Stay Home

by Kaeko Kiji

illus. by Furuerutori

This pandemic drama has been chosen by the Japan School Library Association as one of their 2023 Selected Books. It tells the lockdown story of Ruruko, a Year 5 elementary school student who is at first relieved to be instructed to stay at home. School had always been a challenging place for her, but imposed isolation forces her to think about her relationship with the school and with friends, against a broader backdrop of social issues relevant to contemporary Japan.

19 x 13 cm, 216 pages, Black-and-white illustrations
First published June 2023