Gr 7 Up--In 1935, two unlikely tweens are connected across the Atlantic as assigned--albeit initially unwilling--pen pals. Made to write a full page to Charlie after dismissing her because she's a girl, Alex soon succumbs to her epistolary charms; their letters continue for years. As World War II arrives, landing Washington-born Japanese-American Alex in Manzanar and forcing Jewish Parisian-born Charlie to run for her life, their communications become more desperate. When Alex realizes that military enlistment could reunite his family and provide the slimmest opportunity to find Charlie, he heads to the front to serve the country that stripped him of his civil rights. From petulant child to war hero, Greg Chun embodies Alex with impressive precision; he's equally convincing as Alex's angry older brother, their desperate mother, and members of his 442nd battalion. Emily Ellet, unfortunately, is the weaker link, the ebullient Charlie dampened by a hyperbolic French accent beset with Valley Girl twang. Fukuda's illuminating author's note, which underscores critical history, is sorely missed here. VERDICT Despite missteps, with Chun adroitly controlling the bulk of the narration, this aural adaptation is a welcome option for all curious listeners.--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

Friends separated by an ocean experience the traumas of World War II.For Japanese American Alex Maki, the world in 1935 mostly consists of reading and drawing comics. By mistake he is assigned to be the pen pal of Charlie Lvy, a Jewish girl living in Paris whom his teacher believes to be a boy. The two become devoted friends, and their correspondence proves comforting when World War II brings anti-Japanese sentiment to Alex's home of Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Charlie's parents argue over whether to leave Paris following the Nazi occupation. After Alex's father is taken by the FBI, under suspicion of being a spy, the rest of the family is sent to the Manzanar internment camp. The story, punctuated by Alex's and Charlie's letters, overall belongs to Alex. As the war in Europe interferes with mail delivery to and from France, Alex decides to enlist in exchange for his father's release and, secretly, in hopes of finding Charlie. Assigned to the legendary all-Japanese American 442nd regiment, Alex confronts the ravages of war, haunted by his fears for Charlie's safety. Fukuda (The Trap, 2013, etc.) artfully conveys Alex's inner turmoil and paints visceral combat scenes. Alex grows over time, battling internalized racism, which is partially expressed in his negative reaction to the recruits from Hawaii whose portrayal could have been developed with more nuance and context.An intriguing premise and fascinating tale. (author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When Alex Maki of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Charlie Lévy of Paris, France, are assigned to be pen pals in 1935, Alex is initially disappointed to learn that Charlie is a girl, and neither expects to still be writing in 1941. As they've grown closer, the world has darkened: in Paris, discrimination against Charlie's Jewish family gets worse; after Pearl Harbor, Alex's Japanese-American family is interned far from their home. In an author's note, Fukuda (the Hunt Trilogy) says that he was inspired to write the novel after learning that Anne Frank had an American pen pal and that a subcamp of Dachau was liberated by an all-Japanese-American battalion. Drawing on these facts, the author creates a compelling juxtaposition in Charlie's and Alex's situations. Letters between the two (and Alex's drawings) mix with a third-person account of Alex's time at the Manzanar internment camp and fighting in Europe with the segregated 442nd Regiment. Blending realistic details of life in battle and occupied Paris with Alex's desperation-fueled visions of Charlie, the book offers a believable hero in shy but determined Alex and introduces new chapters into history that readers may think they know. Ages 13--up. (Jan.)