Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story

Passage to Freedom tells the extraordinary true story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat stationed in Lithuania in 1940, who defied his government's orders and spent weeks hand-writing thousands of visas to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis — a decision told through the eyes of his young son Hiroki, who asked his father, "If we don't help them, won't they die?" Ken Mochizuki's powerful, accessible narrative and Dom Lee's stirring sepia-toned mixed-media illustrations bring both the moral weight and the humanity of this heroic act vividly to life.

This book is a powerful choice for students because it shows how one person's courageous moral decision can save thousands of lives, making it an ideal read for lessons on World War II, the Holocaust, the role of bystanders, and what it means to do the right thing.

Publishing Details

Author : Ken Mochizuki

Illustrator : Dom Lee

Author Nationality : United States

Physical Details

Type of Book: Picture

Cover: Softcover

Pages: 32

Size: 10.2 x 8.3 inches

Year Published: 1997

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 2nd

Genre: Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre: Biography

Theme: War, Social Issues, Asian American, About POC