Twelve-year-old Natsu and her family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they’ve known begins to unravel when her father is recruited to the Japanese army, and Natsu and her little sister, Cricket, are left orphaned and destitute. In a desperate move to keep her sister alive, Natsu sells Cricket to a Russian family following the 1945 Soviet occupation. The journey to redemption for Natsu's broken family is rife with struggles, but Natsu is tenacious and will stop at nothing to get her little sister back.
Literary and historically insightful, this is one of the great untold stories of WWII. Much like the Newbery Honor book Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Under the Broken Sky is powerful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful.
Topics World War II (1939–1945). Novels in verse. Manchuria, China. Survival. Refugees. Sisters. History of Manchuria, China, 1931–1945.
Lexile 870L
Trim Size 8 1/4" x 5 1/2"
JLG Span Spring
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2019-10-14
JLG Release Date Mar 2020
Minimum grade 5
Maximum grade 8
Reading level Middle
Format Print
PG Middle Plus (Grades 5-8)
PG Middle Plus
PG Middle Plus (Grades 5-8)
For Grades 5-8
For middle school readers who enjoy fascinating stories but want less edgy content, PGM is the perfect choice. Be assured that the 14 books offered in this category will be inoffensive to readers, teachers and parents.