A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina

illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard 

No major awards 

Historical Fiction 

A Scarf for Keiko: Malaspina, Ann, Liddiard, Merrilee: 9781541521643: Amazon.com: Books

Centered around WW2, this story is about a young boy Sam who doesn’t reciprocate the same kindness to a girl in his class, Keiko, because she is Japanese American. In school, the students are knitting to help soldiers; Keiko is barely acknowledged by Sam when she offers to help him with his knitting. After a government order, Keiko and her family must leave for an internment camp so Keiko leaves behind her bicycle and a pair of socks for Sam’s soldier brother. In the end, Sam realizes that Keiko has done nothing wrong and that he wants to be her friend so he knits her a scarf. 
I think this book would be best for students in first through fourth grade because it is centered around a difficult topic, but told in a way that this age of children can understand and learn from. It could be used as a read aloud during a social studies unit on WW2 in order for students to understand and have empathy towards what happened during this war. It could also be used to teach students about diversity and loving everyone, regardless of what others may say. I might have this book on a bookshelf in my classroom because I really enjoyed the story and illustrations and think it has a really good moral. 

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