Goodreads Review:
Emi is sent with her family to an internment camp, and the bracelet from her best friend is the only reminder of their friendship.

Emi, a young Japanese girl in second grade, receives a gold bracelet from her friend just before she, her mother, and her sister leave their home for an internment camp. War is raging across the sea, and because Japanese-Americans look like the enemy, they are the enemy. Emi's father has already been removed to a P.O.W. camp in Montana because he worked for a Japanese company. When Emi loses the bracelet, she discovers that it is not necessary to have objects to remember important people and places; they live in one's mind.

The Bracelet is a simple text that introduces young students to the internment of Japanese-Americans that occurred during World War II. It is informative and accessible (and includes a helpful author's note), but it lacks significant incident. I prefer Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, which is for slightly older children. Still, this is a lovely book. The author's description of the empty rooms, stripped of all personal belongings and furniture (where did all these items go?) will certainly remind readers of homes the have loved and left, and the sensory details the author provides about the "barracks" Emi and her family are forced to live in--actually barely refurbished horse stalls, with the lingering odor of the animals, as well as bugs, and dust--go a long way to underscore all that has been lost. ( )

The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida is a good introduction into the Japanese Internment Camps of WWII for young readers. A young girl named Emi is being sent to an internment camp with her family. Her father had previously been sent to a camp in Montana because he worked for a Japanese company. Upon leaving her home and friends, her best friend gives her a bracelet to remember her and their friendship. Emi loses the bracelet, but ends up learning that she carries her love for her father and friend in her heart no matter where they are or if she has a tangible symbol of that love. ( )

This book was not one of my favorites. While the main message of holding memories in your heart was clear, the story did not have any big plot twists. I didn't find the central issue very interesting. The plot follows Emi as she is forced to leave her home and live in a Japanese internment camp. Along the way she looses her bracelet her best friend gave her and decides that she can hold her memories of her in heart instead of through the bracelet. While this is an interesting lesson, I didn't find there to be a lot of climax or resolution in the plot. The author did however do a good job at developing the characters in the book and the audience can really connect with the family along their journey. This book has a great message however I don't think that it was reached the best way. ( )

Emi is being sent to a camp for Japanese-Americans during WWII. Emi does not want to leave her school, her house, or her best friends. Emi tries to hide her unhappiness for her mother's sake, but on her first day at the camp all of that goes out the door. Emi discovers she has lost her heart bracelet that he best friend gave to her. She starts to freak out, and cry, wondering how she will remember her best friend now? This is where we start Emi's journey of understanding how powerful memories are to remember someone special. Emi realizes she can carry her best friend in her heart and mind always, she doesn't need a bracelet to remember. This book was very powerful, and it's based on a topic that many young readers can relate to. Friendship is deeper than a friendship bracelet, and the way Emi copes with this is a wonderful learning point for all children who read it. ( )