Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, Illustrated by Dom Lee

Certain pieces of history sometimes pass us by. In this historical fiction piece, Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, Mochizuki makes us relive history from the perspective of a young Japanese American boy. Forced into Japanese American internment camps during World War II, "Shorty," the narrator, and other Japanese Americans encounter difficult internment camp conditions. To combat the isolation and monotony of the day, Shorty's dad comes up with the idea to construct a baseball diamond. Baseball serves as an outlet from the war. Shorty's baseball skills are limited at first, but he soon proves both to his fellow Japanese Americans and later to the outside world that he can succeed.

This inspiring story provides a unique look into the thoughts and feelings of Japanese Americans during World War II. It also makes the reader question what it means to be American. As Shorty's dad states, "...the government thinks we can't be trusted. But it's wrong that we're in here. We're Americans too." Stereotypes permeate and affect the lives of American citizens, especially in times of stress and conflict.

I found it interesting that Mochizuki puts an author's note at the beginning of this book explaining what internment camps were. This book can educate both young and old students because I know that I was not aware of the Japanese internment camps until high school history. In addition, the illustrations captured the internment camp environment accurately. On the copywrite page, it is noted that "Some of the illustrations were inspired by photographs taken by Ansel Adams of the Manzanar internment camp in 1943." One oil paint illustration in particular shows the humiliation suffered by Japanese Americans as they wait in line outside the barracks to eat or to use the bathroom. They lose their sense of dignity in the internment camps.

Baseball, then, becomes the catchall American sport that brings back the Japanese Americans' self-respect. It is the one highlight amidst the internment camps. I found it interesting that Mochizuki continues his story past the internment camps when Shorty returns to school. At school, he still suffers discrimination from his classmates for "looking different." Shorty's affiliation with baseball and his homerun, however, allow Shorty to reconnect and reunite with his classmates. The last image of Shorty's teammates congratulating and hugging him shows hope for a better day where race no longer matters, and we are all truly Americans.