The Day the Earth Moved

Tsuyoshi Takahashi, a sixth-grader living in eastern Kobe with his parents and younger brother, was a determined boy with big dreams. He spent most of his time studying, aiming to get into a top private school, and he hated when anyone asked him for help-it meant losing precious time he could have used for his goals. Then, on the morning of January 17, 1995, a devastating earthquake struck Kobe. Tsuyoshi and his family barely escaped their collapsing home and took shelter at his school. There, he and the other children faced the challenges of living in close quarters with limited supplies. But as they watched the volunteers working tirelessly to help, they began to learn something new about sacrifice and kindness.