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My Lost Freedom

A Japanese American World War II Story

Author George Takei

Illustrated by Michelle Lee

Best Seller

Hardcover

$19.99 US

RH Childrens Books | Crown Books for Young Readers

11.38"W x 10.25"H x 0.44"D (28.9 x 26.0 x 1.1 cm) | 22 oz (625 g) | 24 per carton

On sale Apr 16, 2024 | 48 Pages | 9780593566350

Age 6-9 years | Grades 1-4

Reading Level: Lexile 840L | Fountas & Pinnell U

Sales rights: World

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A moving, beautifully illustrated true story for children ages 6 to 9 about growing up in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II—from the iconic Star Trek actor, activist, and author of the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy.

February 19, 1942. George Takei is four years old when his world changes forever. Two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares anyone of Japanese descent an enemy of the United States.

George and his family were American in every way. They had done nothing wrong. But because of their Japanese ancestry, they were removed from their home in California and forced into camps with thousands of other families who looked like theirs.

Over the next three years, George had three different “homes”: the Santa Anita racetrack, swampy Camp Rohwer, and infamous Tule Lake. But even though they were now living behind barbed wire fences and surrounded by armed soldiers, his mother and father did everything they could to keep the family safe.

In My Lost Freedom, George Takei looks back at his own memories to help children today understand what it feels like to be treated as an enemy by your own country. Featuring powerful, meticulously researched watercolor paintings, this is a story of a family’s courage, a young boy’s resilience, and the importance of staying true to yourself in the face of injustice.

"A candid yet tender glimpse at a bleak chapter in U.S. history." —Kirkus Reviews

"This worthwhile picture book introduces an important topic in American history." —Booklist

"Takei’s narration is contemplative but conversational, inviting the reader to see his experience both through the eyes of his child self and the somber reflections of an adult....relatable but terribly bittersweet." —The Bulletin

George Takei View titles by George Takei

Michelle Lee (mklillustration.com) was born and raised in Southern California. She studied printmaking and biology at UC Berkeley and earned her MS in education at the University of Pennsylvania while working as a K-8 science teacher. When not illustrating picture books, Michelle works as a freelance illustrator/designer and maintains a children's clothing line she co-founded. She enjoys making things, being in nature, and chocolate chip cookies. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband. You can follow Michelle on Instagram @fromthebear. View titles by Michelle Lee

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Educator Guide for My Lost Freedom

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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