Dorinda Makanaonalani Nicholson, Children's Author, Professional Speaker, Pearl Harbor Expert

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Location:

Missouri

THE PEARL HARBOR CHILD

Dorinda Makanaonalani Nicholson is an award-winning author of WWII history for young readers. She was born in Hawaii to a Hawaiian mother who taught her to hula, and then Dorinda taught her poi-dog, Hula Girl, to dance along with her. Her Caucasian father held her tight against him the morning of December 7th, 1941 while they stood together in their front yard watching Japanese torpedo bombers scream overhead so low, Dorinda saw the pilots’ goggles as the planes whizzed by, barely above the tree tops. All of her non-fiction, photo-illustrated World War II books are written for middle grade to young adults. Her book, Pearl Harbor Warriors, earned an IRA intermediate non-fiction award, Mark Twain list, ALA best DVD for kids, and was chosen as Hawaii’s first read-aloud book, read simultaneously to more than 10,000 students on Oahu and Maui.

Awards:

Pearl Harbor Warriors: International Reading Association Nonfiction award; Ben Franklin Multi-cultural award; School Library Association best DVD for classroom; and Mark Twain finalist

Speaking Engagements and School Presentations:

Guess What Country I Am From: I carried a gas mask, there were bomb shelters on my playground, and we had air raid drills at school. No lights could be on in our house at night, I carried war time invasion currency, I saved my milk money to buy war bonds, there were no after school activities, you could not be out after dark and had to stay in your house until daylight. My dad dug bullets out of our kitchen wall. An air raid warden went down the street every night to make sure no lights were showing out of your house and he had the authority to shoot out the light if he chose to do so.

If you didn’t know I was the “Pearl Harbor Child,” I think your answer would be any country but the United States. But this was the United States, your country. Get ready, come along with me, I want you to see and feel what it was like to be a child survivor of the Pearl Harbor bombing, and then through the war years that followed.

What Teachers Say About Dorinda’s Presentations and School Visits:

“Her books exemplify the best in non-fiction writing. A compelling story in tandem with an inspiring message combine to create a tale that opens both heart and mind. They will touch you as few books can - a ‘must’ for every classroom.” —Middle School Teacher

“I’ve been teaching WWII history for 12 years and your book, Pearl Harbor Child is the first book that has been meaningful to my students.” —Elementary School Teacher

“The account of the events of December 7th and the aftermath—is told with directness and simplicity, and has a child-engaging attention to detail... always sticking to the story as it happened then.” —Center for the Children’s Book