Chapter 1.
1. The author begins the chapter with a list. Make your own list by using this example.
This is what it felt like to be ________________ :
1.
2.
3.
4.
2.Sumiko is the only Japanese person in her class. Can you think of a time when you were the "only?" Was it a positive or negative experience?
3. Sumiko's family uses the same bath water to bathe each night. Can you think of a family custom that you have that may seem different or strange to others?
Chapter 2.
1. Why do you think Sumiko is so excited to go to Marsha's party?
2. Flowers are a big part of Sumiko's family's life. Sometimes in books, an object symbolizes (stands for) an important theme or idea. Write down what you think the flowers symbolize.
Chapter 3.
1. Sumiko gets caught daydreaming in school. Is it okay to daydream sometimes?
2. What are your favorite things or animals? Make a list.
Chapter 4.
1. Why does Sumiko get uninvited to Marsha's party? Think about the time period when the story takes place.
Chapter 5.
1. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing Americans and beginning the United States' involvement in World War II. Why is Sumiko's family so afraid when they hear this news? Why do they try to hide everything that makes them seem "Japanese?"
Chapter 6.
1. Sumiko stays home from school the next day. Why do you think her family chose to keep her and Tak-Tak home?
2. At the end of the day, everyone in the family sits in the darkness not knowing what is going to happen? Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know what was going to happen?
Chapter 7.
1. On page 63, the author states, "Sumiko walked through the fields and saw valuable flowers turning past their prime. She'd never seen their flowers go to waste before. It was almost like watching an animal die and not trying to help."Whay were the flowers dying? Why was it so important to Sumiko that the flowers not die?
Chapter 8.
1. At the end of this chapter the Nikkei cannot leave the West coast. Is it fair for the US Government to restrict the Japanese-Americans from travelling?
Chapter 9.
1. When the family receives the news that they have to relocate, Tak-Tak has to leave Baba behind. Have you ever had to leave a pet or possession behind? Have you ever lost something that meant a lot to you? How did that make you feel?
Chapter 10-12.
1. These three chapters describe the family being relocated to the temporary camp at the racetrack. Describe some of the living conditions at the ractrack and compare them to your own living conditions.
2. Sumiko feels like she is living at the edge of "the ultimate boredom" in this chapter. Describe your ultimate boredom.
Chapter 13-15.
1. In these chapters, Sumiko and her family are transferred to Poston, where they experience many new ways of living for the first time. One of the things she encounters is a dust storm. Describe a storm, any kind of storm you have been in, in detail. What are the sights, the sounds, the smells? What were you feeling at the time of the storm? How old were you?
2. Sumiko and her family also have to adjust to a new way of eating. Instead of the traditional rice, fish, and noodles her family ate, she now eats beef tongue and stew. What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?
3. Sumiko sees an Indian (Native American) for the first time. There are 22 federally recognized Native American tribes in Arizona today. Can you name some of them? Click on this link for information about the tribes and a map of Arizona tribes.
Chapter 16-19.
1. Although there are some problems in camp, like violence, the internees are trying to make things as normal as possible. One thing that is missing is school. What would your life be like if there was no school? What things would be good? What things would be bad?
Chapter 20-23.
1. Even though Sumiko's friendship with the Mohave Indian boy Frank would be frowned upon by both of their families, Sumiko begins to sneak off to see him more and more. She finds out that even though she was forced to come to the camp, she has electricity and Frank does not. Do you think this is fair? Why or why not?
2. One of the Japanese girls who talks to an Indian boy after a basketball game gets teased and called an "Indian lover." What do you think about this?
Chapter 24-26.
1. School finally begins at the camp in December. But it is hard on the teachers and the students. They don't have the supplies or the classrooms that they need. Is that the same or different than your school?
Chapter 27-30
1. In these chapters, a draft of all eligible Nissei men is instituted for the war. In order to see who will serve in the military, the men have to answer some important questions that will split them into separate camps depending on how they answer. Is it fair for the government to ask the Nissei to serve after being interned in the camp? Why or why not? Is it fair for the Nissei to be split into separate camps? Why or why not?
2. We also find out about the history of Native Americans and the right to vote. Here is a timeline:
Who has the right to vote today? Who does not have the right to vote today? Is it fair or unfair?
Chapter 30-33
1. Sumiko's family has to make a decision to move as the war comes to an end. They decide to move to Chicago, a big city, and work in the factories there. How will their lives change? What are some differences between working on a farm and working in a factory? What are some similarities? What are some differences between living in a city and living in the country? What are some similarities? How will living at Poston have prepared Sumiko's family for the change?
2. Sumiko also has to say goodbye to her friend Frank. What lessons has Sumiko taught Frank? What lessons has Frank taught Sumiko?
3. If you were to write a sequel to the book, ten years in the future, where would Sumiko be? What would she be doing? How old would she be? What about Tak-Tak? Bull? Icharo? Frank? Auntie? Mr. Moto? How would life change on the reservation?