My Lost Freedom: A Japanese World War II Story by George Takei, illustrated by Michelle Lee

My Lost Freedom: A Japanese World War II Story by George Takei, illustrated by Michelle Lee. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024. 9780593566350

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Biography (Autobiography)

What did you like about the book? George Takei was four years old in December 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He had a little brother and a baby sister.  The day after the bombing, President Roosevelt declared that on February 19, 1942 all Japanese Americans living on the west coast would be rounded up and moved to prison camps.  They could take little with them and lost everything else.  They were moved first to the Santa Anna racetrack and housed in horse stalls.  It stunk, was filled with bugs and many became sick as did George and his little sister.  A few months later they were moved to Camp Rohwer in Arkansas where it was sweltering hot. Mama had smuggled in her sewing machine which was forbidden but it allowed her to make clothes for her children and curtains for the windows.  There was baseball, and singing, dances for the teenagers and outdoor play. There was snow and Christmas.  After a year the government decided that these imprisoned males could join the U.S. army or be put in a much worse prison camp at Tule Lake in Northern California. The Takei family chose Tule Lake which housed 18,000 people. Here they actually had two small rooms! And movies and Blackie, a little stray dog.  After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the war was finally over.  Families were given $25 and a one-way ticket to wherever they wanted to go. The story is followed by more history and photographs of family members.

Michelle Lee’s illustrations perfectly capture this first-hand account of the terrible injustice perpetrated upon Japanese Americans during World War II.  She created them with watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, and digital media.

Anything you did not like about the book? No, except that George’s mother’s parents had returned to Japan, to Hiroshima, and we are not told if they survived.

To whom would you recommend this book? I would recommend this most understated autobiographical story to pretty much everyone.

Who should buy this book? Public and lower elementary school libraries

Where would you shelve it?  E or J 973

Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Very near

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Katrina Yurenka, Retired Librarian, Contributor, Youth Services Book Review

Date of Review:  April 11, 2024