Monique Polak

Even though this is a book aimed at the young adult reader I really enjoyed it. What's more as it is based on real events it is a history lesson about World War Ii but in a theatre that we never hear much about i.e. China under Japanese occupation.

Gwen is a thirteen-year-old daughter of American missionaries to China who was left by them at a school in Chefoo while they went about their missionary work. When the the Japanes attacked Pearl Harbour they also took over Chefoo school and after a show more year of imprisonment there all the children were sent to an internment camp in Weihsien. They stayed there for the rest of the war. Gwen tells the story of how the children survived due to their teachers' dedication. In particular Miss E. had them continue their Girl Guide practices and regular lessons and showed them by example to look for positives. But this is not a sugar-coated tale; bad things happen especially when the one Japanese soldier who had been kind to the girls was tortured and killed. I think this would be a great book for young adults to read and there was lot for this senior citizen to enjoy as well. show less

A good primer on feminism that is so needed right now. Being an introduction geared for young adults, the book prioritizes breadth over depth in its quest to cover all the bases, but I did learn quite a bit. (Especially about issues in Canada, as this silly American tends to think of our northern neighbor as a liberal paradise.) I wish I had had this when I was a teen -- I would've gotten a clue about patriarchal bullshit much, much earlier.

As I was reading this book at lunch in the break room, someone said, "Planet Grief? I don't think I would have picked up that book." Well, the story of young people being forced to go the Grief Retreat by their parents really struck home with me. My husband committed suicide when my oldest was a senior in High School and my other two children were in middle school. I would have forced my kids to go if I'd heard of one in my neighborhood.

Ms. Polak portrays each person and family group very show more realistically. These are real people dealing with all the sadness and weirdness associated with those left behind when someone dies. Each person walks through the grieving process differently and at their own pace.

This a very compelling story that kept me reading and wondering what will happen next. I highly recommend it. show less

This is a good introduction to contemporary feminism. It offers a look at the historical background that most mainstream feminism has emerged from, and also covers the current trends and concerns. It is written in a very open and engaging way which should appeal to a variety of readers.