Nozomi, 12, lives in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1970. At the annual memorial ceremony for victims of “the flash” (the atomic bomb), when lanterns carrying victims’ names are floated out to sea, she notices one of the lanterns her mom releases is nameless. In the coming days, Nozomi and her friends learn their art teacher, Mr. Yoshioka, lost his fiancée in the bombing; the only thing he found was a comb he’d once given her as a gift. The students decide to organize an art show, encouraging classmates to talk to a survivor and create a piece of art based on that person’s story. One of Nozomi’s friends talks to Mrs. Sudo, who lost her husband in battle and her little boy in the flash and regrets that the last words she spoke to her son were in anger. Another learns that his aunt, a young teacher, perished in the bombing along with six of her students, whom she was trying to protect. And Nozomi talks to her mom, learning more about her mother’s past and people she lost. Nozomi’s curiosity about her mother’s story and the experiences of others creates a sense of mystery and tension in this quiet and deeply affecting novel, while the heartrending stories of loss that emerge invite full-hearted compassion among Nozomi and her friends, who see for the first time the depth of grief carried by their elders. (Ages 9-13)

The haunting and poignant story of a how a young Japanese girl's understanding of the historic and tragic bombing of Hiroshima is transformed by a memorial lantern-floating ceremony.

Twelve-year-old Nozomi lives in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. She wasn't even born when the bombing of Hiroshima took place. Every year Nozomi joins her family at the lantern-floating ceremony to honor those lost in the bombing. People write the names of their deceased loved ones along with messages of peace, on paper lanterns and set them afloat on the river. This year Nozomi realizes that her mother always releases one lantern with no name. She begins to ask questions, and when complicated stories of loss and loneliness unfold, Nozomi and her friends come up with a creative way to share their loved ones' experiences. By opening people's eyes to the struggles they all keep hidden, the project teaches the entire community new ways to show compassion.

Soul Lanterns is an honest exploration of what happened on August 6, 1945, and offers readers a glimpse not only into the rich cultural history of Japan but also into the intimate lives of those who recognize--better than most--the urgent need for peace.