The Sound of Life and Everything

March 9, 2015
In a moving examination of racism in post-WWII California, a scientist promising to resurrect an American solider instead conjures a Japanese clone. Shunned by his creator and the desperate woman who thought she was getting back her son, Takuma Sato is taken in by 12-year-old Ella Mae Higbee and her mother, who recognize the man’s innocence. As Takuma’s self-proclaimed best friend, Ella Mae is a scrapper in the tradition of Harper Lee’s Scout, a tomboy unafraid of using her fists on a bully with an equally fierce compassion that looks beyond a man’s skin. Debut author Van Dolzer’s attentions are less on the story’s science fiction aspect than on the racial tensions at play, dividing family and pitting God against science, with the devout Mrs. Higbee standing up against religious leaders who turn Takuma away for his unnatural genesis. In revealing how Takuma’s DNA got mixed up with that of Ella Mae’s cousin, Van Dolzer creates a thoughtful study in forgiveness and hope blossoming in a climate of ignorance and fear. Ages 10–up. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, KT Literary.

March 1, 2015
All that's left of Ella Mae's cousin Robby, killed in combat on Iwo Jima, are his bloodstained dog tags, but a California scientist claims that using the DNA it contains, he can reconstruct him. Dr. Franks succeeds-except that the person he reconstructs is a young Japanese soldier, Takuma, not Robby. After Robby's mother refuses to take responsibility for Takuma, Ella Mae's mother brings him home over her husband's objections (Ella Mae's older brother, Daniel, also died in the war). Every family in their Orange County town lost a member in the war, and most blame Takuma for their loss. He's either shunned or subjected to vicious racist taunts. Only plucky Ella Mae, her mother, and cousin Gracie offer friendship and compassion, even as Takuma's reconstructed body fails. With her folksy narration, both Ella Mae and the rural town's simple, white Protestant inhabitants lack credibility as Californians. This ill-conceived novel is more than just ludicrously simplistic in its science; it portrays 1952 California as devoid of Japanese-Americans. Neither the text nor the author's note mentions the thousands forced from their homes across the western United States, including towns and farms in Orange County, and incarcerated in concentration camps (two in California), nor do they mention the heroic 442nd Infantry Brigade, whose highly decorated Japanese-American soldiers fought for the Allies while their own families were imprisoned.Numerous omissions and inaccuracies work against the earnest "war hurts everyone" message. (Historical fantasy. 10-13)

April 1, 2015

Gr 5-7-Growing up in California during the 1950s, 12-year-old Ella Mae Higbee understands the very real cost of war. Both her older brother, Daniel, and her cousin Robby were killed in World War II and their absences are a palpable part of Ella Mae's daily life. In the hope that she could bring her son back to life, Ella Mae's Aunt Mildred agrees to participate in a cloning experiment at a nearby laboratory. Ella Mae, Aunt Mildred, and Ella Mae's mother, Anna, arrive at Ingolstadt Laboratories expecting to see Robby emerge from what Ella Mae describes as a "giant red horse pill." But it's not Robby who appears, but a young Japanese man named Takuma. Aunt Mildred refuses to accept Takuma, and it is Ella Mae and her mother who bring him home. Ella Mae knows there are strong anti-Japanese sentiments among her family and neighbors, but is not prepared for the intensity of those feelings. The girl's father is unexpectedly cold to Takuma, and even the local department store clerk refuses to let Anna purchase clothing for him. Throughout the novel, the protagonist grapples with the difference between right and wrong, and at every turn, she considers Takuma's feelings. Although Takuma is underdeveloped as a young man in the center of conflicting loyalties, Ella Mae is a believable character-confused, impulsive, and sensitive. VERDICT Van Dolzer's thoughtful novel-with a sci-fi twist-is recommended to fans of historical fiction who enjoy a mix of history and ethics.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Grades 4-7 It's 1952, but Ella Mae's aunt still grieves the loss of her son at Iwo Jima. That grief drives her to donate Robby's dog tags (still with blood spatters) to Dr. Franks, who claims to be able to bring Robby back. But when the experiment goes awry and a young Japanese soldier is cloned instead, 11-year-old Ella Mae suddenly finds herself in the midst of prejudices and a search for truth that she had not even known existed. Studded with references to real scientific journeys taking place, particularly the race to isolate DNA, this novel humanizes scienceboth its wonders and its flawsand the result is a remarkable effort that explores stereotypes, family, and friendships that transcend the 1950s. With a voice reminiscent of Calpurnia Tate, Ella Mae's questioning mind and outspoken nature will win readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)