Yoshiko Uchida

Yoshiko Uchida was an American born Japanese girl who began writing very early in her life. She has famous works that include non-fiction books for adults and usually fiction for children. The topics of her adult books usually focus on topics such as war, The Great Depression, and racism. Her children's books seem to focus on topics that involve much of her Japanese heritage, stemming from what she learned about her heritage from her family. Some of her more popular stories include:

The Best Bad Thing
The Journey Home
The Bracelet
The Birthday Visitor
The Rooster Who Understood Japanese

Of the books I reviewed by this author, I read The Bracelet. It was a very inspiring story of a little girl who was moving and had a bracelet as a keepsake to remember her best friend. She vowed to never take it off, but lost it after the move. She desperately searched for the bracelet but wasn't able to find it and was devastated. However, her mother explained to her that her memory of her friend was in her heart and could never be lost, just as her father (who was a prisoner of war) would always be remembered in her heart. This book is intended for elementary aged children and teaches a valuable lesson about unconditional love and friendship.