Graham Salisbury

Danny faces a terrible dilemma: to put down his beloved dog Banjo when Mr. Brodie accuses it of getting into his sheep with other wild dogs. Danny lies to save Banjo's life but as his cover-up mounts, it gets harder to hide the truth. City readers will be transported to rural Oregon where Danny and his dad participate in rodeos and livestock graze on ranches. Danny's ethical dilemma is portrayed genuinely and realistically, and although the resolution is bittersweet (animal lovers will show more clutch at their hearts), the ending is as close to satisfyingly happy as possible. show less

Sequel to "Under the Blood-Red Sun." Over a year after Pearl Harbor was bombed, Tomi is man of the house, with his father and grandfather still war prisoners. He is sick about the fact that his father's fishing boat lies at the bottom of a canal, sunken by the Army to prevent Japanese fishermen from aiding the enemy. He wants to raise the boat so that it will be ready for his Dad when he is released from jail. But Tomi is only in 9th grade. Without money or equipment how can he manage the show more big job of recovering the boat? On top of that, neighbor Keet Wilson is breathing down his neck, keeping his eye on Tomi because he's Japanese. It's the support of friends like Billy, Rico and Mose, and generous adults such as Billy's father and Fumi that help Tomi achieve the goal of raising the boat. Almost seemed to come together for Tomi too easily. show less

I always love how Graham Salisbury makes the everyday multiculturalism of Hawaii come alive for young readers. This is the first of a promising new series about 4th grader Calvin Coconut and the everyday scrapes he gets into, in this case, running afoul of bully Tito, losing a pet centipede in class, and almost losing a man's kiteboard. From the descriptions, Calvin's family is of modest means and cluttered life (Dad left the family to pursue a singing career; Mom's boyfriend helps out show more around the house; the family takes in a friend's troubled teenaged daughter). But Calvin takes everything in stride, island-style. show less

Hunt for the Bamboo Rat by Graham Salisbury is based on a true story and tells of the World War II military intelligence service of a young Hawaiian born American-Japanese who under the code name of Bamboo Rat spies on the Japanese in the Philippines.

When the Japanese invade, Zeniji who is 17 at the time, sticks to his cover story and hides the fact that he is in the American military. He is arrested, beaten and tortured but stands his ground. Eventually, the Japanese accept his cover story show more and as he speaks both Japanese and English he is forced to work for a high ranking officer. He continues his spy work and his information is delivered to the Americans through the Philippine guerrillas. Even after the Americans return to the Philippines, Zeniji must be very careful how he approaches people as all they see is a young Japanese man not the American hero that he has become.

Hunt for the Bamboo Rat is an intense and exciting survival story. Zeniji proved to be a strong, intelligent young man, a very loyal American who survived as a spy and a POW. His story is one of courage in the face of insurmountable odds and I was glued to this adventure-filled historical fiction novel. show less