Book 34

Hachiko Waits by Lesléa Newman is a delightful telling of the traditional Japanese story concerning the Akita, Hachiko. I first ran across the tale when I was taking Japanese in college. When we started learning kanji and reading in Japanese the story of Professor Ueno and his faithful dog was an interesting look into some of the culture and history of Japan. Newman's book blends the basic true story into a fictionalized account that does a wonderful job of bringing out the trasitional elements - loyalty, friendship and faithfulness. This is a children's story, but it's one that everyone should read.