Faulkner, Matt. My Nest of Silence. Matt Faulkner, Illus. Atheneum, 10/2022. 373pp. Fiction. GRADES 5-8. $18.99. 978-1-5344-7762-9. OUTSTANDING.
In alternating chapters from two perspectives, Mari and Mak tell the story of when their family was sent to the Manzanar Japanese Internment Camp during World War II. The narrative prose chapters are told in first person from the point of view of twelve-year-old Mari, who decides to stop speaking until her older brother Mak returns from serving in Europe in the Army’s 442nd all-Japanese American unit. Mak’s chapters are presented as graphic novel comic pages, using pencil sketches, dialogue balloons, and Mak’s letters home to his sister. Both sections are compelling, with Mari’s brief prose chapters, and Mak’s dynamic cartoon artwork and text, describing the racial injustice both are made to endure. This unique dual format makes for an engaging novel that clearly describes both experiences. The author’s note at the end explains this is based on the experiences of his great aunt. This book has California-specific content.
Penny Peck—San Jose State University iSchool