Early Sunday Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii 1941 (Dear America Series) [Hardcover]

Barry Denenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003 | Age Level: 9 and up

A moving story of one girl's devastating experience of the "day that will live in infamy."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439555132
• ISBN-13: 978-0439555135
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,436,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, May 8, 2002

By 

Janice Wong (Cerritos, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Sunday Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii 1941 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

This book is amazing.It is about a 12 year old girl moving from Washington D.C. to Oahu, Hawaii. She could not believe that she had to move again since she had move for 4 times in the last few years. Her father was a reporter, her mom is a stay-at-home mom who likes to cook, and she also had a brother which is a baseball maniac. When she arrived in Hawaii, she liked it. She met a new friend called Kame, which was a Japanese. They were really close and they liked to do stuff together. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the police held onto Kame's father, and questioned him for a long time. People were going to the market and restore their food supplies in case of another attack. This book is a great historical fiction book that everyone will enjoy.

I really like this book. It gives detail information of how people felt after the bombing of the Pearl Harbor and how frantic they were. This book is also a great history lesson if people like to know all about the Pearl Harbor , and how the United States got involved in the World War II.

My favorite part of the book is when Amber's friend came to her house in D.C. and told her that she will be her best friend ever. I think that was really sweet and it is a pleasure to have a true friend like that. I think this book is the best Dear America book I have ever read.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not one of Denenberg's best, September 15, 2001

By 

"scarlettjulie" (Philly, PA

Philly, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Sunday Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii 1941 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

I had very high expectations for Barry Denenberg's latest addition to the Dear America series and was slightly disappointed with Early Sunday Morning. Maybe it was due to the fact that the Pearl Harbor craze had died down a couple of months ago, and wasn't as hot as it was in May with the movie, and numerous other books. One of the drawbacks was it being rather short, at times I felt some parts of the novel lacking details, ect. And obviously not giving anything away, the very end was so vague. But overall I liked the characters and the story as a whole a lot.
The novel starts out in October of 1941 in Washington D.C. Her father is a newspaperman, so her family is always moving around and Amber resents the fact that she doesn't ever get to stay in one place, and having to meet new friends. When her father is re-located to Pearl Harbor, she, along with the rest of her family, is shocked, but they go. Amber grows to love the lush tropical paradise. But when that infamous day comes, Amber's life changes forever.
I read Early Sunday Morning two days before our own infamous day in the 21st century, and recommend this to old and young alike, especially with what our country is going through now and what it went through 60 years ago.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but needed to be longer., September 17, 2001

By 

jaina_solo "jaina_solo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Sunday Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii 1941 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

Overall this was a good book. It was well written, I liked the character of Amber, and I am interested in Pearl Harbor. I just wish it had been longer. The story moved too fast, and the epilogue really needed more detail. I'd still reccomend the book, though. It did seem to have been written in a hurry, though...