"An extraordinary book, one no reader will fail to find compelling and unforgettable. " --Booklist, starred review The star of her school's running team, Sadako is lively and athletic... until the dizzy spells start. Then she must face the hardest race of her life--the race against time. Based on a true story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes celebrates the courage that makes one young woman a heroine in Japan. "[The] story speaks directly to young readers of the tragedy of Sadako's death and, in its simplicity, makes a universal statement for 'peace in the world. " --The Horn Book "The story is told tenderly but with neither a morbid nor a sentimental tone: it is direct and touching. " --BCCB