Summary
From two-time Newbery medalist and living legend Lois Lowry comes a moving account of the lives lost in two of WWII's most infamous events: Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima
Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her own memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this stunning work in verse for young listeners.
On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. Based on the lives of soldiers at Pearl Harbor and civilians in Hiroshima, On the Horizon contemplates humanity and war through verse that sings with pain, truth, and the importance of bridging cultural divides. This masterful work emphasizes empathy and understanding in search of commonality and friendship, vital lessons for students as well as citizens of today's world.
In turns haunting, heartbreaking, and uplifting, On the Horizon will remind listeners of the horrors and heroism in our past, as well as offer hope for our future.
"For a first-time audiobook narrator, Lowry is a natural. Her plain-spoken delivery is entrancing. There's an elegiac cadence to her sentences, and you can hear her smile when she remembers the soft Hawaiian words of her youth." -- The New York Times
Published Reviews
Booklist Review:
"Two events in WWII's Pacific theater lead to congruence and awareness in poems composed by Newbery Medal-winning Lowry, which explore Pearl Harbor specifically the sinking of the battleship Arizona and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. What makes the poems special and so relatable for young audiences is how they overlap with Lowry's childhood experiences. As a toddler on Oahu, Hawaii, she played in the sand as the Arizona floated in the background. As a girl living in postwar Japan, she crossed paths with a boy who had witnessed the strike on Hiroshima. These moments, specific to Lowry and the boy who became children's author Allen Say bookend other vivid moments defining the lives of those involved in either tragedy. The story of Captain Kidd and other sailors aboard the battleship is the focus of the first series of poems, mirroring the second section, which covers a Japanese boy and his bicycle, as well as Sadako and her origami cranes. Part three brings Lowry to postwar moments and to the present, when she visits memorials for the Arizona and Hiroshima. Pak's illustrations likewise focus on simple moments, items, and portraits. The effect is deeply felt and emotive, not about sides but about people, and it's sure to lead readers to think deeply on these dual tragedies of war. A must for all collections. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Any new project from two-time Newbery Medal-winner Lowry is big news, and this turn to poetry supported by an author tour is sure to intrigue.--Karen Cruze Copyright 2020 Booklist"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review:
"As a child, two-time Newbery Medalist Lowry lived in Hawaii and Japan, where her father was deployed during and after WWII. Lowry uses that personal lens to view two horrific acts of war: the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan and the atomic destruction of Hiroshima by the U.S. In a slim volume, a variety of poetic forms convey details about people whose lives were lost or forever changed: 37 sets of brothers were aboard the USS Arizona, where 1,177 people died; a four-year-old Japanese boy in Hiroshima was buried with his beloved red tricycle. The book's structure makes the events feel like equivalent tragedies, which may trouble some readers, since both were acts of war, but the U.S. bombed noncombatants. A third section details Lowry's experiences living in postwar Japan; some remembrances lighten the otherwise somber mood, including one surprise about Lowry's childhood encounter with a boy who would also go on to become a luminary in children's literature. Part memoir, part history, this is a powerful reminder that damage done will be remembered for many decades to come. Black-and-white illustrations by Pak have the feeling of vintage photographs. Ages 10--12. Author's agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Apr.)■"
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Additional Information
| Subjects |
Lowry, Lois
-- Childhood and youth
-- Juvenile literature.
Lowry, Lois
-- Childhood and youth.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Casualties
-- Juvenile literature.
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941
-- Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Hawaii
-- Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Japan
-- Hiroshima-shi
-- Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Personal narratives, American
-- Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Casualties.
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Hawaii.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Japan
-- Hiroshima-shi.
World War, 1939-1945
-- Personal narratives, American.
Hiroshima-shi (Japan)
-- History
-- Bombardment, 1945
-- Juvenile literature.
Hiroshima-shi (Japan)
-- History
-- Bombardment, 1945.
Children's audiobooks.
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| Publisher |
[New York, N.Y.] :Listening Library,2020
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| Edition |
Unabridged. |
| Participants/Performers |
Read by the author.
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| Language |
English
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| Notes |
Title from container.
Compact discs.
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| Description |
1 audio disc (30 min.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in.
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| ISBN |
9780593154076
059315407X
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| Other |
Classic View |