When My Name Was Keoko

By Linda Sue Park

"This powerful and riveting tale of one close-knit, proud Korean family movingly addresses life-and-death issues of courage and collaboration, injustice, and death-defying determination in the face of totalitarian oppression." (Kirkus starred review)

Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul, live in Korea with their parents. Because Korea is under Japanese occupation, the children study Japanese and speak it at school. Their own language, their flag, the folktales Uncle tells them—even their names—are all part of the Korean culture that is now forbidden.

When World War II comes to Korea, Sun-hee is surprised that the Japanese expect their Korean subjects to fight on their side. But the greatest shock of all comes when Tae-yul enlists in the Japanese army in an attempt to protect Uncle, who is suspected of aiding the Korean resistance. Sun-hee stays behind, entrusted with the life-and-death secrets of a family at war.

This moving historical novel is from Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park, whose beloved middle grade books include A Single Shard and A Long Walk to Water.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 18, 2002
• ISBN: 9780547394091

Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner for A Single Shard and #1 New York Times bestseller for A Long Walk to Water, is the renowned author of many books for young readers, including picture books, poetry, and historical and contemporary fiction. Born in Illinois, Ms. Park has also lived in California, England, and Ireland. She now lives in Western New York. Learn more at lindasuepark.com.

Book preview

1.

Sun-hee (1940)

It’s only a rumor, Abuji said as I cleared the table. They’ll never carry it out.

My father wasn’t talking to me, of course. He was talking to Uncle and my brother, Tae-yul, as they sat around the low table after dinner, drinking tea.

I wasn’t supposed to listen to men’s business, but I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t really my fault. Ears don’t close the way eyes do.

I worked slowly. First I scraped the scraps of food and dregs of soup into an empty serving dish. Then I stacked the brass bowls—quietly, so they wouldn’t clang against one another. Finally, I moved around the table and began putting the bowls through the little low window between the sitting room and the kitchen. The kitchen was built three steps down from the central courtyard, and the sitting room three steps up. From the window I could reach a shelf in the kitchen. I put the bowls on the shelf one at a time, arranging them in a very straight line.

The longer I stayed in the room, the more I’d hear.

Uncle shook his head. I don’t know, Hyungnim, he said, disagreeing respectfully. They’re masters of organization—if they want this done, you can be sure they will find a way to do it. And I fear what will happen if they do. Our people will not stand for it. I am afraid there will be terrible trouble—

Abuji cleared his throat to cut off Uncle’s words. He’d noticed me kneeling by the table with the last of the bowls in my hands; I was listening so hard that I’d stopped moving. Hastily, I shoved the bowl through the window and left the room, sliding the paper door closed behind me.

What rumor? What was going to happen? What kind of trouble?

When I asked Tae-yul later, he said it was none of my business. That was his answer a lot of the time. It always made me want to clench my fists and stamp my foot and hit something.

Nobody ever told me anything. I always had to find out for myself. But at least I was good at it.

You had to do two opposite things: be quiet and ask questions. And you had to know when to be quiet and who to ask.

When was easy. I was supposed to be quiet most of the time. The youngest in the family was never supposed to talk when older people were talking. And girls weren’t supposed to talk much anyway, not when men or boys were around. So listening was easy for me; I’d done it all my life.

But lots of times I didn’t learn what I wanted to know by listening. That was when I had to ask questions.

I could have asked my mother, Omoni, when we were doing housework together. But I’d learned that it was useless to ask her most questions. Either she didn’t know the answer or she wouldn’t tell me. Men’s business, she’d say.

Abuji knew almost all the answers. I was sure of that. But I hardly ever asked him. He always said exactly what he wanted to say, and no more.

That left Uncle and Tae-yul. Usually, I tried Uncle first. He was quite cheerful about answering me most of the time. And when he wasn’t around, I’d ask my brother. Firstborn son, only son—the men usually included him in their talks.

Tae-yul was thirteen, three years older than me. He was often impatient when I asked questions, and acted as if I were stupid for asking in the first place. But that was better than not knowing things.

Listening and asking weren’t enough, of course. After that came the hard part—the figuring out.

They’ll never carry it out. . . . They’re masters of organization. . . . I knew who they were. The Japanese. Whenever there was talk that I wasn’t supposed to hear, it was almost always about the Japanese.

A long time ago, when Abuji was a little boy and Uncle just a baby, the Japanese took over Korea. That was in 1910. Korea wasn’t its own country anymore.

The Japanese made a lot of new laws. One of the laws was that no Korean could be the boss of anything. Even though Abuji was a great scholar, he was only the vice-principal of my school, not the principal. The person at the top had to be Japanese. The principal was the father of my friend Tomo.

All our lessons were in Japanese. We studied Japanese language, culture, and history. Schools weren’t allowed to teach Korean history or language. Hardly any books or newspapers were published in Korean. People weren’t even supposed to tell old Korean folktales. But Uncle did sometimes—funny stories about foolish donkeys or brave tigers, or exciting ones about heroes like Tan-gun, the founder of Korea. Tae-yul and I loved it when Uncle told us stories.

We still spoke Korean at home, but on the streets we always had to speak Japanese. You never knew who might be listening, and the military guards could punish anyone they heard speaking Korean. They usually didn’t bother older people. But my friends and I had to be careful when we were in public.

Every once in a while another new law was announced, like the one when I was little that required us to attend temple on the Emperor’s birthday. I decided that this must be the rumor—Abuji and Uncle had heard about a new law.

I was right.

2.

Tae-yul

Sun-hee is a real pain sometimes. Always asking questions, always wanting to know what’s going on. I tell her it’s none of her business, which is true. Abuji would tell her if he wanted her to know.

But I don’t know what’s happening either. Why hasn’t he told me? It’s not like I’m a little kid anymore—I’m old enough to know stuff.

One day I get home from school and Uncle comes in right after me. He’s early, it’s way before dinnertime. He’s got a newspaper in one hand, and he walks right past me without even saying hello. Hyungnim! he calls.

Abuji is in the sitting room. Uncle goes in and closes the door behind him. I listen hard, but I can’t hear anything—until Uncle raises his voice. I won’t do it! he shouts. They can’t do this—they can’t take away our names! I am Kim Young-chun, I will never be anyone else!

Omoni and Sun-hee come out of the kitchen and look at me. I turn away a little, annoyed that I don’t know what’s going on. Just then Abuji opens the door and waves his hand toward us. So we all go into the room. Uncle is pacing around like crazy.

Abuji reads out loud from the newspaper: ‘By order of the Emperor, all Koreans are to be graciously allowed to take Japanese names.’

‘Graciously allowed . . .’ Uncle says. His voice is shaking, he’s so mad. "How dare they twist the words! Why can’t they at least be honest—we are being forced to take Japanese names!"

Abuji reads some more to himself, then says, We must all go to the police station in the next week to register.

Uncle curses and pounds his fist against the wall.

My name, Tae-yul, means great warmth. My grandfather—Abuji’s father—chose it. It’s one of our traditions for the grandfather to do the naming. He’d taken it seriously, Omoni once told me; he’d wanted a name that would bring me good fortune.

For Sun-hee, too—girl of brightness.

A different name? I can’t imagine it. I look at Sun-hee and I can tell she’s thinking the same thing.

Those who do not register will be arrested, Abuji says.

Let them! Let them arrest me! They will have my body but not my soul—my name is my soul! Uncle’s face is red as a pepper.

Abuji holds up his hand. Such talk is useless. It must be done. But let me think a while.

We leave him alone. I’m last out of the room, but I don’t close the door. I watch him take a few books from the cupboard and turn the pages. Then he gets up again and fetches paper and pencil. Writes something on the paper, looks at it, writes some more. What’s he doing?

At last he calls us all back into the room. Sun-hee and I sit on the floor, but Uncle stays standing, his arms crossed. Stubborn. Abuji waits a few moments, until Uncle seems calmer and uncrosses his arms.

Tae-yul, Sun-hee, you know that the Kim clan is a large and important one, Abuji says. Long ago, all Kims lived in the same part of Korea, in the mountains. Choosing the word for gold as their name shows what a strong clan they were. Gold was only for kings.

He picks up the sheet of paper from the table and points at it. "I have chosen our Japanese name. It will be Kaneyama. ‘Yama’ means ‘mountain’ in Japanese, and ‘ka-ne’ means ‘gold.’ So the name will honor our family history."

He turns to Uncle. "They will not know this. But we will."

Uncle doesn’t look so mad now. Kaneyama, he says quietly, and bows his head. Hyungnim has chosen well.

As to our first names, Abuji says, Sun-hee, fetch your primer.

Sun-hee goes to the cupboard and brings back an old book. I know the book—it was mine first, then hers. The Japanese alphabet is on the first page. Abuji takes the book and opens it.

We will close our eyes and point. Whatever letter we point to, we will choose a name that begins with this letter. These are not our real names, so we do not care what they are.

Uncle grins. That’s very good, Hyungnim. In fact, I do not care at all—you may choose my letter for me.

Abuji smiles, too. No, we will each choose for ourselves.

First Abuji, then Uncle. My turn. I close my eyes, point my finger any old way, and then look.

N. My new initial.

My new name: Kaneyama Nobuo.

3.

Sun-hee

That night in bed my thoughts were racing around in circles. I was remembering something that happened when I was only six years old.

Four years ago the Olympics took place in Europe. It was so exciting. My family crowded around the radio each night to hear about the competitions. Tae-yul and the other older boys made hurdles in the lane. My friend Tomo and I ran races with each other. We threw long sticks and pretended they were javelins. We even built an Olympic stadium.

Building cities was our favorite activity. In the vacant lot down the lane from my house we’d gather up stones, sticks, little bits of wood. We used them to build cities—houses, schools, shops, a marketplace, a temple, army barracks. Sometimes we built a train station and tracks, too. We used long sticks for the rails and broke other sticks into shorter lengths to make the crosspieces.

We always had long discussions as we designed and planned our cities. Sometimes we’d build for days, then stop, take everything apart, and start over again.

I remembered the stadium especially well. It was so different—oval instead of square; we’d heard about it on the radio, its strange shape and how big it was. The stadium had been one of our greatest successes. For days we had races inside it, using little stick people as runners.

On the last day of the Olympics, we all gathered as usual to listen to the radio. And as usual, Uncle translated the announcer’s words for Omoni.

Omoni knew a little Japanese, but not enough to understand the broadcast. She could speak only Korean, because she’d never gone to school. Back in the days when she was growing up, most girls didn’t go to school.

The rest of us knew Japanese. Tae-yul had learned in school, like Abuji and Uncle. At the time I wasn’t old enough for school, but I’d learned to speak and understand it from my friend Tomo. We’d been friends since we were babies.

Because of the way Uncle translated, I was glad I could understand Japanese. The announcer described the scene, the noise of the crowd, the colors of the athletes’ uniforms, and how they were lined up on the track. But Uncle would just say something like, The hundred-meter race is beginning. He never translated the details, but Omoni didn’t seem to mind.

Now Uncle listened to the announcer for a few moments, then turned to Omoni. He said, Instead of a baton, the French relay team will be passing one of those long loaves of bread.

Of course the announcer never said any such thing; Uncle was making it up. Tae-yul snorted, and I hid a smile behind my hand. Omoni rolled her eyes doubtfully.

No, no, it’s true, Uncle insisted. It’s a national symbol for them—they obtained special permission from the Olympic Committee to use it. The committee said yes, but each time a runner receives the handoff he must take a bite of the bread. He acted it out for her—pretending to receive a bread-baton and then taking a bite of it while running.

Tae-yul and I laughed. Even Abuji smiled. Omoni covered her face in embarrassment at being teased, but I could see that behind her hands she was smiling.

After the relay the broadcaster announced that the marathon runners would be entering the stadium soon. Uncle looked at us excitedly. There’s a Korean runner in the marathon, he said. He’s one of the best in the world—he has a very good chance at the gold medal.

We all leaned a little closer to the radio.

". . . the first runners should be entering the stadium at any moment now. . . . They will make their way through the entrance tunnel and emerge onto the stadium track for a final lap. . . . In a moment or two we should be able to see the leader. . . . There he is now! It’s Kitei Son! Kitei Son of Japan—"

Uncle reached for the dial and turned it off abruptly, then slammed his hand against the radio so hard that he knocked it over. I stared at him with my mouth open. Everybody sat there, frozen.

Uncle jumped to his feet, his fists clenched by his sides. I’d never seen him like that before.

Kitei Son! he said, his voice trembling with rage. He spat on the floor, as if the name tasted bad. He choked out, That is not his name. And with that he left the room.

I looked at Abuji and Omoni. Their faces were very serious. I waited, hoping one of them would explain. But when Omoni finally spoke, it was only to tell us to get ready for bed. Abuji said nothing at all.

Nobody explained why Uncle was so angry. I went to bed feeling cross and worried.

The next morning Tae-yul waved at me to come out to the back garden. He looked solemn and important, the way he always did when he knew something I didn’t.

Uncle talked to me, he said in a low voice. The man who won the marathon—Kitei Son? He’s the Korean runner Uncle was talking about. His real name is Sohn Kee Chung.

So? Why did that make Uncle angry?

Tae-yul shook his head impatiently. Sun-hee, don’t you understand? People all over the world know about the Olympics. He’ll be in all the newspapers—

That’s good, isn’t it? He’ll be famous!

"He was wearing the Japanese flag on his uniform. The newspapers will give his Japanese name. No one will know he’s Korean—they’ll all think he’s Japanese. . . ."

This is what I was remembering the night we all chose our new names. New for us, but the Japanese had renamed people before.

I only meant to remember that much, the part about Sohn Kee Chung’s Japanese name. But remembering isn’t something you can stop doing just because you want to. My mind kept going even though I tried to turn it onto another path. I saw Uncle’s face floating above me in the darkness: covered with bruises, his lip split and bleeding.

It’s all right, I told myself firmly. He’s all better now.

4.

Tae-yul

Kaneyama Nobuo . . . Kaneyama Nobuo. No matter how many times I say it, I can’t get used to it. It feels all wrong, like shoes that don’t fit.

On the way to bed after we get our new names, Sun-hee whispers to me. Sohn Kee Chung, she says, her eyes big.

I nod—I’ve been thinking of him, too. The Olympic champion. A world record holder in the marathon. The newspapers call him Kitei Son. But Uncle always calls him by his Korean name.

The day after the Olympics marathon, Uncle doesn’t come home for dinner. After we eat, Abuji goes out. He doesn’t say where he’s going, and he’s gone a long time.

We’re in the sitting room. It’s late,

Reviews for When My Name Was Keoko

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book, I really liked how it was written, and the perspective it took.

[rwertl1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good book to read, while discussing elements of historical fiction. I enjoyed this book for many reasons. I enjoyed how the perspective switched from Sun-hee to Tae-yul to show what life was like from a boy and girls perspective living in Korea while they were under the control of the Japanese. I enjoyed how descriptive the language was, especially while they are talking about the American soldiers and their candy. The characters in the story were well developed and believable. The plot was also well organized and followed a steady pace all the way through. This book pushes reader to expand what they know about Korea during this time period, and offers different perspectives. The big message in this story was the importance of identity and culture. That is evident all throughout the story.

[altheaann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A kids' book. It's definitely aimed at a young age group, but she's a Newbery Medal-winning author, and the topic was one that I found interesting, so I thought it'd be worth reading.
It's a fictionalized-but-mostly-true story of what it was like for a young girl to live in Japanese-occupied Korea during WWII. I was interested, as I live in a neighborhood where many Koreans 'pretend' to be Japanese, so some background on the political situation that led to this odd situation was illuminating - even from a kids' perspective!

[kriley5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this story and was very engaged from the start. I really enjoyed the authenticity that this novel had regarding the languages and how the family had to conform. Keoko had talked about how Kanji told a story when you wrote it and read it. This book discusses a tough issue that occurred in Eastern Asia many years ago. I think the child’s point of view for most of the story is interesting because for a while, you did not really know what was going on, but you were able to keep reading and find out. In addition, I think switching points of view between Tae-yul and Sun-hee allowed for the reader to process things more easily and this aspect hooks the reader and keeps them engaged. The characters were well developed and the father was very poised. It was interesting to see how calm a character can be when they are placed in the middle of a power struggle. Finally, the uncle shows a rebellious character that readers always love to experience. The uncle is a very strong character and tries to expose the Japanese and how dangerous they were. Overall, this book was authentic and engaging while also being very educational.

[aliciatrotman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When My Name Was Keoko was a wonderful book. The main message of this story was to always remember your culture no matter who tries to take it away from you and that family is everything. I enjoyed the way the plot was portrayed from two different main characters point of view. It was from Sun-hee, or Keoko’s point of view, and her brother, Tae-Yul, I also liked the language used. Even though the Japanese was trying to rid all the Koreans of their heritage and culture, Sun-hee’s uncle made sure they never forgot by giving them Japanese names, but making the names have significant meaning to the family. Finally, I liked the vocabulary that the author used to create imagery. There might not have been illustrations in the book, but the way the author describes the Sharon Tree, or the trip Sun-hee takes to her uncle’s printing shop in vivid detail allows the reader to use their imagination to create their own picture.

[jeneeh-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When my name was Keoko was about what a Korean family had to go through during the Japanese rule. The Japanese made them speak only in Japanese, made them change their names, and everything that was a part of their Korean culture was prohibited. This book was not one of my favorites. I did not dislike it, but there was one main reason I liked this book. The author told the story from different characters’ perspectives. One character, Sun-hee told from her perspective about how she could not believe that her people would ever fight for and defend the Japanese army. On the other hand, it told from another character’s perspective, her brother Tae-yul, and he enlisted in the army thinking he would help protect his uncle. The author’s was of portraying different perspectives in the story allowed the reader to understand each character’s role in the story. I believe the big idea of this book was family and culture. These people valued their culture and it hurt when all of that was taken away from them.

[khammersla-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was not one of my favorite books I have ever read. I think that I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, which made it hard for me to really get into the book. The book goes back and forth between Keoko and her brother’s point of view. In the beginning they start out with their original Korean names. When they are forced by the Japanese government to change their names the story got confusing for me. I had a hard time keeping track of who was talking throughout the entire story. This confusion really made it difficult for me to become invested into the story because I could barely keep the characters straight. I also do not have much knowledge on the issues that were between Japan and Korea. While the book gave some of the background information I wasn’t always sure why certain events were going on in the book. For example at one point in the book they are asked to all come outside of their houses when they hear a siren. I was confused as to why they had to come outside for community checks. I believe if I were to have more knowledge about the issues between the two countries before reading the book I would have been able to focus more on the plot and less on trying to figure out why the plot was unfolding the way that it did. The overall message of the book was a good one. It was to stay strong through tough situations and to never lose who you truly are. Everyone is different and that is okay.

[pduste1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When My Name Was Keoko is a very powerful book that i really enjoyed reading. I liked this book for it insight on Korean life as well as its historical insight. Although throughout the book the people of Korea are being persecuted by the Japanese, you still get an insight of Korean life at that time period as well as culturally. For example, throughout the book the author uses the word Hynungnim which is a term for respect when talking to/about an older brother. Using these terms gives the reader a look at the respect and rank that is prominent is Korean family life. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of this book. The entire story takes place during WWII which is hard for someone in our time to relate to. However, since the story is told from the point of view of Kim, a child, the reader can relate to the book better. For example, Kim describes how Japanese was being taught in school during Japanese occupation. I was able to relate to this because I also had to learn another language at a young age. Although my situation was different than the war torn one Kim was in, i was still able to slightly relate. The main idea of this book is identity.

[catalinadiaz-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This incredible book follows the story of a Korean family dealing with the Japanese invading Korea during World War II. I liked how the book creatively told the story through two different perspectives, the daughter and the son of the Korean family. As each chapter unravels, readers are able to view the same situation or event through the others' eyes. For example, the son joins the army and is able to explain his experience and everything that is going on, but as you get to the daughters chapter, she has no idea what he is going through, nor does he know what shes going through, back at home. I also liked how the author represented the Korean culture. For example, the author included a glossary of Korean words that would be used multiple times throughout the story, such as, 'Omoni', meaning mother, and 'Abuji', meaning father. I also liked how we were able to see the war in a completely new way. As an American, I obviously have a different perspective of the war than the Japanese and Koreans. The big idea of this book was to shed some light on the hardships the Koreans faced during the war and how they really relied on the Americans to win the war for the Japanese to surrender Korea back to the Koreans.

[srogel1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of it and seeing the viewpoint on World War II from the Koreans, I didn't like the plot progression within the book. There were times when I would think "Is anything going to happen soon?" or "Yes, I already know that " (about a particular character). I feel that if there was more going on with the characters or between the characters, I would have been much more interested in the book. Also, I was not expecting the book to have a "happy ending" with the son coming home from being a suicide pilot. I feel that the book would have had much more of an impact on the reader if there was a slightly different ending that spoke to the reader and truly affected them. However, I did enjoy learning (from the Korean point of view) about the livelihood in Korea at the time of World War II. In my U.S. history classes, I learned about World War II but only from the perspective of the United States. This book allowed me to see the hardships that the Koreans endured and what the Japanese did while in Korea at that time during the war.

[heathergoodman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“When My Name Was Keoko,” written by Linda Sue Park, is an amazing story. Once the story caught my attention I couldn’t put it down, although I personally had some difficulty getting into the book at first. The main messages that I found throughout this book are the importance of one’s culture and heritage, and having determination and courage can play a significant role in regaining freedom that has been cruelly and forcefully taken away. In order to convey these messages, the author incorporates different literary elements, such as point of view, characterization, character development, and a plot that follows the Kim’s, a very close-knit Korean family.This story takes place in Korea during World War II at the time when the Japanese ran Korea. The author creates the plot and conveys the main messages through the characters from the Kim family. Korean families, including the Kim family, are forced to obey Japanese law; although, the Koreans are determined to have their freedom back at any cost.The author presents the message of the importance of one's culture and heritage in various ways throughout the story. One way this message is conveyed is through the family’s open dialogue. For example, when the Japanese order the Koreans to take Japanese names, Uncle responds saying, “Let them! Let them arrest me! They will have my body but not my soul-my name is my soul!” This quote conveys to the reader how important Korean names are to the Korean people’s heritage and culture. Along with the dialogue, the author uses the mother’s character, Omoni, to help convey this message. For instance, when the Japanese order families to dig up and burn rose of Sharon trees, which are the national trees of Korea, Omoni does not obey. Without directly telling her children her plan, she instructs them to put the last rose of Sharon tree in a pot and hide it near the tool shelves. Although Japanese soldiers were going from house to house to make sure the trees were destroyed, Omoni didn’t think twice about her decision. This scene is the novel truly conveyed the author’s message of the importance of one’s heritage and culture because even though Omoni could be arrested, or worse, for breaking the law, she didn’t care one bit. This was because the national tree of Korea was a part of her culture and heritage, a part she was unwilling to let the Japanese take, no matter what the consequences might be. Through the use of literary elements, the author is also able to effectively convey to the readers the message that even when faced with terrible circumstances and situations, determination and courage can play a significant role in regaining one’s freedom that has been taken away. To give the reader a mental image of how the Japanese were taking away the Korean’s rights, the author uses text that emphasized how bad it really was. For example, Sun-hee, the daughter of the Kim family, conveys to the reader that, “The Japanese made a lot of new laws.” In order to emphasize just how negatively the Koreans were being affected, the author provides details and examples through Sun-hee’s text. Sun-hee’s text explains that, “One of the laws was that no Korean could be the boss of anything…The person at the top had to be Japanese…Schools weren’t even allowed to teach Korean history and language…People weren’t even supposed to tell old Korean folktales. These details provided by the author, set the stage to convey how determination and courage can help regain freedom that has been taken away.This story is told from the perspective of Sun-hee, the daughter of the family, and Tae-yul, the son of the family. This literary technique that the author uses allows the reader to get a deeper look into the courage and determination the Koreans had in an attempt to regain their freedom. For example, through Tae-yul’s character, the reader learns about the resistance, “…the illegal independence movement,” that Uncle is involved in. If the Japanese discovered someone working for the resistance, they were often taken away and not seen again. This provides the reader with a clear image of how determined the Koreans were to have their freedom at any cost. Another way the author engages the reader and conveys this message is through the characterization and development of Tae-yul. Through Sun-hee’s point of view, it seems as though Tae-yul has dishonored his family and choosing the Japanese when he decides to enlist in the Japanese army, which the reader eventually learns in untrue. When the story switches back to Tae-yul’s point of view, the reader is shown his true intentions. When Tae-yul volunteers to be a Kamikaze, the reader gets the feeling that Tae-yul has chosen the Japanese over the Koreans. Not until the end of the story, when Tae-yul returns alive, does the author reveal what actually happened. Tae-yul explains to his family, “I had a plan all along, you know…I’d fly out with my squad and it would look like I was attempting an attack. But I knew if I were to dive my plane just a few degrees off target, I’d miss and it would still look like I tried to hit it. It would have been a double feat-I’d have done no damage to the Americans and I’d have taken out a Japanese plane.” This detailed explanation and imagery incorporated into the story allows the reader to clearly see how Tae-yul developed into a brave, courageous young man who was determined to help fight for the Korean’s freedom, even if it meant he would die in the process. This characterization and character development effectively conveys the author’s message that even when faced with terrible circumstances, determination and courage can play a significant part in regaining one’s freedom that has been taken away. Near the end of this novel, the reader sees the Koreans’ courage and determination pay off when the Americans attack and defeat the Japanese, resulting in the Koreans having freedom once again. This powerful, moving story was extremely enjoyable and engaging to read once I got into it. I believe that author’s use of literary elements, such as point of view, characterization, and character development adequately conveys two extremely important messages. One, the importance of one’s culture and heritage; and two, determination and courage can have a significant impact on regaining freedom that has been cruelly and forcefully taken away.

[kinderelhodgson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good book for two reasons. One, I learned more in depth of how things were for Koreans under Japanese ruling. Two, I loved the courage of some of the characters in the book. I never knew that the Japanese took over Korea. They forced Korea to live under new laws. I could not imagine having to change my life around and become a whole new culture. The second reason I thought that the book was good was because of the courage I saw in some of the characters. The uncle was very brave when he changed the Japanese flag to a Korean flag in the newspaper. Moments like that made me realize that people will do whatever to show their love and pride for their culture and country. The big idea of this book was to show that the Koreans went through under Japanese rule and how they tried to remain humble as long as possible.

[agates5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the book When My Name Was Keoko. My favorite element of this book was the changing points of view that the author used. I thought that switching from the brother, Tae-yul, to the sister, Sun-hee, was very creative and added depth to the story. It allowed the reader to watch both characters develop as the story moved along, as well as allows both genders to relate to the story. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the main message of the story. The message that I got out of the book was that it is important to support your family members during tough times and that if you work together, you can get through anything. Nonfiction is often difficult for students to engage in, but the author did a great job engaging readers by introducing them to an unfamiliar culture. The main focus discussed in most classrooms about World War II is the Holocaust, and because of this Japanese and Korean conflict was not discussed. The author did an excellent job introducing this history without making it feel as though you were reading a textbook, but rather you could put yourself in the character’s shoes. Because of this, it really encourages readers to think more about different cultures and situations that they personally could hardly imagine. The book shows a wonderful representation of how a Korean family’s life is changed by the Japanese occupation of Korea. Overall, I was impressed with the book and could see it being effective in the classroom.

[cscapp1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not enjoy this book much. I felt like it read like a first person history book. It was very dry, slow and long. The sentences were short and to the point as expected from the characters but I felt like it made it harder to read. Everything was just given to you like when Sun-hee said, “Nobody ever told me anything. I always had to find out for myself.” Usually I enjoy this type of writing but this time I did not. I thought it was interesting that the story was told from two point of views but I did not like the constant changes between the point of views. Sometimes, even though it was always listed, I would forget who the narrator was. The two children, one boy and one girl, gave insight to the different gender roles and traditions that were in place. Sun-hee, the girl, had to be seen but not heard while Tae-yul, her brother, was allowed to talk with men about important new information. This added to the plot but I still felt like it was boring. The main message of this book was identity and how it is something instilled in a person. You cannot just change someone’s name and make them speak a different language thinking that you have changed their identity. A persons identity and culture is something engrained in them and cannot be taken away.

[cross13-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I did not like this book for many reasons. I tend to have a lack of interest in historically based books. While I did find this book to have an interesting concept of alternating perspectives, that is about all the good I can really say about it. Although this book had this interesting aspect, I still did not enjoy reading it. I thought it was a very slow read, and did not really have many interesting or engaging parts. The language was not descriptive or engaging. I could not find the narrators easy to relate to because I have never endured an experience like they did. The main idea of this book was to show the hardships of this time period through Korean natives that lived through it. One benefit I can say I found in this book is that it was educational, and I learned a lot from it.

[carriehardesty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. I tend to have a hard time reading books that deal with history, however, I found this book to be captivating and interesting. One of my favorite aspects of the chapter book was the two perspectives that it gave throughout the story. Readers were able to follow the story's events from the perspective of the young Korean girl who was renamed Keoko, as well as her older brother. In a culture in which males and females are held to clearly different expectations and follow very different guidelines, it was interesting to see the story unfold from these two extremes. In addition, I enjoyed the plot of the story. It was organized in such a way that made it easy to follow the events that were taking place in the war. A great deal of historical fact was interwoven in the story, allowing readers to learn a little bit about World War II in a more exciting way than reading a text book.The big idea of this story has to do with identity and being proud of your culture.

[sluper1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great story! This is not the typical story about WWII. The author portrays the story of Japan’s dominance over Korea through the characters, Tae-yul and Sun-hee. They share their experiences from two different perspectives. The author shift the narrators from chapter to chapter, this subtly points up the difference between male and female roles in the Korean society. The climax of the story begins when Tae-yul was volunteered for a kamikaze mission. The family thought he was dead, but at the end they discovered that his mission fail. Tae-yul was not dead, he was in prison. From the rising action to the resolution this story captivates the reader with the plot. I would definitely use this book with my students.

[cwierz2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I personally didn't enjoy this book, I believe that the story could have been told in a shorter more descriptive way. While reading this book, I learned a lot more about WWII and the events that took place before. The Japanese took everything from them: their language, culture, money, status, and especially their names and identity. The actions the characters in the story took to protect their culture showed how far the cruelty of the Japanese had driven them. The books point of view was first person, it went back and forth between a brother and a sister. The writing throughout the story was organized and flowed, though I don't think the writing was engaging. There were many parts of the story that seemed like added wording to make the story longer.

[tmalon4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised at how interested I ended up being in this book, and what a good read it was. This book was about a little Korean raised girl, Sun-hee, growing up in Korea after it had been taken over by Japan during World War I. It describes how their lives changed when the Japanese were in control, and how they were stripped of their Korean culture during this time and forced to take Japanese names (Sun-hee’s Japanese name was Keoko) and learn the Japanese ways and follow them.In the novel, Sun-hee and her brother, Tae-yul’s uncle, whom they were very fond of, fled Korea in order to join rebels and write a Korean newspaper. This was an interesting aspect of the book that was brought up a lot, because in a culture where respect is so prominent, it was interesting to see how the family members reacted to such defiance.Another example of defiance in this book that I found interesting was when Tae-yul decided to enlist in the Japanese fleet, and almost became a Kamakaze pilot. I liked how the book was split up into alternating chapters between Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul so you could see different perspectives of what was happening throughout the novel. Also, because respect had different aspects for boys and girls during this time period, it was interesting to see how differently both characters reacted to things like their uncle becoming a member of a rebel group. In the novel, Sun-hee kept a journal where she would write down all of her feelings while her life was so drastically changing around her. I liked reading her entries because she wrote a lot of poetry, so it was interesting to see how she used so much imagery to describe her pain throughout the book. After the family’s home was raided by Japanese soldiers, Sun-hee’s journal was burned because it was said to go against the emperor. After they left, she started a new journal where her first entry was: “You burn the paper but not the words. You silence the words but not the thoughts. You kill the thoughts only if you kill the man. And you will find that his thoughts rise again in the minds of others”Some main ideas that are present throughout this book is the importance of family, respect, and loyalty.

[kristypratt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book. "When My Name Was Keoko" is about a Korean family who lived during WWII and was taken over by the Japanese. They were made to change their names, give up their valuables and forced to live by new rules and some even made to join the Japanese in their fight. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl, Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul. The author accounts the hardships that their family had to endure during this time, including their Uncle having to go into hiding and Tae-yul volunteering as for the Japanese and becoming a kamikaze pilot. You feel for the characters throughout the story, such as when Sun-hee thought she had made a huge mistake and told her Uncle false information that forced him to go into hiding, or when friends and family were beaten. I like the fact that you get to see the struggle of the Koreans and Japanese from children's point of view. I never realized that the Koreans were forced to give up so much and change their names. I liked how the author did not make all Japanese seem bad, such as when Tomo went out of his way to help Sun-hee and her family by warning her. I also liked how the book was divided into character sections, switching between Sun-hee's point of view and Tae-yul's. It made you understand where each character was coming from and why they said or did what they did. I did not like the "dryness" of the story. I felt like I was always waiting for a huge climax that never really came. There were several more exciting parts of the story, but nothing that was the pinnacle for me. I was also surprised that they spoke of "satisfying the sexual needs of the Imperial Soldiers." However, if this really happened and the book is meant to give insight of the actual events and hardships of the Koreans, then it is appropriate. Overall, I did like the book, I just felt as though there should have been a little more to it; especially since it was fictional and the story line was invented, which leaves room for excitement where needed.

[sceres1-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book, it basically gave me a learning experience while reading. I didn't know much about World War II and how Japan and Korea were so hostile towards each other. Not only did I get a history lesson, it put the reader in the shoes of two young Korean children who are dealing with the changes put in place by the Japanese. The other thing that grabbed my attention was the love the family had for their heritage and family. The father did anything and everything he can to keep the heritage lingering. The mother once said, " The time will come when you will be free to grow in a place of honor." Even though she stated this to a tree it was to prove their strength and hope for change.

[akoches-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I liked that the book was told from dual-perspectives of two Korean siblings because it really gave me a feel for the differing lifestyles for Korean boys and girls. For instance, Sun-hee had to “be quiet and ask questions,” because girls aren’t supposed to “listen to men’s business.” Therefore, because Tae-yul is a boy, he gets the “in” on new information and gets annoyed of Sun-hee always asking him questions. On the other hand, although I found this book to be unique because I’ve never come across a book told by multiple perspectives before, it also made it more challenging and confusing to read, which I didn’t like. Every few pages would flip between Sun-hee and Tae-yul, so if I accidentally didn’t realize, I would have to go back and re-read the short chapter. However, one feature that I liked about the historical chapter book was its simplistic writing. The sentences were short and to the point, which reflected the characters. For example, on page 2, Sun-hee said, “Nobody ever told me anything. I always had to find out for myself,” which I felt was interesting how the short sentences almost reflected the minimal information that Sun-hee knew about what went on. She spoke with few words because that’s all she knew, and had to keep to herself most of her life. On the other hand, because I knew nothing about the Korean/Japanese cultures, I didn’t like that I had to reference to the book’s “Korean terms of address” to remember certain words, and even look some up. At times the language was a little convoluted for my liking, but I am still glad that I learned a lot in the process of reading the story. In essence, the message behind this book is that no human being nor thing can change a person’s identity because it is sacred, even if it means changing a name.

[jmille113 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This historical fiction chapter book chronicles the trials and tribulations of a Korean family in Japanese occupied Korea during World War II. In my opinion, this is a very good book. I feel that the readers of this book are obligated to think about what it is like for people to have their identities taken from them, and to be treated like second class, or worse, citizens. A good example is when the family learned that they would have to take new Japanese names. This may not seem very bad, especially when considering other atrocities that war can bring, but the feelings expressed over this oppressive act gets the reader to really think about it. I also like the author’s use of foreshadowing, especially as a prelude to Tae-yul’s stint as a Kamikaze pilot. A good example of this is when Tae-yul talks about a neighborhood accounting during which the block leader boasted of the Japanese Special Attack Unit known as Kamikazes. Tae-yul’s reaction was, “Pilots! The Special Attack Units are pilots who fly airplanes!” Finally, I like how the story is told from the point of view of a Korean brother and sister, emphasizing how the Korean culture’s hierarchical views of men and women affected their thoughts and actions. One way this is displayed is when Sun-hee is putting away dishes, which she does as slow as possible, in order to hear conversations that only the men, including her brother, were supposed to be a part of.

[milina_moreno-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I found this book extremely difficult to read. The way the story went back and forth from being told from Sun-hee, and her brother, Tae-yul’s points of view were difficult to follow at first. Also, as Japan came to the Korean schools, all of the students were forced to use their Japanese names, which also added to the confusion of following the story. The message of this novel, and the meaning behind all of it is excellent. It tells the true story of how Japan was controlling Korea during World War II, which was interesting to read about. I enjoyed the adventure and the secrets that Sun-hee was able to hear about, such as her family members becoming corrupt and risking their lives to keep their Korean pride. I found this book was easier to read as time went on, but it took me a very long time to get into the read. The message of this book, to hold strong to your heritage and never gave up, inspired me to keep reading the novel. I enjoyed reading about the determination that not only Sun-hee’s family had, but that the rest of the Korean people had, to keep their culture, regardless of the Japanese control.

[jcuttitta-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book because it told the story through two different perspectives of a brother and a sister. Sun-hee is the sister and views things differently because she is a girl, for example on page one she says "I wasn't supposed to listen to men's business". The brother obviously views things completely different because he is a male and in Korean culture, males and females are treated very differently. This dual perspective allows each reader to relate differently, I related more to Sun-hee because she was a girl and I could see myself being just as sad as she was when she was informed her sibling had died. and incredibly happy when Tae-yul returns. I also liked this book because it made historical fiction so gripping. The author showed the complex relationships between the family members (Uncle, Abuji, Omoni, etc) like the respect that must be given to Abjui from Tae-yul, as well as the cultures of the Japanese and Koreans like how the Japanese viewed the Koreans as cowardly and that is what made Tae-yul volunteer.. I also liked how it showed Americans in a different perspective because I'm American, I thought it was interesting with Sun-hee described Americans as always having big white teeth. I believe the big idea of this book is the importance of keeping your culture, this is evident when the war is declared over and the Koreans all rip up their cards with their new names on them.

[jherrm1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion this is a great read for students to read to learn about the conflict in Asia during the time of World War II. The author Linda Sue Park helps paint of picture of the pain that the Korean people had to go through when their country was taken over by the Japanese. I really enjoyed the structure of the book and how there weren't chapters but different narrators from Sun-hee, a young girl and her older brother Tae-yul. I think this book had a great contrast between the two different Asian cultures, Japanese and Korean. I would recommend this book to be read after teaching about World War Two and how it effected other countries besides European countries and the United States. I think this book teachers the read a lot about how important a person's culture is to them and how when you change your culture you change who you are.

[ndange1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion this is a great book. The language in this novel is very descriptive. I was able to actually picture myself in the shoes of Sun-Hee or Tae-Yul. When Sun-Hee was describing what school has transformed into, the way the Japanese soliders would take everything from them, I felt her pain. When Tae-Yul explained his thinking process about the reasons as to why he joined the Imperial Army, I felt what he was feeling. He was courageous as the novel had represented through the descriptive language. The point of view was very different than other novels I have read in the past. This novel consisted of two first person point of views. It was told from Sun-Hee the younger sister, and Tae-Yul, the older brother's point of views. At first it was very confusing when switching from character to character. Then as a reader, I became so engaged with the story. It was very interesting to see it from a male and female side throughout this war. The older brother had a lot of responsibility in the family, while the younger sister had to do chores around the house. This book absolutely pushes a reader to think about tough issues. From my knowledge about this war, I personally did not fully understand the amount that the Japanese took from Korea. The Japanese took everything possible. They looked down on Koreans. It was informational to read about the hardships that many of them went through. Then to further read how they treated the Korean's in war was very difficult to read. They talked about them like they were not even present at times. The moral of this story was just that, to spread the knowledge of the fight that Korea had to put up with while the war was going on with the Japanese. Overall, this novel is a great read with wonderful historical background from not too long ago. I would recommend this book to many.

[kabdo1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I liked the book because it gives the reader insight of what World War II was like through a child's eyes. It also shows a perspective of the war from the "enemy's" eyes, at least to Americans, and how they dealt with their own form of prejudice. I thought this book was extremely eye opening as I did not know how oppressed Koreans were throughout the war. It was nice to see their perspective as I have only really seen the American and German perspective on World War II. I didn't enjoy the book as it was a slow story to get into. Although it was extremely informative and powerful, I did not find it to be an easy read. It took me a great deal of time to get into the story. I thought that the characters were strong but that the book could have used possibly more dialogue in order to make it more intriguing. I felt deeply for each character but I wish I got to know more about the individuals. I did enjoy how the point of view switched back and forth from the two children in the book. This way the young readers can see what the war was like from both a young boy and young girls point of view. This book exemplifies the strength and courage young people had during a time of great loss and struggle.

[moaks1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The message of the story is to always remember your roots, or ancestry, and to have courage when fighting to keep your culture. In my opinion this is a great book. I really enjoyed the character development. For example, Tae-yul, the older brother of Sun-hee, first appeared as an innocent 13 year old boy, by going to school every day and obeying his father, but he gradually changed into a young man when he was educated by his Uncle about World War Two and later became a soldier in the Imperial Army. Also, the plot was well paced and the tension built near the end of the book, which wanted me to read more. I couldn’t put down the book when Tae-yul was volunteering for the Imperial Army and Sun-hee was trying to figure out what she could do to stop him. Lastly, I liked how the author changed point-of-view from Sun-hee to Tae-yul each chapter. For example, there would be a scene where Sun-hee is cleaning the dinner table and eavesdropping, but the chapter ends and switches the Tae-yul. Tae-yul would continue with the scene, but would be doing something else, like listening to his father and uncle talk about what is going on in the town. Changing point-of-view gives the reader insight on what it would like to be as a young girl or boy during a war and how their perspectives on life change.

[kmetca1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I did like this story for a few reasons. The first reason that I liked the story is because the plot had a good amount of suspense and tension. During different parts of the book there were unexpected events that occurred and created tension within the plot. For example, when the soldiers were raiding the house, I always wondered what they would find, if anything. There were also high levels of tension in the story when Uncle had to flee, and well as when Sun-hee’s brother was in the military. The biggest section of suspense, in my opinion, was when it was believed that Tae-yul was dead. This large cliffhanger made for an exciting read, especially when Tae-yul walks back in the door after his family was mourning him. Another reason that I liked the story was because the characters were really believable. I think the reason that the characters are so believable is because the stories, and characters, are based off of real stories. Having such believable characters helped the reader to become captivated by the story, and makes the story much more plausible. Another reason that I liked the story is because it pushes readers to broaden their perspectives. This story is going to be different than most young students own experiences growing up. The story is about a Korean family living under Japanese occupation. This story gives readers the opportunity to get some insight on what life during a war might be like for a typical family. This also causes readers to think about a tough issue. The story allows readers to think about the effects of helpless families during a war. The family in the story was forced to give up all they had, including their name, just because they were Korean. Readers are forced to think about what it would be like to be living in a similar situation with so little rights. This is a challenging thing to think about, but these situations do happen to civilians during war, so it is also an important thing to think about. I think the big picture of this story is to be proud of your heritage, and support what you believe in, even when it was difficult. Throughout the story the family tried to keep as much of their heritage alive as possible, because it was important to them. They fought, in different ways, for what they believed was right, and never gave up hope that life would be better one day.