Pearl: A Graphic Novel

Ages 10 to 14, Grades 5 to 8

In a beautifully crafted and captivating graphic novel from award-winning writer Sherri L. Smith and Eisner-nominated artist Christine Norrie, a Japanese-American girl must survive years of uncertainty and questions of loyalty in Hiroshima during World War II.Amy is a thirteen-year-old Japanese-American girl who lives in Hawaii. When her great-grandmother falls ill, Amy travels to visit family in Hiroshima for the first time. But this is 1941. When the Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor, it becomes impossible for Amy to return to Hawaii. Conscripted into translating English radio transmissions for the Japanese army, Amy struggles with questions of loyalty and fears about her family amidst rumors of internment camps in America -- even as she makes a new best friend and, over the years, Japan starts to feel something like home. Torn between two countries at war, Amy must figure out where her loyalties lie and, in the face of unthinkable tragedy, find hope in the rubble of a changed world.

About the Author

Sherri L. Smith is the prolific author of multiple award-winning children's books, including The Blossom and the Firefly, Flygirl, Orleans, and several books in the Who Was series. She has written for Bart Simpson comics, James Cameron's Avatar comics, and Wonder Woman. Her books have appeared on a number of state reading lists and have been named as Junior Library Guild, Children's Book Council, and American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults selections. Sherri teaches creative writing in the MFA in Children's Writing program at Hamline University, and has taught at Goddard College and Old Dominion University. She lives in Los Angeles with her partner and a disreputable cat. Visit her online at sherrilsmith.com.

Christine Norrie is a multiple Eisner-nominated artist and writer. She co-created the graphic novels Breaking Up with Aimee Friedman and Hopeless Savages with Jen van Meter and Chynna Clugston-Major, and has contributed to the Black Canary and Lumberjanes comics. She lives on a farm in Upstate New York, where she raises hens and maintains a large garden. Visit her online at christinenorrie.com.