Totto-Chan - The Little Girl at the Window, Author : Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window is an autobiographical memoir written by Japanese television personality and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The book was published in 1981, and became an "instant bestseller" in Japan. 

The book recounts the author's own childhood experiences during World War II, focusing on her time at a very unusual and progressive school called Tomoe Gakuen, run by the compassionate and visionary headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi. Totto-chan, a curious and energetic little girl, is expelled from her first school for being "too disruptive." Her mother then enrolls her in Tomoe Gakuen, where children learn in abandoned train cars and are encouraged to explore their individuality, creativity, and freedom.