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If You Liked Nanea, Try...

 

If you enjoyed reading about Nanea Mitchell, the American Girl character from Honolulu in 1941, you might be interested in some of these titles about Hawaii, WWII, kids looking to do good, and more.

Fiction

A new arrival by Anna Alter
Also available in: e-book

The animals who live in the apartment building on Sprout Street have a new neighbor, Mili, who just moved in from Hawaii.

Aloha, Kanani by Lisa Yee

Kanani is thrilled to welcome her cousin Rachel to her home in Hawaii, but Rachel's homesickness prevents the girls from having fun, until Kanani learns a monk seal needs their help and the two girls bond as they discover the importance of friendship.

In her diary, twelve-year-old Amber describes moving to Hawaii in 1941 and experiencing the horror of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

A diamond in the desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, thirteen-year-old Tetsu and his family are sent to the Gila River Relocation Center in Arizona where a fellow prisoner starts a baseball team, but when Tetsu's sister becomes ill and he feels responsible, he stops playing.

The Metropolitans by Carol Goodman

Meeting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the day Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, four thirteen-year-olds help track down a missing book of Arthurian legends that may hold the key to preventing a second attack on American soil.

While visiting their father in New York City, Felix and Maisie use a shell she brought from The Treasure Chest to travel to late 1800s Hawaii, where they meet a young girl who will one day be Queen Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii.

A brass-bound trunk mistakenly delivered to Nancy's cabin on a New York-bound ocean liner becomes the first clue leading her to suspect that international jewel thieves are aboard.

Dolls of war by Shirley Parenteau

When her neighbors demand that the Japanese friendship doll in her father's museum be destroyed following the attack on Pearl Harbor, eleven-year-old Macy hides the doll to keep it safe.

Thin wood walls by David Patneaude

When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Joe Hamada and his family face growing prejudice, eventually being torn away from their home and sent to a relocation camp in California, even as his older brother joins the United States Army to fight in the war.

Nine-year-old Calvin catches the attention of the school bully on the day before he starts fourth grade, while at home, the unfriendly, fifteen-year-old daughter of his mother's best friend has taken over his room.

Nonfiction

This uplifting book inspires the next generation to step up and make the world a better place. Sometimes all it takes is starting with something simple, and before you know it, together we've reshaped our planet for the better.

Presents ways young readers can get involved in their communities, from volunteering at an animal shelter to helping out senior citizens.

Describes how children can help their communities in different ways, from tending a community garden and training service dogs to volunteering to help people with disabilities and mentoring younger students.

The Shark God by Rafe Martin

Because they freed a shark caught in a net, the fearsome Shark God rescues a brother and sister from the cruel king's imprisonment and helps them find a new, peaceful kingdom across the sea.

April Fools' Day, 1946: a sunny Hawaiian school day that started out as any other--until the ocean began to pull back, exposing the sea floor. Suddenly, someone looked up: now a wall of water was racing toward them. This was no April Fool's joke--it was a deadly tsunami. 

Hawai'i is like no other place on earth. Raised above the sea by volcanic action, the islands are home to a fascinating array of animals, most of which are found nowhere else in the world.

Shares anecdotes about the attack on Pearl Harbor from people who were there, including pilot Haruo Yoshino, sailor Charles Christensen, and civilian Claire Becker.

This compelling resource chronicles the memorable events of December 7, 1941, the day that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, provoking the United States into entering World War II. Readers will see the attack through the eyes of survivors.

Find out about the top ten things to see or do in Hawaii, including the Haleakala National Park, Mokupapapa Discovery Center, and Kauai Backcountry Adventure.

Biographies

From the Japanese-American internment camps to the creation of the San Francisco School of the Arts, Ruth Asawa's life journey is one filled with injustice, learning, and expression. 

In 1942, children's librarian Clara Breed discovers that her young Japanese-American patrons are being relocated and gives them stamped and addressed postcards so they can write to her.

War dogs by Kathryn Selbert

While he is often likened to the English bulldog due to his tenacious personality and even his physical resemblance to the breed, Mr. Churchill was actually a devoted poodle owner and held quite an affinity for his miniature poodle, Rufus, who withstood the trials of World War II by his owner’s side.

Bethany Hamilton by Jenni L. Walsh

Growing up in Hawaii, Bethany Hamilton loved to surf. But one day, she was in her favorite place, out on the waves, when a tiger shark suddenly attacked. Thirteen-year-old Bethany lost her left arm. As she fought to recover, Bethany wondered: Would she ever surf again?

Duke Kahanamoku by Laurie Calkhoven

Introduces the life and achievements of the surfer who won international fame in four Olympics and used his surfboard to save eight people from a capsized boat in California.

Hedy Lamarr : reimagining radio by Megan Borgert-Spaniol

Shares the life of the actress and inventor, including her childhood and education, her troubled first marriage, and how she helped the Allies during World War II.

Born in Hawaii, the first African-American president of the United States lived a colorful life before he was elected. Learn about his family, where he grew up, and how he came to be a history-making president.

Franklin & Eleanor by Cheryl Harness

Introduces the lives of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor, a powerful couple who helped guide the country through the challenges the Depression and the second World War.