Mieko and the Fifth Treasure by Eleanor Coerr

Rating: 3/5

Summary:

Mieko's story is an emotional one. Mieko is a gifted calligrapher and artist (handwriting artist). During the bombings of the war, her hand is badly injured. The terrified young girl is sent to live with her grandparents in the country, where she will be safer. Mieko is concerned that she has misplaced her 5th treasure, the "beauty in her heart." This relic is the key to her happiness as well as her stunning artwork. Mieko begins a new school year. Her new classmates are a bunch of jerks. They constantly tease and laugh at her, which only makes her angrier. Her grandparents, with their patience and wisdom, eventually manage to lift her out of her gloom. Yoshi also becomes a good friend to her. Yoshi is a particularly nice classmate. Mieko also develops a strong bond with Yoshi's aunt. Mieko's aunt is strict but kind, encouraging her to pick up her paintbrushes once more.

Strengths:

The book is written in a difficult-to-describe simplistic but lyrical style that gives the story a distinct voice. The writing also touches on the serious issues of war and trauma without providing readers with too many graphic examples, opting to focus on the main character's mental and emotional toll of war rather than her physical injury. Although this approach of only 'touching on' certain topics is appropriate for a book aimed at elementary school students, it did leave me with a few unanswered questions as an adult reader. While the book's ending is a little ambiguous, it is ultimately uplifting.

Weaknesses:

As with her earlier and more acclaimed work, "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," I had the impression that Eleanor Coerr hadn't given it her all and that she could have done better while reading this book. Because this is a short story, Coerr needed more detail and facts and statistics about Mieko's past to fully develop the story.

My Opinion:

This is a very straightforward story. It doesn't deal with the aftermath of the atomic bomb, but rather with people's everyday cruelty to one another and one girl's reaction to it.