Dean Hughes

During one of the reunions, Bea said something like, "This is what the Celestial Kingdom is like." I felt that many times throughout the course of this series, and I almost feel envious that I've never experienced anything as horrendous as WWII and haven't gotten to feel the kind of joy that came after. I appreciated that Hughes didn't gloss over the fact that the war was never really over for a lot of people, which is another reason this family feels so real to me. They lived during an show more incredible time in history, but they still had regular problems. I love these characters so much, and I'm going to miss spending all my free time with the Thomases. Although it's probably good that now I can get on with my life. :) show less

Set during the time period of World War II, this book tells the story of Jay Thatcher – a young boy who faces discrimination because he looks Native American (his father is half Navajo), has a father missing in action in the war, enjoys playing baseball, and develops an unexpected friendship with a Japanese-American boy. A well-written and engrossing example of historical fiction, this book effectively paints a picture of the World War II era, particularly the discrimination against and show more distrust of Japanese Americans, the reality of Japanese internment camps, and the sense of uncertainty felt by having a family member missing in action in the war. It is a touching coming of age story, in which Jay is forced into tough situations but grows from dealing with them. The book is fast-paced and filled with insights about how to treat others who are different from oneself, what it means to be an American, and how the choices that one makes while growing up impact how one will be as an adult. This book is recommended for young adult sections of libraries. It teaches important lessons but in an accessible and relatable way for young adult readers. show less

When this book started even grimmer than the book before it, I started to wonder why I was voluntarily putting myself through this—again. But then the war ended and the reunions started happening, and I was like, "Oh yeah. That's why." Wally's story in particular just about makes me explode with happiness, and Alex has some tear-jerky moments too.

I loved these books as a teenager, and I'm grateful I've been able to read them again as an adult. As a kid I mostly loved the books for their show more stories, and I still do now, but I understand certain things a little better. The books mean even more to me now, which doesn't happen often. (I wish my adult re-read of the Work and Glory books had been this positive.) Dean Hughes certainly does this series justice—he was the right guy to tell this story. show less

Solid writing, and a likeable main character. I particularly loved the battle details, the way deaths weren't glossed over but each loss got a moment, and the gross but realistic descriptions of stuff like trench foot. It's a good choice for those reasons, but I think it's an even better choice for the depiction of racism and the darkness of what America did to it's own citizens during WWII. I bumped it up a star rating just for being the right book at the right time.

I recall learning about show more internment camps in high school, but I only remembered the broadest strokes. For a fictional story, this book did a great job conveying day to day details not just of being imprisoned stateside, but of one way someone might face overt and pervasive racism. Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, partly because I'd rather just read non-fiction. But I think the preface and the author's note had some great resources and more details (including photos), and the story did a good job getting me to want to read more.

Give this to your teens who like military stuff, WWII stories, and books about male friendship. Also, give it to all the other teens too, because with the current political climate and hate crimes rising it would make for an excellent discussion. Pair it with the soundtrack to George Takei's recent musical Allegiance and a conversation about what our next administration may be planning for more American citizens: http://www.snopes.com/2016/11/17/trump-transition-muslim-registry/ show less