“Here is a wonderful adventure, insightfully told, as Karmel Schreyer shows us the enchantment of Japan through the eyes and ears of a Canadian girl.”

— Claire Mowat

“Schreyer has a good grasp of adolescent character and her portrayal of Naomi’s conflicting feelings is very realistic… An excellent introduction to life in Japan… it would be great supplementary reading for a study unit on Japan.”

— Winnipeg Free Press

“A gentle story of a difficult year… Naomi arrives in Japan as a rebellious child and leaves as a young adult confident in her own abilities to face difficulties and overcome them… Naomi helps readers to appreciate Japan’s differences while still emphasizing that people are much the same the world over.”

— Canadian Review of Materials (CM)

The Strawberry Blonde of Pippu Town

by Karmel Schreyer

NAOMI IS 12 YEARS OLD, the time in a girl’s life when all she wants to do is fit in — which she does, living in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba with her family and friends. Then her parents divorce, and her mother decides to move to Japan, where the young strawberry blonde who resembles a modern day Anne of Green Gables sticks out like a sore thumb.

But Naomi begins to see the fascinating aspects of this new culture, overcoming barriers of language and acceptance, and, in the process gaining self-esteem and a love of Japan. Readers will learn that they too can overcome challenges, and that people have the same basic needs, no matter where they live.

About the Author
Karmel Schreyer lives in Hong Kong with her husband and daughter and works as a writer and editor of educational materials for Asian children. She is the daughter of former Governor General Edward Schreyer, and uses her experiences travelling around the world with her father in describing Naomi’s loneliness and wonder in a strange land far from home.

Other Books by this Author: