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A review by roshreviews
Stealing Home by J. Torres
emotional
informative
fast-paced
4.25
If you’ve read George Takei’s memoir “They Called Us Enemy”, you know how unfair life was to the Japanese-Americans after the Pearl Harbor attacks. “Stealing Home” gives us a similar glimpse but a couple of minor yet significant changes. It tells us the story of the reshuffling of Japanese-Canadians after the attacks, and it is aimed at middle-graders instead of at adults. These two changes make the grim topic appear hopeful.
We meet Sandy, a huge baseball fan, who stays with his parents and younger brother in Vancouver. After the bombing of the Pearl Harbor, life turns upside down for them. Having to leave almost everything behind after they are made to shift to transit camps in remote areas, Sandy still tries to make the best of the situation. But what he misses the most is baseball, and what finally makes him feel better is baseball’s re-entry in his life. The book also touches upon his complicated relationship with his doctor-father.
The graphics in this book are quite simplistic and sepia-toned. This helps create a nostalgic flavour to the story.
As an essential part of Canadian history, this book serves very well to enlighten modern youngsters about the travesties of the past. Thought the topic is dark, the author does his best to keep the content child-friendly. The only thing I felt could have been better was the end. While I get the point about baseball being the be-all and end-all for Sandy, I sure would have liked to know what happened next in the internment camp. The ending felt incomplete. In spite of this, I will recommend the book wholeheartedly. It is only by learning about our past that we can avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Thank you, NetGalley and Kids Can Press, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
We meet Sandy, a huge baseball fan, who stays with his parents and younger brother in Vancouver. After the bombing of the Pearl Harbor, life turns upside down for them. Having to leave almost everything behind after they are made to shift to transit camps in remote areas, Sandy still tries to make the best of the situation. But what he misses the most is baseball, and what finally makes him feel better is baseball’s re-entry in his life. The book also touches upon his complicated relationship with his doctor-father.
The graphics in this book are quite simplistic and sepia-toned. This helps create a nostalgic flavour to the story.
As an essential part of Canadian history, this book serves very well to enlighten modern youngsters about the travesties of the past. Thought the topic is dark, the author does his best to keep the content child-friendly. The only thing I felt could have been better was the end. While I get the point about baseball being the be-all and end-all for Sandy, I sure would have liked to know what happened next in the internment camp. The ending felt incomplete. In spite of this, I will recommend the book wholeheartedly. It is only by learning about our past that we can avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Thank you, NetGalley and Kids Can Press, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.