Dash (Review by Leighanne Massey)
Bibliography
Larson, Kirby. Dash. New York: Scholastic Press, 2014. ISBN 9780545416351
Plot Summary
Dash is the story of Mitsi Kashino and her Japanese-American family who are relocated to Camp Harmony after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Devastated and without her best companion, Dash, Mitsi struggles to understand the events leading to her family's internment.
Critical Analysis
The story of Dash is about an 11-year old girl named Mitsi and her Japanese-American family (including her beloved dog Dash) living in Seattle at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The reader will readily identify with Mitsi as she accounts the bullying and tension she experiences at school and in her community. As things escalate and Mitsi learns her family can no longer stay in their community or take Dash with them, she desperately and devastatingly tries to understand why everyone including her best friends suddenly see her as the enemy because of her ancestry. Reflecting the real attitudes and sentiments about Japanese culture at the time, this book takes the perspective of relocated Japanese Americans to military-patrolled camps amid United States fear and paranoia of Japan.
The author presents Mitsi's story factually with slowly embedded details of the 1940's period including items such as davenports, typewriters, student autograph books, school desks with lids, school chalkboards, time-period cars (Nash), soda shops, etc. What makes it easy to read is the fact that it's told through an 11-year old girl's eyes with simple straightforward language and emotion a young reader can understand and find relatable. When Mitsi's neighbor agrees to watch Dash for her while she is gone, it is the kindness and the letters from "Dash" that keep her hopeful in times of uncertainty.
Larson is clearly knowledgable about the weather and landmarks found in 1940's Seattle, citing historic streets and buildings such as the Smith Tower and Jackson Street. Larson also descriptively recounts the process Japanese Americans experienced having to sell or dispose of their possessions and being limited on what they could bring with them, being transported to their camps in military trucks for long hours, the dingy look of the rows of poorly constructed barracks, the long lines, waiting, and overcrowding with armed soldiers all around, and the scared and nervous looks on the faces of other families. There are Author's Notes at the end of the story, detailing research about Pearl Harbor and other sources used throughout the book.
The author presents Mitsi's story factually with slowly embedded details of the 1940's period including items such as davenports, typewriters, student autograph books, school desks with lids, school chalkboards, time-period cars (Nash), soda shops, etc. What makes it easy to read is the fact that it's told through an 11-year old girl's eyes with simple straightforward language and emotion a young reader can understand and find relatable. When Mitsi's neighbor agrees to watch Dash for her while she is gone, it is the kindness and the letters from "Dash" that keep her hopeful in times of uncertainty.
Larson is clearly knowledgable about the weather and landmarks found in 1940's Seattle, citing historic streets and buildings such as the Smith Tower and Jackson Street. Larson also descriptively recounts the process Japanese Americans experienced having to sell or dispose of their possessions and being limited on what they could bring with them, being transported to their camps in military trucks for long hours, the dingy look of the rows of poorly constructed barracks, the long lines, waiting, and overcrowding with armed soldiers all around, and the scared and nervous looks on the faces of other families. There are Author's Notes at the end of the story, detailing research about Pearl Harbor and other sources used throughout the book.
Review Excerpt(s)
Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award (2015)
"As she did in Duke (2013), Larson centers this trenchant novel on a child dealing with hardships on the home front during WWII, including separation from a beloved dog. Inspired by real-life wartime events, the novel vividly communicates the emotional and physical ordeals endured by Japanese-Americans evacuated to relocation camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor..."
Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews on 05/28/2014:
"Eleven-year-old Mitsi Kashino and her family are forced to move to a Japanese internment camp following the attack on Pearl Harbor.The Japanese-Americans are forced to leave their homes, their jobs, and all but what they can carry. Unfortunately for Mitsi, this also means leaving her beloved dog, Dash, behind. Thankfully, a good-hearted neighbor agrees to take Dash in. The neighbor writes letters to Mitsi, composing them from Dash’s point of view, and these keep Mitsi connected with the world beyond the fence. Overcrowded living quarters, long lines and minimal resources stretch the patience of the internees and threaten the bonds of the Kashino family..."
School Library Journal on 06/01/2014:
"Gr 3–6—After Pearl Harbor, life changes for fifth grader Mitzi Kashino and her family, as it did for all Japanese American citizens across the US during that time. Family and friends are shunned, bullied, fingerprinted, and even incarcerated for visiting Japan. Relocation from Seattle, WA to Camp Harmony, and ultimately to Minidoka, ID, causes the loss of jobs, school, homes, cars, and personal possessions. Pets were not allowed in the camps, and this is where Mitzi's dog Dash becomes the linchpin in Larson's story..."
Connections
Other Kirby Larson books to check out:
Newbery Honor Book (2007), Montana Book Award (2006):
- Larson, Kirby. Hattie Big Sky. California: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2007 (reprint edition)
- Larson, Kirby. Hattie Ever After. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2014 (reprint edition)
- Larson, Kirby. Duke. New York: Scholastic, 2015 (reprint edtition)
Dash would be a great novel to discuss the effects of the attack on Pearl Harbor and relate it to other wars in history. It could even be used in conjunction with other accounts of Americans affected by WW2. Duke is meant as a follow-up text to Dash.
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