Blood Read

Graham Salisbury’s story of a young Japanese boy living in Hawaii surrounding the Pearl Harbor incident is a fairly solid read. It won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Although I wasn’t completely enthralled, I do have to admit (just like Number the Stars) has motivated me to learn more about WWII. Lowry’s story of WWII is through the lens of the Danish Resistance. Salisbury gives the reader a view of Pearl Harbor and the events surrounding that tragic day from the perspective of the many Japanese living in Hawaii whose loyalties to the U.S. was questioned. Many Japanese-Americans were imprisoned and killed due to ignorance and fear prevalent in the U.S. at this time. One can’t help but think of the fear and (often times) ignorance surrounding many Americans attitudes towards Muslims now. For discussion value alone, I would say this could deserve a place in a school library. Salisbury definitely taught me something…I just wished he could have also entertained me.