In this historical fiction book, Toyo Shimada is a first year at his new boarding school. School is rough for him because the seniors get amusement from beating up the first years and tormenting them. Toyo's father and uncle are both samurai and before Toyo starts school, he has to help his uncle commit seppuku, (suicide). Toyo sees that his school has a baseball team and he wants to join but the seniors say girls can't join the team. Toyo tried and tries but never convinces the seniors to let him on the team. His father teaches him the way of the samurai, called Bushido. This helps Toyo focus and play better to make the team. He teaches the team Bushido and they become good enough to beat an American team which is like winning the Super Bowl ten times in a row. But how does this affect Toyo's relationship with his father? His father does not like baseball, and thinks it is a disgrace for his son to play it. But will he change his mind?? I love baseball and books about history so this was a very good book for me to read. I read through this book in like three days so I wish it was longer, because I didn't want to put it down. Anyone who enjoys history, baseball, and some humor in a book should totally pick this one up and give it a try. This is definitely a five star book.
This is a must read book. I'm glad I read it.
2 comments:
Terif review, cubby! Makes me want to read it as I love books about Japanese culture. As for other books on baseball, have you ever read "Choosing Up Sides" by John Ritter? It is very, very good, and we have it in the library....
Thanks for the great review! And John Ritter's The Boy Who Saved Baseball is great too--but it's contemporary. Oh, and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy isn't ABOUT baseball, but it has some really good baseball scenes in it, and it's historical. Enjoy!
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