| Sadako Sasaki is an eleven-year-old girl who loves to run. She trains at running track in her spare time and is preparing for the school meet. One day, however, she feels slightly dizzy when she's running. She's heard stories about children being afflicted with a disease caused by the radiation from the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, but she refuses to believe that this is her problem, and she keeps her feelings quiet. Her illness proves unavoidable, though, when Sadako collapses one day while running.
She is diagnosed with leukemia. One day, she hears a legend from a friend that gives her hope of recovery. The legend says that if a person folds one thousand paper cranes out of paper, he or she may be healed. Though each day Sadako becomes weaker, she decides to fold one thousand origami cranes. Her brother helps her by hanging the cranes from the ceiling. Sadly, Sadako is unable to finish the project. She passes away having made only 648 cranes. Her friends from school, however, hear her story, and they fold the remaining cranes so that she is buried with one thousand paper cranes. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - depressed Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Internal struggle/realization? Yes Struggle over Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 7-10 War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes Conflict: Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - a kid Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - an organization Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 1 () |
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