A review by lauriehnatiuk
Stealing Home by J. Torres

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.