Baseball Saved Us

Title: Baseball Saved Us
Author : Mochizuki,Ken
Illustrator: Lee, Dom
Publisher: LEE AND LOW BOOKS, 1993
Genre: Picture Book, Historical Fiction
Age Range: 2-4th grade
Awards: Lee and Low Award Winner, 1993 Parent's Choice Award

Summary: This book is about a young boy who is Japanese American. Baseball Saved Us is his story about being relocated to internment camps during WWII. He understands why he has been moved, but along with everyone else - doesn't like it. When his brother Teddy snaps at his father, his dad realizes it is time for a release. He gets almost everyone involved in building a baseball field. Since noone works, this is a great way to spend time and get their minds off of the situation at hand. During the championships the narrator looks up and sees the guard watching him. This angers him and the release of his anger ends up being a homerun ball that wins his team the championship! Once back at school, the narrator tries coping with being the only Japanese American on his baseball team. Teasing and tormenting are things he has to deal with. The book ends with him taking his anger out on another homerun ball!

Response: I think this book was a great portrayal of the times. It showed these Americans trying the make the best of of a horrible situation. I really enjoyed the pictures, too. I would have never guessed that beeswax, in conjunction with oils were used to make them. The picture that grabbed my attention the most was the one of the narrator sitting at the lunchtable eating all alone. He looks as if he could cry. If I were in his situation, I am sure I would cry. One of the big themes I pull out from this book is irony. Americans put their own kind in camps because they thought they may turn on them. It was funny to me that they chose baseball. I don't think you can get any more American than that! I also noticed that no one tried to fight back. I think it was really neat how this book really tried to pull out the best. I also like how it is told from a first person point of view. If you were reading this to younger children, it would give them a great perspective!

Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be a great supplement to any class studying war. In elementary school it could be read as a way for students to understand. Older children could get into more discussion about it, younger children could participate in some of the same abandonment activities we participated in. I think this would also be good to use in high school. Before reading this and Weedflower, I had no idea that Japanese Americans were even re-located. This could open some eyes! Social studies teachers could use it to go along with WWII, while English could supplement it with books like Night and Aleutian Sparrow. The more perspectives, the better!
-jeana