J. Torres

This story is visually beautiful. If you're going to take anything away from my review, let it be that. I'm stunned and awed at how the story pulled me in by visuals alone (and of course, later with the words. Those are important too!).

About the story:
Our lead, Jesse's Lola (Grandmother) scares them - she's quite odd yet everyone seemed to love her. The family travels back to the Phillipines and things seem different and scarier. After a scary story, a rumour is spread that Lola had show more visions... And Jesse might too.

My positives:
1. I did not know Lola meant Grandmother in Tagalog. I love learning new things, so that was a bonus for me.

2. The visuals and illustrations are just magical. They're soft in colour but so fulfilling. Honestly, that was one of my favourite parts of this book. I think the pictures suited the story very well.

3. This is a story of loss and grief but also supernatural ties. I think it had a very good mix of showing emotion and weaving in a narrative. I applaud J. Torres. I was truly hooked to this story.

My negatives:
1. I really enjoyed this little story, but it was just too short. I wanted more! It's not short in a bad way - the narrative finishes and feels final. I just truly wanted more. This story was magical.

All of that being said, I definitely want to read more by J. Torres. I'm truly intrigued with this story and art style. With such a lovely story behind it, this graphic novel is sure to be a smash.

Five out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me access to this book. show less

Sandy's family lives in Vancouver, BC, where he enjoys watching the Japanese baseball team, Asahi, with his dad, and playing catch. But after Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, everything changes. In particular, his father who is a doctor, is away from home more often, treating Japanese patients who have been relocated. He tells the family that he is going where he is "most needed" and that the increasingly tenuous situation facing them "is only temporary." But all Sandy wants is to be able to play show more catch with his father again. When the family is relocated to a prison camp with other Japanese Canadians, it is baseball that makes things bearable. An affecting and poignant portrayal of the unjust internment of Japanese Canadians; a strong addition to classic and contemporary works about this period in history. Backmatter includes historical notes on the internment in Canada and Japanese baseball in North America. show less

andy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.

Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, show more but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.

An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)

-Kirkus Review show less

It's nice to see Filipino folklore explored in this supernatural tale, but the main story falls into unremarkable "I see dead people" territory. I'm pretty sure I read this when it first came out a decade back, but I picked up the new 10th anniversary edition to see why I couldn't remember much about it, and now I know why. I do remember that J. Torres did a lot more interesting stuff back in the day, and I should maybe revisit something like Copybook Tales instead next time.