The Way We Do It In Japan

This book is about a young boy named Gregory and how he moves to Japan with his mother and father. Moving to Japan is completely different than his home in America. They have very different customs, different looking homes, and eat different food. Gregory learns to appreciate the Japanese lifestyle and community and the Japanese people in return appreciate his American customs as well. I like this book because it talks about communities and the different types of homes that different countries have but also the adjustment you sometimes must make when your new home is not the same as the old one.

I loved this book. I thought it was a great fiction book about the culture of the Japanese. It was a very fun and enjoyable read as well. I felt bad for Gregory because he wasn't fitting in at school but it all worked out in the end. And who doesn't like it when it works out in the end. I also liked that there were Japanese words and the translations. It was very educational and I had a fun time trying to sound out the words and say them out loud. The only ones I could do was the numbers. This book was very similar to another nonfiction book I read and I liked it as well. It was called If I Lived in Japan...

If I Lived in Japan is about a young boy and what his life would be like if he lived in Japan. I like this book because it is an accurate portrayal of the Japanese lifestyle and customs that they have. I also like that students can find a connection with the lifestyle and customs that the Japanese have. The book points out that Japanese life (going to school, the park, playing) is not all that different than life in the U.S. Rosanne Knorr also has other non fiction books just like this one... If I lived in Germany or If I lived in Spain... These books would be a fabulous resource to help children learn about other countries around the world.

I think it was very interesting that I picked out two books from different parts of the library, non fiction and fiction, and they still explained to children the culture of the Japanese. I loved both of these books and definitely want them in my future classroom... or at least I would recommend them for when students are doing a study about cultures.