By Katelin Slosky 

The thousand paper cranes

When I was in 7th grade, I read a story about a girl named Sadako. The atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima when she was two years old, and ten years later she started suffering from leukemia. When she was in the hospital, her best friend gave her some folding paper, and told Sadako the legend of the crane, a sacred bird in Japan. She explained that if a sick person folds 1,000 paper cranes, they will get better.

Sadako started folding paper cranes. She managed to fold a total of 644 paper cranes before slipping into a peaceful sleep.

The Children’s Peace Monument was built in her honor. It is located in the center of the Hiroshima Peace Park. Many children today send paper cranes to be placed underneath the statue, close to the engraving that states, “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.”

Favorite Books Editor: James Zheng