96
Novel 10

This book was incredibly insightful in that it gave two perspective, which was kind of confusing at first, so it might be wise to reread it before reading it aloud to a classroom, in order to help them out with this. The perspectives are useful however, in that they provide the viewpoints of a both a girl and a boy, Sun-Hee (Keoko) and her older brother Tae-Yul who are both school-age children growing up in Korea during Japanese rule. A common theme in the story, as you might imagine, is of loss and oppression. The children in the book are part of a proud family that values Korean tradition, and culture. The strong family tradition, and pride in their culture is part of what makes it all the more sad when Japan forces children in school to change their names, hence the title "When Keoko Was My Name," and to speak Japanese. This sort of deculturalization can be connected to the indian schools here in America, and can serve as a lesson of history that is not to be repeated, and will also serve to give our children another perspective, and to broaden the current perspective of what happened in WWII... It wasn't just the allies saving the day, there was a whole lot more to it, and people as individuals were suffering oppression all over. Also, books like this can provide not only American children with a stronger understanding of the oppression happening during WWII, but it can also provide Korean children with some connective material to strengthen their own cultural knowledge. We have a Korean population in our community, so, I also want to make sure that their culture is represented in my classroom. ( )

This book introduces us to the Japanese occupation of Korea by telling the stories of Sun-Hee and her older brother Tae-Yul, Korean schoolkids who are growing up in their ow occupied country. Father is a school teacher, mother is a housewife, and their beloved uncle is a newspaper printer with a poorly hidden revolutionary streak. As the siblings grow up, the Japanese close their fist ever tighter around Korea, going so far as to change the family’s Korean names to Japanese ones. Then WWII breaks out, and the family find themselves making difficult decisions that will change not only their home but the future of their country. ⠀
While reading this there were things–the theft of names and language, enforced systematic inequality, the power of community conspiracy, and the need to fake subservience while revolution bubbles and smokes in your heart–that resonated very strongly with stories from my own Black American background. Other things were wholly new to me and I found the final act of the story equal parts surprising, fascinating and, well…incredibly cheesy. Whatever, it’s a kid’s book so it gets a pass. Overall, it’s a well-written, sympathetic and enlightening read.
(For an in-depth review, visit my blog at https://equalopportunityreader.com/2020/05/13/when-my-name-was-keoko-by-linda-su... ) ( )

This book was a fantastic read because of the perspective that takes place. At first this book is confusing because it is switching between characters (Sun-Hee and Tae-Yul). The plot of the story always keeps you on your toes considering the time period takes place in WWII. The book takes the reader through the cultural oppression of Korea and the challenges they face throughout the years. I liked this book because it gave me a large cultural perspective of both the Koreans and Japanese. ( )

A wonderful book, When My Name Was Keoko, was published in 2002 and was written by Linda Sue Park. It is an Asian historical fiction book published under Clarion Books. This story is about a boy and girl growing up in Korea during World War II when it was under Japanese force. It would be suitable for students in middle school, but I also enjoyed this book in college. Typically I do not read a lot of historical fiction novels like this one, but I really liked the writing style and use of point of view. The writing style, although a bit slow paced, held my attention and was organized well. The dual point of view switched between characters Sun-hee and Tae-yul. Reading their stories from their point of view was powerful that it made me tear up a few times. They face harsh law changes imposed by the Japanese, such as having to change their names to Japanese names and burning their national tree. It was so interesting to learn about this part of history. I connected it to a show I watch, but now I have even more knowledge to understand the Korean history and underlying meaning behind some of the things we see in the media. It also helped me learn more about what exactly happened during this part in World War II. It would be fun to use this book in the classroom.