The Last Cherry Blossom Audiobook By Kathleen Burkinshaw cover art

The Last Cherry Blossom

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The Last Cherry Blossom

By: Kathleen Burkinshaw
Narrated by: Yuuki Luna
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Buy for $14.65

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Yuriko was happy growing up in Hiroshima when it was just her and Papa. But her aunt Kimiko and her cousin Genji are living with them now, and the family is only getting bigger with talk of a double marriage! And while things are changing at home, the world beyond their doors is even more unpredictable: World War II is coming to an end, and since the Japanese newspapers don't report lost battles, the Japanese people are not entirely certain of where Japan stands. Yuriko is used to the sirens and the air-raid drills, but things start to feel more real when the neighbors who have left to fight stop coming home. When the bombs hit Hiroshima, it's through Yuriko's 12-year-old eyes that we witness the devastation and horror. 

This is a story that offers young listeners insight into how children lived during the war, while also introducing them to Japanese culture. Based on author Kathleen Burkinshaw's mother's firsthand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, The Last Cherry Blossom hopes to warn listeners of the immense damage nuclear war can bring, while reminding them that the enemy in any war is often not so different from ourselves.

©2016 Kathleen Burkinshaw (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC Growing Up & Facts of Life Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Military & Wars Social & Life Skills
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I read this with my 6th graders when we learn about WWII. I teach World History and this book helps deliver one of the most powerful learning moments of the school year. Before the novel, my students express that they are glad the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Japan because of what happened at Pearl Harbor. Once we have finished the book, my students have a complete change of heart. They are able to experience life through Yuriko's eyes and realize that she was a kid just like them and was innocent like all of the people who were effected by the dropping of the atomic bomb. I highly recommend this book for middle schoolers and up.

A story that needs to be told

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Such a powerful story. Would recommend 10/10. Thank you so much for sharing this story.

Absolutely Beautiful

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