The Big Wave: A Japanese Novel About Two Friends Learning Courage and Hope After Tragedy for Children (Ages 8-12)

The powerful novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck, about two friends who must face the pain of losing everything—and how to face their grief with courage. 

Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain in Japan. His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wash over them, until the rushing water sweeps away the whole village—including Jiya's family.

As Jiya struggles to overcome his sorrow, with the help of Kino and his father, he comes to understand that it is only in the presence of danger that one learns to be brave, and that even in the face of terrible tragedy, life and love are stronger than death.

Pearl S. Buck is the author of many distinguished books for children and adults. She won the Child Study Association's Children's Book Award for The Big Wave, the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Good Earth, and in 1938 received the Nobel Prize for literature.