Thirty Minutes Over Oregon book review by Corrine

Title of the Book: Thirty Minutes Over Oregon 

Author Name: Marc Tyler Nobleman 

Reviewer's Name: Corrine 

Publisher: Clarion Books 

 Date of Publication: 2018 

 Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book starts out talking about a conflict Japan and America had in 1941 (Pearl Harbor). It follows some of the main events in the Japanese plane bomber, Nobuo Fujita. He was the pilot of the Japanese plain that did the first inland bombing in Brookings Oregon. Once he went home to Japan, he started a hardware store. Years after the bombings, Brookings invited Mr. Fujita to come as a special guest for the town's Memorial Day festival. He accepted, and went to the town. The Illustrations of the people who greeted Mr. Fujita and his family were depicted just as the text said, welcoming and warm. When he got there he was greeted with warmth and hospitality. Since then the town and him have had a great connection all the way until the end of Mr. Fujita’s life. 

This is a wonderfully illustrated book for older/more mature children who are interested in history and historical figures. This was a very informative book that didn’t include some of the more mature elements of this topic. There was situational irony where you thought Mr. Fujita would’ve been against going to America after the bombings, but he decided to go. With that decision it gives a really powerful message that your enemies don’t always have to stay your enemies. It also portrays that he had a good heart and cared for the people he had done something not so good to. The Illustrations that went along with the story, gave the reader a visual aid to reference and a clear image of what that section wants the reader to take away. All together this was a very good book with relevant illustrations, and around the comprehension level of about a 2nd grader. It was a simple read that gave a lens into what happened after the bombings of Pear Harbor.