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lauriehnatiuk's review
4.0
Another account of Canadian history that is not widely known, shared and taught that needs to be. Sandy Salto is a young Japanese boy who firsthand experiences the internment camps during WWII in British Columbia. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour, Sandy's life was like the other boys his age. They loved their watching their local Japanese baseball team the Asahi, they played ball with one another and spent time with their families. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, life changed dramatically for the Japanese starting with restrictions of where and when they could go out, to taking possessions to be sent to the camps. I appreciate the opportunity for young readers to learn another part of our darker history. Although I realize that baseball and the admiration and love Sandy had for the Asaji, I did feel that the story abruptly wrapped up all too quickly and too tidy which left me with questions. There was back-matter so I could investigate further but wanted a more detailed conclusion. The sepia illustrations also help set the tone and represent the time period and help create the appropriate mood for the majority of the information. Another must add for library and classroom collections.
ljrinaldi's review
3.0
I really wanted to like this book more. I have not read many stories of what the Canadian version of the Japanese Internment was like, but from this book, I would take it that it was just as bad as it waas in the states.
And perhaps I was spoiled by reading George Takai's autobiographical account of what the camps were like in his excellent graphic novel "They called us Enemy".
And I realize that this is trying to show how Baseball make it easier to endure.
But with such a buildup, why stop with them playing the game? It is almost as if the author said, ok, it's all ok now, and nothing more to see here.
But, if this is to show the hardships that the Japanese Canadians went through, then that works. But, there should have been more to the book than this.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
And perhaps I was spoiled by reading George Takai's autobiographical account of what the camps were like in his excellent graphic novel "They called us Enemy".
And I realize that this is trying to show how Baseball make it easier to endure.
But with such a buildup, why stop with them playing the game? It is almost as if the author said, ok, it's all ok now, and nothing more to see here.
But, if this is to show the hardships that the Japanese Canadians went through, then that works. But, there should have been more to the book than this.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
twiinklex's review
5.0
✨ "Papa would say that this was all temporary but I learned that day that not only was everything different now... it was never going to be the same again."
A touching and emotional story about a Japanese family who are forced to uproot their lives and sent to a prison camp after the attack of Pearl Harbour.
It was heartbreaking to see the family struggling to retain a sense of normalcy even as increasingly strict and unfair measures are imposed on people of Japanese heritage, before they are carted off to an internment camp.
I also loved seeing how the characters try to find the light even during such dark and bleak times. How they try to make a life in the camp. How family is everything.
Would highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.
A touching and emotional story about a Japanese family who are forced to uproot their lives and sent to a prison camp after the attack of Pearl Harbour.
It was heartbreaking to see the family struggling to retain a sense of normalcy even as increasingly strict and unfair measures are imposed on people of Japanese heritage, before they are carted off to an internment camp.
I also loved seeing how the characters try to find the light even during such dark and bleak times. How they try to make a life in the camp. How family is everything.
Would highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.
cryptidkay's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Though i went into this GN knowing exactly what was going to happen and how it was going to play out, I was really touched by how personable and relatable the MC is. Its about a horrible time in history where governments treated citizens terribly because they weren't of European decent. But it's largely about a boy's rather mundane problems - wanting to play catch with his dad, arguing parents, bullying, etc. with a background where there are much larger problems than no baseball. I loved the really beautiful sepia tones and large panels that let you focus on how expressive the characters are
concussedcoffeegeek's review
3.0
Thank you to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.
Stealing Home is a fictionalized personal story set against the backdrop of the very real historical events of the North American internment camps that many Japanese families were forced into after Pearl Harbor. We follow Sandy Saito, who loves baseball, as he experiences the shock of life in the internment camps.
Beautifully illustrated by David Namisato, the interiors of this book capture the visuals of J. Torres story perfectly. While the setting was compelling and the art was pleasant, the narrative left much to be desired. Just as the story picks up, the book ends abruptly. I had to check that I hadn't skipped pages! It was quite jarring and made me feel like half of the book was still out there.
Comparisons will definitely be made to They Called Us Enemy by George Takei due to the subject matter and perhaps even the artwork, but Stealing Home is a much lighter read. While I do feel that this could have benefitted from having a more satisfying narrative arc, I do believe stories like this are vitally important for educating future generations about the missteps of the past. Stealing Home is worth the read, especially for younger audiences, just don't go in with expectations of a fully fleshed out narrative.
Stealing Home is a fictionalized personal story set against the backdrop of the very real historical events of the North American internment camps that many Japanese families were forced into after Pearl Harbor. We follow Sandy Saito, who loves baseball, as he experiences the shock of life in the internment camps.
Beautifully illustrated by David Namisato, the interiors of this book capture the visuals of J. Torres story perfectly. While the setting was compelling and the art was pleasant, the narrative left much to be desired. Just as the story picks up, the book ends abruptly. I had to check that I hadn't skipped pages! It was quite jarring and made me feel like half of the book was still out there.
Comparisons will definitely be made to They Called Us Enemy by George Takei due to the subject matter and perhaps even the artwork, but Stealing Home is a much lighter read. While I do feel that this could have benefitted from having a more satisfying narrative arc, I do believe stories like this are vitally important for educating future generations about the missteps of the past. Stealing Home is worth the read, especially for younger audiences, just don't go in with expectations of a fully fleshed out narrative.