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Yottsuno Hajimeteno Monogatari
(Four Stories of First Experience)
Text by Makiko Sato
Ill. by Hiromi Sugita
Tokyo: POPLAR Publishing Co., 2004
232 pp: 220 x 155 mm
ISBN : 4-591-08294-6
Ages : 10+
Growth, Ego, Adolescence
Japanese Association of Writers for Children Prize 2005 |
This is an anthology of four short stories. Four six-graders in the same class go through their ‘first’ experiences individually;
Ayako goes to buy her first “brassiere” in secret, but her mother finds it and talks about it to her father and some of her friends’ parents. Ayako gets furious about her mother’s insensitivity.
Marina is shocked to know that she has actually a half-brother from her father’s previous marriage. Marina is getting very nervous when she has to meet her brother for the first time.
Shogo is tempted by his best friend Yusuke to steal a bicycle for the first time. Even if he does not want to do it, he can’t say “No” to Yusuke who is bigger and stronger. Ryohei finds a vacant house which is about to get demolished. He and his friends pretend to make it their home. Now they have a house of their own for the first time, and enjoy spending some time after school at this private space.
Makiko Sato was born in Tokyo in 1947. She received New Writers Award organized by the Japanese Association of Writer for children in 1973 for E ni Kaku to Henna Ie (Strange House When It is Drawn) that describes the interaction between a fugitive soldier of the Vietnam War and a girl. She also received Noma Children’s Literature Recommendatory Book Award in 1985 for Happy Birthday that describes sensitive mind of early adolescent girl. Her other works include Watashi no Himitsu no Hanazono (My Secret Graden, 1994) that has the element of autobiography, 9 Gatsu 0 Nichi Daibouken (A Big Adventure in September 0, 1989). Her recent works include Kochira Chikyu-Boueigun (This is the Defense Force for the Earth, 2000) and Zettai ni Katte wa Ikenai Anaguma (Racoon That Should not be Kept, 1999). |
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