Profoundly sad yet hopeful. A really beautiful story that actually comes from a Japanese author, unlike the only other middle grade about the aftermath of Hiroshima's bombing that I can think of from my childhood, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. You'll cry, but you should still read this.

I love history and stories of communities coming together. What touched my heart was a teen and her peers realizing how important it is to honor history (Hiroshima in this book) and learning how people can work collectively to make that happen. Kids always ask why you do something and this book explained a tough time in history and why it is important to remember the past. The lanterns were a gorgeous and touching way to show remembrance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't really my thing. The main issue for me was that the characters weren't properly introduced for me, and in the end they all got jumbled in my mind and I didn't know who was who. The writing style didn't grip me either, and the constant jump in pov didn't make it any better for me.

A beautiful story of how a young girl learns about the Hiroshima attacks and honors those lost with lanterns. Beautifully written and will definitely be adding to my library.

Describes the custom of memorializing those lost on August 6, 1945 8:15am to the atomic bomb which annihilated Hiroshima. On the anniversary of the bomb, the townspeople gently launch a paper lanterns on the river in memory of someone they lost- parents, siblings, spouses, children. This remembrance grew from the lost souls, to an art festival through which the stories of the survivors were depicted in various media. Beautiful story. Well written. Perfect for upper middle grades and middle school.

While it's good to have the perspectives shared in this novel available to English speaking readers, the story is very dry and the narrative structure is not engaging. It feels like an educational text a middle schooler might be assigned to read in class. I would only recommend this book to readers who are very keen to learn more about this particular topic. The perspective of youth (especially non-American youth) growing up in the shadow of immense tragedy that they don't/can't understand is an important one, but unfortunately it seems this book loses a lot in translation.

Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki is a great addition to my teacher's WWII book clubs. I really appreciate the Japanese perspective on WWII for middle grade books because it's not often seen. Kuzki could have written more in-depth with developing his characters and story more. I do include trigger warnings for students with a few of the more graphic scenes.

When a book makes you feel all kinds of emotions, gives you hope, shatters your heart, makes you cry, takes your pain and turns it into something more tangible, then gives you a reason to make sure you do better by the world and yourself? That's when you know you have a favourite for life..
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My Rating [5/5] 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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Soul Lanterns is a story following 12 year old Nozomi, and how she understands the bombing of Hiroshima and how it affects her family and learning to feel their pain. The lantern floating ceremony makes you cry and I could feel the loss every family went through. The writing is absolutely beautiful and makes you turn the pages quickly. It dives into the rich cultural history of Japan as well as the loss they went overcame. Every character in this book had a story that would inspire anyone reading it. .
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Nozomi was a curious child and that results in her learning about her own history, the pain of her friends and her art teacher. I literally felt my heart soar when they went for a creative way to share and pay respects to the loved ones they lost in the bombing. I loved the simplicity of the story, and the powerful message it delivered. If you haven't picked this one up already, go pick it up. This has become one of my favorites of all time.
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Thank you @netgalley for the gifted review copy!

Soul Lanterns is an informative and emotional account of the aftermath of the atomic bombing, even 25 years later. I enjoyed that the stories were told both by the students who were learning about them but also by the survivors giving multiple points of view. This book is probably a little too advanced for most of my third graders and the content we cover but it would be an amazing addition to 5th grade classrooms!

More books in translation, please! So many of the "classic" books about WWII in Japan aren't by Japanese writers. (Sadako, anyone?) I loved Soul Lanterns and I hope more of Kuzki's books are translated into English.

Soul Lanterns tells the story of middle schooler Nozomi and her friends as they uncover the stories of the Hiroshima survivors in their lives. These second generation survivors have chosen to focus their yearly art feature on Hiroshima, then and now. While preparing their art projects, they learn the stories of the people in their lives who lost loved ones and were affected that day, from relatives to neighbors to their art teacher and Nozomi's mother, who releases a lantern with no name on it every year.

This was such a moving book and also a very disturbing one. I could not stop thinking about it for the longest time, and the images it put in my head kept me up at night. I have been appalled by the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima by the United States during WWII since I first learned about it, but this was the first time I ever read an account, though fictionalized, written by a second generation survivor. I never put much thought into what the survivors had to deal with, and what the effects might have been for those who did not immediately perish that day.

This book shook me to my core. The powerful anti-war sentiments will stick with children, though I do worry some of the scenes described might be too disturbing for younger readers. I am not sure if I was so disturbed because I am an adult with more context and knowledge of war crimes my country has committed and continues to commit, but I was nauseated for days after putting this one down. I don't know that a child could handle having the same reaction, though I question that they would at all.

This is a powerful read that I highly recommend for teens and adults in my life, and perhaps mature middle grade readers. I enjoyed the translation and rate it 5 stars.

I loved this book. It was a great introduction to the bombing of Hiroshima for those who do not know much about it and an intriguing take for those who do. I was so interesting to hear stories from a different perspective than an American one.

A promising story of truth, grief, family and as well, sacrifice. Certainly, I will tell this to my younger cousins and learn those good lessons.

Soul Lanterns was amazing translated Japanese middle grade historical fiction that revolved around three middle grade friends and their exploration of what happened on 6th Aug, 1945. Story was about tragic historical event, its impact on people and their life quarter century later. It was about loss, grief, guilt, regrets, and healing journey of people.

Writing was lucid, emotive, and beautiful. It was third person narrative from middle grade students Nozomi, Kozo, and Shun that made the stories of characters close to them who lost someone in attack or in sickness even more exceptional. Setting of Hiroshima 25 years after the bomb attack was well described.

It started with Nozomi attending the night of Lantern Floating ceremony in honour of those lost in bombing. She observed her mother floating two lanterns, one with name and other without name. It made her thinking who that other lantern was for and then she was stopped by old lady who seemed to recognize her face. As she looked like her mother, she thought the lady must be looking for her mother but she didn’t know why and was curious to know.

At the same time her class’ art teacher got sick and through his story, she and her friend Shun came up with the cultural festival theme- Hiroshima Then and Now: Ask people Close to you what happened that day. That gave her perfect opportunity to ask her mother about the second lantern and the lady she met at ceremony.

From synopsis I thought the story was about Nozomi but it actually includes 3 friends and stories they discovered by reaching out to member of their family. All three kids were amazing. Nozomi and Shun were in same classes and were also in art club of school. Kuzo was in same class but was in baseball team. What connected three of them was their art teacher, Mr Yoshioka.

I enjoyed reading their love for their art teacher and how his sudden illness and story about his loss made them understand him even more. Shun discovered story about his neighbour, Kuzo about his aunt and Nozomi about person after whom that unwritten lantern was lit by her mother.

Best part of the book was those stories kids discovered and how it moved and inspired them to create art that can express such huge grief and message. The history, how so many innocent people died, bombing illness, what people suffered and lost, and how people lived, how it affected art, why those art students were sent out to war first how they were treated, and even innocent animals were not spared… it was all horrifying, heart wrenching and made me put book aside for a while and think about their situation and be grateful for comfort life I have.

This was fictionalised version but it still was very impactful. I don’t know how people could have survived such loss and grief and still hope to have peace. Irony was kids were studying this tragic horrifying history of bombing in ‘Peace study’ classes.

I also liked the way Japanese culture and geography of Hiroshima was written- about soul lantern ceremony, equinoctial week, Jugoya moon viewing festival; some Japanese terminology for the tragic event were also explained like – Nyushi hibaku (person exposed to radiation), tokko and Kaiten (that was most horrifying of all).

I loved the messages kids learned in this book and even for readers- how there is more to every story, even when you think you know someone there is still so many things you have no idea about and it’s art that saves us most so never let any foolish ideologies binds you and your talent.

I loved these quotes that says a lot–

“How on earth will we be able to make up for these crimes, to heal these wounds? These are things we’ll have to ask ourselves as long as we live. As one answer, scholar of World War II and especially the Holocaust continue to tell us, ‘Though shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a preparator, but, above all, though shalt not be a bystander’.”

“There’s no such thing as a ‘correct’ war, but there is at least one rule that needs to be followed, and that is not involve women, children, or the elderly-ordinary citizens who’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I’m just an uneducated woman, and I don’t know much, but even I know that somewhere in this world there is still fighting going on, and mothers are losing their precious children.”

I loved how cultural festival turned out and how that gave characters a mean to move forward and have closure and peace with what they lost. End was just as beautiful as the beginning of the story.

Overall, Soul Lanterns moving, impactful, and powerful fictional retelling of events of Hiroshima for middle grade readers. It’s sure is little dark and there is no lighter way to tell such horrific event and I see text books don’t show such closure look on what people have gone through, so this was book represent it so well and I think 12 or 13+ readers can digest this.

Going into the book, I didn't realise that the author was a second generation survivor themselves, and I think that made the book all the more poignant and valid. I did struggle a little with the way its written, but as others have commented, I think that's largely due to it being a translation.

This is an excellent, matter of fact way of presenting information about a terrible point in history, and gives a brief overview to younger readers of what happened on that day. Its a quick read, that is at times very harrowing. I personally loved learning about the lanterns, what a lovely way to remember the innocent people who lost their lives in such an awful way.

Overall a decent middle grade novel, that may be difficult for some to read.

This beautiful story shows a different perspective from the bombing of Hiroshima. I loved learning more about the lantern ceremony and the lasting impact to a sad time in our history.

Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki is a moving story about the Hiroshima community and the remaining physical and emotional affects of the nuclear bombing. Set about 25 years after the bombing, a group of students collects stories from their families and neighbors about their experiences of loss and survival during the tragic bombing. The stories are emotional and honest. Readers will develop an understanding about the Japanese people and their culture. Readers will also learn of a different way to look at WW2 and develop empathy for the Japanese children and families that suffered during the bombing. For mature young readers who have background knowledge about WW2.

My first thought about this book is that the artistry and culture don't really translate properly into English. The central focus of the plot is on shifts in culture after a world changing event. Can we, as American readers, properly understand those shifts if we don't really understand what the culture was like before Hiroshima? This also isn't a straightforward narrative. It's glimpses into the lives of people in a neighborhood, the secret pain they are hiding and the effort they've made towards normalcy. The central ideas here are compelling and heartbreaking, and the ideas are vital for us to understand. I'm simply concerned that the emotional distance and meandering writing style may make it a hard sell for young readers.

‘Soul Lanterns’ is a poignant novel of hope and acceptance. It is a truth that everyone should be aware of, written with such clarity and astonishing beauty! I am definitely looking forward for more of Shaw Kazki’s work and I highly recommend you reading this book!