_Dash_ by Kirby Larson

Young Mitsi is like any other girl in America after the attack on Pearl Harbor--except she's a Japanese-American. Dash explores the plight of the Japanese-American in WWII America from the eyes of Mitsi, a girl who loses her friends, her home, and her dog, Dash, when she and her family are shuttled off to internment camps.

While this is not a completely believable and realistic story since it seems that all subplots are tied up nicely and happily, it is a good introduction for younger readers to some of the tough stuff in World War II. A 10-year-old probably isn't ready for all the ugly facts quite yet, but this book gives lots of hooks to hang knowledge on down the road.

With the idea of friendship permeating the entire book, I think this book would be right up most girls' alleys. Best of all, Mitsi is the kind of girl that most of us would like to have as a friend.

This probably doesn't deserve any major awards, but it's not a bad book at all. It will especially appeal to kids who love dogs.