is simple enough for young children to read. Only you can decide if your child is ready for it, though. Of course, ideally you'll read it with them, sooner rather than later, so they know what horrible things people are capable of.
Do note that it was written in 1995 so when the author says that people are still dying "even today" that is dated information. A good class project would be to research what has happened since the book was written.
The text is simple enough for young children to read. Only you can decide if your child is ready for it, though. Of course, ideally you'll read it with them, sooner rather than later, so they know what horrible things people are capable of.
March 26, 2019
The book Hiroshima was very fun to read, it was super easy to follow along what was happening at all times. Although it was a very sad book as it showed the results, and the lives of those who survived the atom bomb.
It shows us the story of a Japanese girl called Sachi, and the results of her surviving the atom bomb on hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.
I would say that it was a very sad but informative book, easy to follow along and understand what was going on, what the surrounding looked like. And also how the characters are feeling. It is a very quick read for those who does not like to read, or don't have too much time to read.
It shows us the story of a Japanese girl called Sachi, and the results of her surviving the atom bomb on hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.
I would say that it was a very sad but informative book, easy to follow along and understand what was going on, what the surrounding looked like. And also how the characters are feeling. It is a very quick read for those who does not like to read, or don't have too much time to read.
April 6, 2018
Hiroshima is a very short informational book. It will give you a good mix between a thriller and an informational book. Hiroshima is about 2 kids who live in Japan during the war. Unluckily they were in the middle of Americas nuclear bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima. This is a good book if your bored and just want to read a quick little something. I would recommend parents letting their children read this book. Due to how short and to the point it is. It's also gonna show them what the world used to be like. Furthermore this book will give the kids a quick history lesson. Good Book.
October 7, 2018
The Bomb That Changed Everything
"Carved on the monument are the words: "Rest in peace/ for the mistakes shall not be repeated"" (page 46). This quote resonates with the question "What was the mistake (the bomb, or the things that caused it to be dropped)?" This book reveals that hopes don't always match the outcome. This open-ended novella leaves the reader hanging and wanting to learn more about the Hiroshima bombing, as a bomb knows no political view... it only knows death and destruction. From the third person omniscient point of view, this fiction is able to communicate scientific and statistical facts while still following two sisters. However, these sisters symbolize all of the Japanese children during 1945 and the years following it. Utilizing simple science explanations, it gives an insight to the mechanics of the atomic bomb.
"Carved on the monument are the words: "Rest in peace/ for the mistakes shall not be repeated"" (page 46). This quote resonates with the question "What was the mistake (the bomb, or the things that caused it to be dropped)?" This book reveals that hopes don't always match the outcome. This open-ended novella leaves the reader hanging and wanting to learn more about the Hiroshima bombing, as a bomb knows no political view... it only knows death and destruction. From the third person omniscient point of view, this fiction is able to communicate scientific and statistical facts while still following two sisters. However, these sisters symbolize all of the Japanese children during 1945 and the years following it. Utilizing simple science explanations, it gives an insight to the mechanics of the atomic bomb.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews