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For Kids and Their Grown-Ups: “My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American WWII Story” by George Takei; illustrated by Michelle Lee

About Blog Post May 24, 2024 by SCLSNJ Staff
For Kids and Their Grown-Ups: “My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American WWII Story” by George Takei; illustrated by Michelle Lee Review by Linda Tripp, collection development librarian When George was just 4 years old, a loud banging on the door of his home changed his life forever. The U.S. Army showed up at his family’s house in Los Angeles, ordering them to leave almost all of their belongings behind. They, along with other Americans of Japanese descent, were being rounded up, eventually ending up in incarceration camps around the country. It was just after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and virulent anti-Asian sentiment was sweeping the country. Activist, actor and iconic American George Takei has already shared his story in his award-winning graphic memoir “They Called Us Enemy.” In this beautifully illustrated picture book memoir, Takei explains in an age-appropriate manner how he and his younger siblings were kept safe and secure in these frightening and often demeaning circumstances. From the perspective of a child, “My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American WWII Story” portrays the loving efforts of parents doing their best to ensure that life during the four long years spent behind barbed wire was as normal and joyful as possible. While George was the grandson and son of immigrants, he was American through and through. His memories of his childhood are understandably still very vivid even today.  At age 87, he’s determined to tell his story again, so that even more young readers (and their adults) may learn about and understand this terrible chapter in our country’s past, in the effort to avoid repeating the terrible mistakes in the future. An author’s note at the end of the book provides photographs and more information about Takei’s family, Japanese Americans in World War II, and post-war life. This important story needs to be heard, and shared across generations. 
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