¶ … Stanley, Jeffrey. I am an American: A True Story of Japanese Internment. Crown Books for Young Readers, 1996.

History genre. Paperback. 9.2 x 8 x 0.3 inches. Illustrated by a photograph on the front cover. Available through Amazon.com and most major retailers for $8.90 and up.

I am an American tells the story of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II in a way that is comprehensible to young readers. The book is recommended for students ages 9-12, or grades 5-10. The author assumes a brave task. He attempts to explain a shameful period of American history, when a group of people were persecuted because of their ethnic background. The book's driving theme is that most Japanese-Americans were patriotic Americans and were forced to endure hardship and deprived of their rights and homes because of the unjust policies and prejudices of the American government.

The general approach of the book is to take a 'storytelling' or narrative approach to history. It focuses on the concerns of young people affected by the internment policy and uses specificity and personalization to make their situation comprehensible to young readers today. He focuses on the experiences of one Japanese-American high school senior that had to back up all of his earthly possessions to go to a camp in the California desert, whose life never was the same afterwards. The book avoids getting bogged down in politics without ignoring what led America to enter World War II. It also draws attention to the fact that many Japanese-Americans served in the American army and often felt uncomfortable because of the fact they knew their loved ones were being interned back home.

The book's message is simple -- to resist prejudice, even when it is practiced by the American government. Because the book is a paperback with few illustrations, other than the photograph on the front cover, it would be more appropriate for older readers, probably in the context of a civics or history class, where the uncomfortable subjects could be discussed openly. Also, because of the fact that prejudice is still a potent issue today, especially in light of recent anti-Muslim attacks in some communities, it would offer many provoking topics for class discussion.