A Boy of Heart Mountain

by Barbara Bazaldua, Willie Ito (Illustrator), Shigeru Yabu (Narrator)

At the onset of WWII, nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in concentration camps.
Inspired by Shigeru Yabu's youthful camp experiences, "A Boy Of Heart Mountain" is a poignant coming-of-age story and a celebration of the human spirit under stress.

Genres: History, Audiobook, Nonfiction

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Andrea Cox]

This book was very realistic and gave a good idea of what it was like living in an internment camp during WWII. I love reading real-life stories about Americans who lived through tough times. It gives me hope for current-day living as well.

There was also a nice interview at the end of the audiobook.

Content: replacement profanity

[David]

For anyone familiar with democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 calling for the evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans at the start of World War II the story based on the life experiences of Shigeru Yabu as described in A Boy Of Heart Mountain by Barbara Bazaldua will not be surprising. Although FDR's EO also applied to selective German and Italian Americans, the numbers were nothing like the almost 120,000 Japanese Americans who were moved away from the coasts as a precaution against spies and saboteurs, there had been no such activity that warranted this action. The author does a good job in researching and presenting background information and using Shigeru Yabu's family experience as representing others who also lost everything and were taken advantage of by locals in their communities. Compared to other books on personal accounts of having their lives disrupted and being incarcerated in harsh and unpleasant conditions, I just didn't feel the same empathy for this coming of age in adversity story. It was definitely worth reading but I wasn't clear on the message other than EO-9066 was probably a mistake as there were no indications or incidents to support the premise.

[Nanci]

Although Shig and I live in the same town, I only met him when I was visiting Manzanar, where he was a docent. Through his book and his personal interactions with visitors at Manzanar, he has made sure the story of the camps be told. What resonated with me is the spirit of the Japanese internees in creating a strong and collaborative community despite the deplorable conditions.

[Darcie Saunier]

"The remarkable true story of a boy's resilience in the face of injustice. -- Goodreads" I disagree. I thought this book was way too lighthearted and made the incarceration of Japanese-Americans seem almost like just a mere inconvenience. Sure, the boy was angered by his situation and, yes, the family lost everything, and, well, the food was bad, but the boy was more upset by the death of his dog that he hadn't seen in months. For me, the story was just too "happy" and"we'll get through this." I wanted more.

[Lee]

A book for kids that tries to digest the complex issues that were involved in the stripping of the civil rights of American citizens of Japanese heritage. I liked it, but it was also confusing. It is narrated in first person by a woman who is not the author, but she adopt the child's voice. I was just really confused by how reliable the narrator was as a historical narrator. Still, worth the read, especially for kids.

[Kathy Gossen]

This story encompasses a part of American history that often seems swept under the rug. How my heart aches to read the way Americans treated Japanese Americans in WW2. Why? For their safety? Or fear? Either way, this is a great story to show a more complete history of WW2 for middle school or up. And it’s a good story of resilience and finding the positive even in the most destitute of situations.

[Randy Tramp]

Shigeru Yabu is a young Japanese boy. He and his family were relocated at a camp after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. (Heart Mountain, CA)

There are things in US history that are cruel. The relocation of Japanese Americans is one of those occurrences. They did nothing wrong but because of fear, they were treated like prisoners.

I loved experiencing this story. We can't forget history.

[Lisa Denford]

An interesting read. It’s spurred my interest to read more novels on this topic but I didn’t love the main character. I’m not sure of his character in real life but he came across as aggressive and bitter at his situation. Maybe a good comparative study for Experannza Rising, which embodies humility in fierce adversity.

Also there is a kissing scene at the very end.

[Gay]

This young person's book is a heartfelt story of the real experiences of a young Japanese boy during the time in the 1940's when people of Japanese descent near the West coast were sent to concentration camps.

It is humorous, sad, serious, and eye-opening.

I recommend it. my sis ter knows the young man who is the subject of the story.

[Chrimicha]

This is the true story of a Japanese boy who was sent with his family to a concentration camp in Heart Mountain Wyoming during world war II. It was so much more than I expected it would be. It really is a wonderful and very moving piece of literature.

[Jennifer Neuschwander]

This book was very good! It tells the true story of a Japanese-American boy who was sent with his parents to a relocation camp during WWII. I was moved by their spirit and determination to make the best of their terrible situation.

[Steve Fox]

I listened to this relatively short audio book about Japanese relocation camps in California during World War II. It's a youth novel, however it personalizes the reality of the cruelty American citizens have suffered at times in our relatively recent history.

[Saundra]

Important reading at any time, but especially now! I love when reading teaches me more about history, as difficult as it is to examine and try to understand.

[Laura Bee]

good book

[Diane Weaver]

This is a part of history that few people know about. It's a very touching story.

[Mary]

Very good book. Made me think, about how we treat others, especially today. Good perspective.

[Mary]

Audio. 3 1/2 stars.
A great story of a sad time in American history.

[Alnmo6]

A very interesting part of history and I really enjoyed how the author used the child's viewpoint to share this part of history. I also enjoyed it was based on a real person

[Amy]

As super heartfelt book and great history lesson.

[Linda]

A good memoir to help children understand what it was like growing up Japanese American during WW2 and being interned at a relation camp. Ideal for 4th-8th grade readers.

[Jody Kyburz]

I've been to Heart Mountain a couple of times. This is a great story of Japanese internment. We need lots of books like this so we can always do better.

[Megan]

3.5⭐️
We started listening in the car, but it was a slow start and the kids moved on to something else, so I finished it on my own.
This very much reminded me of We Are Not Free, with similar content about Japanese Interment camps during WW2. I appreciated that the boy's emotions were realistic. The book overall is on the lighter side, meant for middle grade, and yet the boy shows frustration with the unfairness of the situation.
I think it is a well done historical fiction, but I'll have to put it in my kids' paths again to see if I can spark their interest.

[Eli]

This is a book that I read when I was a kid. With everything going on, I thought I would see how it held up and how much it relates to today. It was an impactful book. You can tell the varied emotions of the time, but still, how hurtful it was to the Japanese community. It did focus pretty heavily in the first year after Pearl Harbor was bombed. But other than that, it was a great book. I wish that it were still in production so more kids could read it and learn about this awful event in our history, especially since so many of the themes resurface in today's political climate.

[Esther]

Interesting perspective of a difficult time for a middle school aged American boy with Japanese heritage.

[Mary Peble]

This is a simple but poignant biography of a young boy interned at a Japanese concentration camp during WW2. This would be a great book for parents and children to read together and discuss.

[Michele]

Got this book, courtesy of my father-in-law, who is the illustrator.

[Brooke's]

3.5 stars
I listened to the audiobook, which included an interview with the authors, which I enjoyed. Great story! I think this should be read in classrooms. I don't remember the internment camps ever being mentioned in history class when I was a kid. It is an ugly part of this country's history, but one we need to be educated about, to ensure it never happens again.

[Susie Dixon]

A horrible time for Japanese U.S. citizens told through the perspective and experiences of a young boy. The audiobook was read by the author (who was the young boy) and he gives a short interview at the end. Made it more personal. Very insightful. Made me think about the intensified horrors we are forcing people through today. We have not learned from our mistakes.