Song of the Stranger

Thirteen-year-old Karen Nomura loves New Jersey and knows exactly how she’ll spend the summer there: hanging out with friends and painting. But her grandmother comes for a visit from Japan and insists that Karen return with her for the summer. When she first arrives in Japan, Karen feels awkward and angry. She doesn’t understand the language, customs–or her grandmother. While Karen’s inevitable change of heart may be predictable, details about Japanese culture and Japanese-American relocation camps, as well as a realistic and likable main character, make this coming-of-age novel a compelling read.