Piper's father is the pastor for a Japanese Baptist church, and when its members are taken away to Minidoka, Iowa, to be interned, Pastor Davis moves his family to Idaho to be with his congregation. Piper is jealous of her older sister who gets to remain at home and go off to work. Her older brother is in the army, fighting in Europe. She, meanwhile,
hates her new life, but soon, through her budding friendship with Betty, a Japanese-American girl her age who is interned in the camp, Piper learns what it means to be a good citizen and a good person.
PRAISE FOR DEAR AMERICA:
"More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, this series is an imaginative, solid entree into American history." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"An impressive series that will challenge students to make connections from prominent historical events to relevant life situations...A wonderful asset to the classroom as well as to home libraries." -- CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW SERVICE
"Engaging accessible historical fiction." -- SLJ
"The Dear America diaries represent the best of historical fiction for any age." -- CHICAGO TRIBUNE
