Baseball Saved Us

During World War II, a Japanese American boy and his family are sent to an internment camp in the desert. The dusty, barren camp becomes their new reality as they struggle with confinement and loss of freedom. The father decides to build a baseball field in the camp, bringing together the internees to create something meaningful. Baseball becomes central to daily life as both children and adults throw themselves into America's pastime despite their circumstances. The story follows the main character's journey through baseball, showing how sports can provide hope and purpose in difficult times. Baseball Saved Us demonstrates the resilience of Japanese Americans during internment while exploring themes of identity, belonging, and finding inner strength.

Readers appreciate this book for teaching children about Japanese internment camps through an accessible story that balances harsh realities with hope. Parents and teachers note it prompts meaningful discussions about prejudice and resilience. Readers highlight the authentic illustrations by Dom Lee and the straightforward writing style that makes complex history digestible for young readers. Many praise how baseball serves as an entry point to discuss discrimination. Some readers feel the narrative moves too quickly and could provide more historical context. A few mention the art style, while striking, may not appeal to all children. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (90+ ratings) Scholastic: 4.5/5 (30+ ratings) From a teacher on Amazon: "My students connected with the main character and asked thoughtful questions about this period in history." From a parent on Goodreads: "The book opened a natural dialogue with my kids about racism and standing up to unfair treatment."

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Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida A Japanese American family faces prejudice and hardship after Pearl Harbor as they are forced from their Berkeley home to an internment camp in Utah.

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📚 Author Ken Mochizuki drew from real experiences of Japanese Americans who built baseball fields in internment camps during World War II to cope with their imprisonment ⚾ The book's illustrator, Dom Lee, created the artwork using a unique technique involving beeswax applied to paper and scratched away with different tools 🏕️ At the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho, which inspired elements of the story, internees constructed multiple baseball fields and formed a 16-team league 👥 The main character is based on multiple interviews with former internment camp detainees who played baseball, including the author's own father 🎯 The book has been used extensively in schools since its 1993 publication to teach children about Japanese American internment, winning multiple awards including the Teachers' Choice Award from Learning Magazine