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A Diamond in the Desert

A Diamond in the Desert

Current price: $7.99
Publication Date: February 7th, 2013
Publisher:
Puffin Books
ISBN:
9780142424377
Pages:
272

Life in the Japanese internment camp at Gila River wasn't exactly easy or comfortable, but his love of baseball allows 12-year-old Tetsu to forget, however briefly, how much he misses his home, his dog, and his father. Fitzmaurice weaves a great story told from Tetsu's point of view and with all of the attention span of a young boy -- some topics continue for pages, while other observations are brief and to the point. Based on interviews and true events, this story is a good introduction to the topic of Japanese internment during WWII, and demonstrates that baseball is truly an American pastime.

Rachel Dunham, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CA
kids Kids Indie Next List

Description

Twelve-year-old Tetsu eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. It’s all he ever thinks about. But after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tetsu and his family are forced from their home into an internment camp in the Arizona desert with other Japanese Americans, and baseball becomes the last thing on his mind. The camp isn’t technically a prison, but it sure feels like one when there’s nothing to do and no place to go. So when a man starts up a boys’ baseball team, Tetsu is only too eager to play again. But with his sister suddenly falling ill, and his father taken away for questioning, Tetsu is forced to choose between his family and his love of the game.

About the Author

Kathryn Fitzmaurice (www.kathrynfitzmaurice.com) is also the author of The Year the Swallows Came Early. She lives with her husband, two sons, and her dog, Holly, in Monarch Beach, California.

Praise for A Diamond in the Desert

Praise for A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice:

"Moving the story forward with fluid language and vivid imagery, Fitzmaurice hits home with this important piece of historical fiction." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A solid, affecting choice for multicultural and WWII studies, with resources for student research appended." —Booklist

"This book provides a striking glimpse at internment camp life and would fit well with the study of World War II or human rights." —Library Media Connection