Baseball Saved Us

This is really a nice book on the subject of discrimination and Japanese internment camps as it would have been experienced by a child. It was beautifully illustrated and the text was just right. I liked it. As good as Heroes by the same author/illustrator team. ( )

This is a book telling the story of a young Japanese boy who is forced to live Japanese Internment camp during World War II. The people in the camp have to wait in lines to go to the restroom and to get food. The boy’s father decides to try to make their situation a little better by building a baseball field in the camp. As they start to work on the field others join in by making gloves, bats, and even uniforms. The young boy was never really good at baseball but through playing in the camp he overcame his nerves. When he returned home the other people made fun of them but he blocked them out and hit a homerun.

I think this book was very well-written. It came from the boy’s point of view so the children could relate to him. It’s important for the students to read about his struggles and how he overcame them.

This would be a good book to read while the class is studying Pearl Harbor and World War II. A teacher could also use this book to introduce her class to a different culture and how they had to overcome being called bad names and being treated poorly.

This book is about living life in a Japanese internment camp. The boys start to play baseball which helps them in the lifestyle they are forced to live. This book would be good for deep conversations regarding American histroy and some of the choices our nation has made. ( )

This book tells the story of a Japanese-American boy who lives in a camp with his family following the bombing of Pearl Harbor when thousands were removed from their homes by US military. The boy's father feels that even though their situation is difficult, they should still enjoy their time and decides to start a baseball league. The little boy, who was once made fun of for not fitting in, practices and gets better while in the camp. When the time comes to go home, he plays for another team and becomes a favorite after hitting a winning homerun. ( )

This Book would be good for ELL students to see how it can be difficult in a different environment. Also, would help students learn more about war.