Japanese-American Author Visits Saucon Valley

Saucon Valley Middle School welcomed the Honorable Yoko Kawashima Watkins on March 1, and the event was a memorable one for students who already knew about the author from reading her work.

In sixth grade, students at the school read and discussed Watkins' first novel, "So Far From the Bamboo Grove," which instantly became a favorite of many of them. The story is a semi-autobiographical account of Watkins' childhood in Korea and Japan during the last days of World War II, and the lessons learned from that experience.

During Watkins' visit to the school, students listened intently as she regaled them with stories about her life and culture.

The seventh-graders were especially excited about Watkins' visit, because as sixth-graders they not only read her book and learned about her life, but also wrote letters to her. Every student later received a reply from the author herself. Having a personal connection with Watkins made meeting her in person even more special, and many students waited patiently to shake her hand or receive a warm embrace after her talk.

One young man said his class had received a letter from Watkins informing them of her upcoming visit. Geoff said the tale of her escape from Korea was moving, and that it was "so amazing how they stuck together, her and her family."

Eighth-grader Ken Grenestedt decided to practice his Japanese when he approached the author, asking her a question in the language he learned from his mother. It was quite an experience for the students to watch and listen as one of their classmates spoke with Watkins in her native language.

Watkins spoke from the heart about never being too busy, living a peaceful life and appreciating what one has. She told students that if you "show your peaceful attitude to everyone, your children will take over your peaceful attitude."

She encouraged students to live a life characterized by kindness, respect, perseverance and appreciation--especially an appreciation for their parents. She challenged them to go home and thank their parents for giving them life, and not to say "I want," but "thank you," before it is too late.

Watkins concluded her talk by telling students, "I made two friends, dream and hope. They never turned their backs against me.... I competed with life and death when I was young. And I won."

Watkins was born in Korea and fled to Japan with her family in 1945. Her first book, “So Far From the Bamboo Grove,” began as a letter to a young woman she met in the U.S. and grew from there into a paper for a writing class and ultimately the book, which was published in 1986. Since that time Watkins' books have won numerous awards, including the ALA Best Book for Young Adults award. Today she lives in Massachusetts with her husband, and spends her time writing, giving lectures, visiting schools and meeting with students.

Her visit to the middle school was sponsored by the Saucon Valley Foundation for Educational Innovation. The foundation is a not-for-profit organization that uses privately raised funds to provide creative and innovative learning opportunities for students and teachers beyond the school budget.