Response to Weedflower

Weedflower made me think of how people have to overcome stereotypes. I can't even begin to imagine what people like Sumiko had to go through during World War II. I hadn't ever really thought about all of the troubles that Japanese Americans went through during this time. I could see myself in Sumiko's shoes as just trying to live out a normal life as a child. This book is great to use when teaching kids about the war. I myself had forgotten until I read the book that Japanese Americans were put in concentration camps. This is a book that children can really get interested in. I think The Bracelet would be great to use right before reading this book. I'm just glad that we read this book in class because it just reminded me how careful we need to be to not make quick judgements about other people. Also, it is a great way to teach kids about friendship. She became great friends with a young Mohave boy even though many people might not have thought such a friendship to be possible. I really enjoyed getting a better understanding of what being a Japanese-American was like during the war.