Baseball Saved Us - Historical Fiction

Baseball Saved Us

Author Ken Mochizuki

Illustrated by Dom Lee

Baseball Saved Us is a historical fictional story about Shorty, a young American-Japanese boy who is at an internment camp during WWII.  Baseball becomes his way of escaping his despondent surroundings. 

Shorty and his father decided to build a baseball diamond and form teams to boost moral in the camp.  Once out of camp, Shorty and others like him have to deal with being called a "Jap" and discriminated against. Once again, baseball helps him overcome these trials in his life.

The illustrations throughout the book have a sepia and almost old picture look that really accents the story.



   

History:

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, approximately 120,000 thousand Japanese Americans were sent to an internment camp. President Roosevelt enacted executive order 9066 which incarcerated people of Japanese decent. The government stated the reason was because they could not tell who was loyal to Japan.  It is interesting to note that not one of the detainees were ever proven to be a danger to America or involved in the attacks.

Author:

Ken Mochizuki's parents were sent to an internment camp in Idaho during World War II. He got his

inspiration for Baseball Saved Us from a magazine article about a Japanese American man

who built a baseball diamond and formed a league within the camps.

Annie's Thoughts:

It is my opinion that this book should be an essential part of every child’s education in both history and social studies.  The fact that thousands of American citizens were taken from their homes and detained should not be forgotten.  This book also has one rooting for the underdog in a positive way that shows hard work and determination pays off.

Classroom Ideas

This story would evoke many questions and thoughts about fairness, war, and discrimination.  I think students should feel free to write or draw in their journals after this story is read.

Many different baseball activities can be easily incorporated in this lesson.  Students can learn the history of baseball in America, the rules and basic instruction of the game, the mental and physical aspects, and teamwork.

Response Questions

The character's from this story were taken from their homes and placed in internment camps during WWII. Do you think this was fair for our government to do? Why or why not?

How do you think you would feel if this happened to you and your family?

References:

Lee & Low Books. Study Guide for Baseball Saved Us. Retrieved from:

http://www.leeandlow.com/images/pdfs/baseball.pdf

Reading is Fundamental. Guide for Educators Baseball Saved Us Retrieved from:

http://www.rif.org/documents/us/Baseball-Saved-Us_A-RIF-Guide-for-Educators.pdf