Module 7- Baseball Saved Us

Book Cover Image

Book Summary

In 1942, "Shorty" and his family were sent to live in an internment camp in the desert. It was hot in the day and cold at night. The man in the tower was always watching behind his dark sunglasses. This just added to the tension that everyone felt while living in these barracks. One day his dad started building a baseball field. Everyone pitched in. For the first time in his life, "Shorty" was not the shortest one on the team. He was able to hit the ball. Things were still hard, but baseball made it easier.

Written by Ken Mochizuki.
Illustrated by Dom Lee.

APA Reference of Book

Mochizuki, K. (1993). Baseball saved us. New York, NY: Lee & Low.

Impressions

This is a historical fiction story that not only conveys facts of the World War II era, but also shows the emotions involved for the Japanese-Americans. Mochizuki's descriptions show the reader that it was awful to move out of their homes and into the barracks. He shows how much it was changing them through the interactions between Shorty's dad and brother. The stories credibility is strong, especially when the describes Shorty sitting alone at a lunch table after returning back home. The illustrations in the book remind readers of the barbed-wire fence and dessert atmosphere. They beautifully capture the shading and tones of both the desert and the characters skin tones. 

Professional Review

Gr 2-4-- After briefly describing the way his family was removed from their home and sent to an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II, the narrator, ``Shorty,'' tells how baseball was used as a diversion from the dire situation in which the camp's inhabitants found themselves. After improvising a baseball diamond, uniforms, and equipment, they played games. In one of these contests, the usually weak-hitting Shorty catches a glimpse of one of the ever-present guards and channels his anger toward the man into his swing, resulting in a winning home run. After the war and his return home, he continues to play ball while at the same time being subjected to racial taunts, again refocusing his anger to produce positive results on the diamond. The sport plays a secondary role to the blatant racism depicted in this somber book. The paintings, scratchboard overlaid with oils, effectively reflect the tone of the story. Pair this powerful title with Hamanaka's The Journey (Orchard, 1990). 

Hurlburt, T. S. (1993). Baseball saved us. School Library Journal, 39(6), 84.

Library Uses

This book could be used in the high school library to begin a discussion of how the United States treated the Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This could compared to the way that the United States used the Patriot Act to protect us after the tragedies of 9/11.