[Fiction 01] • Tomo

This aptly named fiction anthology—tomo means “friend” in Japanese—is a true labor of friendship to benefit teens in Japan whose lives were upended by the violent earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. Authors from Japan and around the world have contributed works of fiction set in or related to Japan. Young adult English-language readers will be able to connect with their Japanese counterparts through stories of contemporary Japanese teens, ninja and yokai teens, folklore teens, mixed-heritage teens, and non-Japanese teens who call Japan home. Tales of friendship, mystery, love, ghosts, magic, science fiction, and history will propel readers to Japan past and present and to Japanese universes abroad.

Portions of the proceeds of Tomo will be donated to the Japanese non-profit, HOPE FOR TOMORROW, to support ongoing relief efforts for teens in Japan.

Contents:

Shocks and tremors: Lost by Andrew Fukuda

Shuya's commute by Liza Dalby

Half life by Deni Y Béchard

Kazoku by Tak Toyoshima

Aftershocks by Ann Tashi Slater

Friends and enemies: Bad day for baseball by Graham Salisbury

Half a heart by Mariko Nagai

The bridge to Lillooet by Trevor Kew

Blue shells by Naoko Awa, translated by Toshiya Kamei

Borne by the wind by Charles De Wolf

Ghosts and spirits: The ghost who came to breakfast by Alan Gratz

House of trust by Sachiko Kashiwaba, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa

Staring at the Haiku by John Paul Catton

Kodama by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Where the silver droplets fall by transcribed and translated from Ainu into Japanese by Yukie Chiri, translated and illustrated by Deborah Davidson

Powers and feats: Yamada-san's toaster by Kelly Luce

Jet black and the ninja wind by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani

Hachiro by Ryusuke Saito, translated by Sako Ikegami

The lost property office by Marji Napper

Anton and Kiyoshime by Fumio Takano, translated by Hart Larrabee

Talents and curses: Love right on the yesterday by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

The dragon and the poet by Kenji Miyazawa, translated by Misa Dikengil Lindberg

Just wan-derful by Louise George Kittaka

Ichinichi on the Yamanote by Claire Dawn

A song for Benzaiten by Catherine Rose torres

Insiders and outsiders: Fleecy clouds by Arie Nashiya, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter

The zodiac tree by Thersa Matsuura

One by Sarah Ogawa

Love letter by Megumi Fujino, translated by Lynne E. Riggs

Signs by Kaitlin Stainbrook

Wings on the wind by Yuichi Kimura, translated by Alexander O. Smith

Families and connections: The law of gravity by Yuko Katakawa, translated by Deborah Iwabuchi

The mountain drum by Chloë Dalby

Paper lanterns by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill

I hate Harajuku girls by Katrina Toshiko Grigg-Saito

Peace on earth by Suzanne Kamata