The War Outside in Mock Printz 2026

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The War Outside

Monica Hesse

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Mock Printz 2019

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Mar 11, 2019 Barbara rated it really liked it

Shelves: character-building, incarceration, compassion, conflict, moving, empathy, jobs, rural-life, nature, transportation

I've read quite a few books about the Japanese internment camps in this country during WWII, but I'd never heard of the one in Crystal City, Texas. It was there that individuals who were accused of actions against the United States were housed for the duration of the war. This particular camp held almost 5,000 individuals, a combination of Japanese and Germans and their families. It is there that Haruko Tanaka and Margot Krukow begin a friendship and dream of the possibilities of more once the w I've read quite a few books about the Japanese internment camps in this country during WWII, but I'd never heard of the one in Crystal City, Texas. It was there that individuals who were accused of actions against the United States were housed for the duration of the war. This particular camp held almost 5,000 individuals, a combination of Japanese and Germans and their families. It is there that Haruko Tanaka and Margot Krukow begin a friendship and dream of the possibilities of more once the war is over and they can leave the camp. They take to meeting in the camp's ice house where they both sought refuge during a dust storm. Although they mistrust each other at first, eventually they are able to share some of their fears and concerns. Haruko worries about her older brother, Ken, is serving in the military and wonders what possible action her father might have taken that had brought him under suspicion of authorities back home in Denver. Margot is growing increasingly concerned about her father's growing anger and threats of violence toward her pregnant mother and how he is coming under the sway of one of the camp's Nazi leaders. When a tragedy occurs at the camp, all the girls' dreams no longer seem viable, and each girl thinks the other one has betrayed the other. I was riveted throughout my reading of this book, coming to care of both Haruko and Margot in their misunderstanding of one another. The author has carefully researched and told a little-known part of history that needed to be told. Interesting lines: "You're making the choice to support Adolf Hitler," Mutti says. "A man who has assumed power through manipulation and lies and hate. That is despicable" (p. 142). And this one from Margot: "Sometimes it's hard in here, to be the people we used to be" (p. 211). So many accounts of internment camps describe the degrading conditions and how residents did their best to make the best of the situation, but few examine the ways that being in the camps changed the men, women, and children, making it hard to remember how they lived before they were in the camps. This book thoughtfully explores those experiences and reactions to unthinkable conditions, and forces readers to consider how they themselves might have acted. What might each of us have done to save ourselves or to save those we loved? ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Jenni rated it really liked it

This title gives us a look at one of the United States internment camps of World War II. Crystal Creek in Texas had places for both Germans Americans and Japanese Americans that were displaced to "protect" the United States. ...more

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Mar 25, 2019 Kristena rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, historical-fiction, in-2019, sequoyah-intermed-nominee-2020

Probably more like a 3.5. I love historical fiction and expected more from this one. But it was pretty good.

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Aug 10, 2019 KJ rated it liked it

Shelves: high-school, audio, historical, 2019

Powerful ending

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Jan 02, 2021 Terri rated it really liked it

"From its inception in mid-1942 through June 1945, Crystal City (Family) Internment Camp interned 4,751 (this included 153 people born in the camp). The camp's population peaked at 3,374 on December 29, 1944, more than two thirds of which were of Japanese nationality or ancestry." (from: )

My signed copy of "The War Outside" by Monica Hesse (2018) has been sitting in my ever growing pile of "to reads" for a couple of years now. I finally decided it was time. This work of historic ...more

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Oct 21, 2018 elissa rated it liked it

Shelves: capitol_choices_2019, my_10s_reads, youngadult, historicalfiction, favoritebooktalks, war_stories, suspense

Interesting and well-researched. Quick read. 3 1/2-ish.

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Jun 27, 2018 Kim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, young-adult-fiction, favorites, race-relations, battle-of-the-books-2020

I had no idea until I read this captivating novel (and Hesse's note on historical accuracy) that our country's World War II internment camps were as widespread as they were. Hesse does a masterful job of bringing a little-known piece of history to light in a compelling way. German-American Margot and Japanese-American Haruko form an unlikely but utterly believable friendship in the Crystal City camp, the only one where both German-Americans and Japanese-Americans were housed together. Through th ...more

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Jul 27, 2019 Carrie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: social-justice, young-adult, historical-fiction, romance, sad

This story is based on an actual internment camp in Texas which held Japanese-American and German-American families during World War II. I liked the relationship between the two girls and appreciated the bittersweet ending. The audio narration was solid.

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