The American naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese bombers on December 7, 1941. The attack ushered in many things such as America fully entering World War II and the placement of many Japanese Americans in internment camps as a reaction to fears about national security. This "relocation" is seen by many as one of the greatest violations of civil rights in 20th century America. The books below, for children and teens, are a mixture of fiction and nonfiction books  to learn more about this event, its aftermath and the effect the internment and anti-Japanese sentiment had on individuals, families and communities.

Picture Book

Fish For Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience In a Japanese Internment Camp by Katie Yamasaki 

When brothers Taro and Jimmy and their mother are forced to move from their home in California to a Japanese internment camp in the wake of the 1941 Pearl Harbor bombing, Taro daringly escapes the camp to find fresh fish for his grieving brother.

 

Non-Fiction

Pearl Harbor by Jennifer Swanson; with Nanea stories by Kirby Larson; illustrated by Kelley McMorris 

Pearl Harbor features real stories of that fateful Sunday morning in 1941 when Japanese planes executed a surprise attack on the American base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. American Girl Nanea Mitchell shares her own experiences adjusting to the drastic changes to everyday life in Hawaii following the attack.

 

 

 

What Was Pearl Harbor? by Patricia Demuth 

Shares comprehensive, easy-to-read coverage of the events surrounding the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, offering insight into the devastation that sank four battleships and killed more than 2,000 servicemen before propelling the United States into World War II.

 

 

 

 

Remember Pearl Harbor: American and Japanese Survivors Tell Their Stories by Thomas B. Allen 

Re-live the history of the Pearl Harbor Attack through the eyes of the American and Japanese survivors.

 

 

The Attack On Pearl Harbor by Peter Benoit 

Traces the events leading up to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the details of the attack itself, and the ensuing reaction of the United States.

 

 

 

 

On The Horizon by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Kenard Pak

On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. Based on the lives of soldiers at Pearl Harbor and civilians in Hiroshima, On the Horizon contemplates humanity and war through verse that sings with pain, truth, and the importance of bridging cultural divides. This masterful work emphasizes empathy and understanding in search of commonality and friendship, vital lessons for students as well as citizens of today.

 

 

Write To Me: Letters From Japanese American Children to The Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady; illustrated by Amiko Hirao 

Through the three years of their internment, the children correspond with Miss Breed, sharing their stories, providing feedback on books, and creating a record of their experiences. Using excerpts from children's letters held at the Japanese American National Museum, author Cynthia Grady presents a difficult subject with honesty and hope.

 

 

Fiction

I Survived: The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 by Lauren Tarshis;illustrated by Scott Dawson

Sand flew up into Danny's eyes. And then from behind him, a huge explosion seemed to shatter the world. The force lifted Danny off his feet and threw him onto the ground. And then Danny couldn't hear anything at all.

 

 

 

Attack on Pearl Harbor by Marcus Sutter; illustrations by Andie Tong 

Joe and his friends' plan to present the local street dog Skipper to Joe's dad, who works on the USS West Virginia, as a mascot dog for the ship, is interrupted by the Japanese surprise attack on the harbor and it may be up to Skipper to save them.

 

 

 

 

Growing Up Aloha by Kirby Larson 

Wanting to make a difference in the world despite being the youngest member of her Hawaiian family, 9-year-old Nanea becomes a witness to the attacks on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into World War II, a situation that is further complicated by the disappearances of loved ones.

 

 

 

 

Under The Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury 

Tomi was born in Hawaii. His grandfather and parents were born in Japan, and came to America to escape poverty. World War II seems far away from Tomi and his friends, who are too busy playing ball on their eighth-grade team, the Rats. But then Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese, and United States declares war on Japan. Japanese men are rounded up, and Tomi's father and grandfather are arrested. It's a terrifying time to be Japanese in America.

 

 

 

Dolls of War by Shirley Parenteau

When her neighbors demand that the Japanese friendship doll in her father's museum be destroyed following the attack on Pearl Harbor, eleven-year-old Macy hides the doll to keep it safe.

 

 

 

 

Young Adult Fiction 

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee 

For fourteen-year-old budding artist Minoru Ito, her two brothers, her friends, and the other members of the Japanese American community in southern California, the three months since Pearl Harbor was attacked have become a waking nightmare: attacked, spat on, and abused with no way to retaliate—and now things are about to get worse, their lives forever changed by the mass incarcerations in the relocation camps.

 

The War Outside by Monica Hesse 

Teens Haruko, a Japanese American, and Margot, a German American, form a life-changing friendship as everything around them starts falling apart in the Crystal City family internment camp during World War II.

 

 

 

 

Hotel on the  Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 

When artifacts from Japanese families sent to internment camps during World War II are uncovered in Seattle, Henry Lee embarks on a quest that leads to memories of growing up Chinese in a city rife with anti-Japanese sentiment.

 

 

 

 

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura 

Katsuyamas never quit—but seventeen-year-old CJ doesn't even know where to start. She's never lived up to her mom's type A ambition, and she's perfectly happy just helping her aunt, Hannah, at their family's flower shop. She doesn't buy into Hannah's romantic ideas about flowers and their hidden meanings, but when it comes to arranging the perfect bouquet, CJ discovers a knack she never knew she had. A skill she might even be proud of. Then her mom decides to sell the shop—to the family who swindled CJ's grandparents when thousands of Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps during WWII. Soon a rift threatens to splinter CJ's family, friends, and their entire Northern California community; and for the first time, CJ has found something she wants to fight for.

 

Graphic Novels

Gaijin American Prisoner of War by Matt Faulkner 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a thirteen-year-old California boy who is half Japanese is sent to an internment camp. This story is based on the history of the author's great-aunt.

 

 

 

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott; art by Harmony Becker

They Called Us Enemy is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future. What is American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do?

 

 

 

---

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.