Dash

New from Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson, the moving story of a Japanese-American girl who is separated from her dog upon being sent to an incarceration camp during WWII.Although Mitsi Kashino and her family are swept up in the wave of anti-Japanese sentiment following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mitsi never expects to lose her home -- or her beloved dog, Dash. But, as World War II rages and people of Japanese descent are forced into incarceration camps, Mitsi is separated from Dash, her classmates, and life as she knows it. The camp is a crowded and unfamiliar place, whose dusty floors, seemingly endless lines, and barbed wire fences begin to unravel the strong Kashino family ties. With the help of a friendly neighbor back home, Mitsi remains connected to Dash in spite of the hard times, holding on to the hope that the war will end soon and life will return to normal. Though they've lost their home, will the Kashino family also lose their sense of family? And will Mitsi and Dash ever be reunited?

From DASHMitsi skirted around a puddle. It used to be that her friends thought Japanese things were nifty, like Obaachan's kimonos and celebrating Hina Matsuri. Last year, Judy and Mags had come over before the party to set out the hina dolls and help make the rice balls. Now, they were taking sides with Patty Tibbets. There wasn't a red umbrella big enough to shield Mitsi from that kind of rain. A few blocks from home, she passed some junior high boys hanging out in front of the Higo 10 cent Store, pretending to smoke candy cigarettes. "Hey!" One of them called out to her. Mitsi didn't answer. She kept walking. The boys followed. She walked faster. They walked faster. Mitsi ran. They ran. Right in front of the Nelsons' old house, Mitsi tripped and fell. Her book bag went flying. A boy in a plaid jacket snatched it up and yanked out Mitsi's report. "Aww. Iddin dat sweet? A paper about doggies." He ripped it into shreds, tossing them into the air. "Look, it's snowing!" A scrap with Miss Wyatt's green ink words -- Another fine job, Mitsi -- landed on Mitsi's coat. The boy dumped the book bag out on the soggy ground. A second boy kicked her books into a puddle. All of them. Even her new sketch pad. Knees stinging, Mitsi pushed herself up off the sidewalk. Blood oozed around the edges of the ragged holes in her stockings. Tears boiled at the back of her eyes. "Serves you right." The boy in the plaid jacket glared. He and his buddies formed a ring around her. "Remember Pearl Harbor, remember Pearl Harbor," they chanted. Excerpted from Dash by Kirby Larson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.