Falling into the Dragon's Mouth

by Holly Thompson, Matt Huynh (Illustrator)

In a Japanese seaside neighborhood lives Jason

a sixth grader
one year older than his classmates
a stinking foreigner to some classmates
an orange belt in aikido
a big brother

Jason Parker is just a boy trying to get through his days with calm and courage. If only everyone around him would let him.

This is a beautifully spare novel in verse about one boy's life--a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to fit in.

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Fiction, Coming Of Age

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2016

About the author

Holly Thompson (www.hatbooks.com) is a longtime resident of Japan originally from Massachusetts. A graduate of the NYU Creative Writing Program, she writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction for children through adults. She is author of the verse novels Falling into the Dragon's Mouth, The Language Inside, and Orchards; the picture books Listening to Trees: George Nakashima, Woodworker; One Wave at a Time; Twilight Chant and The Wakame Gatherers, and the novel Ash. She compiled and edited Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction—An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories, a collection of 36 Japan-related short stories, including ten in translation. Holly teaches writing in Japan and the U.S. and visits schools worldwide.

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was both easy to read, because it's in verse, and hard because it brings alive the nightmare of every expat parent in Japan, if not every parent in the world -- a bullied child.

Jason Parker is a likeable American kid forced to attend public school in Japan because his parents, who work at universities, can't afford to send him to one of the pricey international schools. Because of his differences, he is relentlessly abused by the worst of his classmates.

Not all of the Japanese kids are bad, however, and Jason gets some relief through his practice of aikido, where he is treated with respect, and in hanging out with his spirited younger sister.

While never preachy, Thompson suggests ways of coping with being different, such as the international study group that meets once a week outside of school, and the friendships that Jason forges with outsiders, like the elderly man suffering from Parkinson's who teaches him to play a traditonal Japanese game. This novel also offers insights on more benign aspects of Japanese culture.

This may be the book that many expat parents in Japan have been waiting for, but it would also lend itself well to class discussion in other countries, such as the United States, where bullying occu

[Emily Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just spent the morning reading Holly Thompson's latest verse novel, Falling Into the Dragon's Mouth. Of course I'm biased, but she really is amazing. Her spare, beautiful verse writing deftly captures and conveys so much - emotion, relationships, messages, scenery, culture. It is truly a masterwork, being simultaneously a deep and meaningful look at hideous bullying and also a page-turning quick read. I heartily recommend the book to all elementary and middle school children and teachers - but also to anyone looking for a great read!

[Adrian P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was boring but it taught a few lessons.

[Boyan Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't think that bullying was so bad, did a bit of research, turns out it is. Also it was a tad bit boring on some bits.

[Xinyi Yang]

I think this a very interesting book, because whole of the book was from the first person perspective, I think this is not a important point, the plot of story was very important, the plot was very nice and interesting ."I" , who was the protagonist in the book ,the story was happen in the Japan ans he comes from America, so we can see a American how to think Japan, how to live in Japan, and following he to study some knowledge about daily habits and custom of japan, and following he to be accustomed to Japanese live. In the book we can see a person like real , he has a realistic reaction when or after he do or see some thing. Have a details was take about the protagonist , who remissly take away the important paper and he were feel very fear and don't have courage to talk people truth, so he put this wrong to other people, who doesn't know anything about this. This part let me felt how deep hurt and how serious consequence for other one, yourself and whole of thing about this. I think some one like to read some interesting thing in daily life of other will like to read this kind book.

[Barry Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason is American who living Japan. In his class, he's in a group call Han 6 but the kids on Han 6 aren't friends with Jason and also be really mean to him, even though Jason didn't saying anything about he's bullying by his classmate to anyone so the things keep going worse. Jason has a little sister, Cora, she is a smart girl who can understand how to help others and she really trust Jason so she always listen to Jason. Their parents are really busy so they don't have much time to take care their kids. The teacher on Jason's school aren't good because they don't have any help to the kids who from others country and also don't have any known about what Jason's situation so it make Jason didn't have much help form them.I like the writing style of this book something like use some story to be the metaphor about what's gonna happen next. This book something feel good and also something really bad about what happen on Jason but it's a really awesome book but in my opinion the end of this book i don't really like it.

[Roua · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is very excited and realistic , at first I was told myself maybe they hit him because he is mean, but when I read the book it was Conversely like he want to be nice to them but they don´t like someone be nice with them. So when a keep reading I was feel sad about Jason they did a lot of troubles to him, and the thing make me sad a lot is when they hit him and he did not do anything to them no one like that. I was ask myself questions why he did not hit they like they do? why he did not told his parents what they did to them? what Jason feel? what will happen next? a lot of questions in my mind was. I recommend everyone read it because it is a lot things happen part of book sad and then excited and then it happen something make us happy, so I thing all people will like this book.

[Nazk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this book but not really because it kind of lot of thinking about different stories and then I was how my reaction is good feeling about it and have a lot of feeling, reaction,bad things, and good things happened. It was about a friendship in the school which kind about a different characters and opinions and their characters its kind of strong.and about how is be connection to our teachers also help each others,Sometimes they are try it to fixed their problems and then that happened with me in the life so about how they find the reason,rules,evidences.Sometimes that's happened with me especially a bad feeling it's make me not good for me.

[Noorulhuda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.it is on fire I like the writing style .It is never makes you boring or fall in the sleep.Because it is short and writing as poetry and actually the way how to show the action of characters. However the the characters they called Han six are mean to Jason they did all kinds of mean things to Jason. Just because he is different and his Japan's not to much good.I wonder why the school do not control the mean kids. If you want to know if the mean kids stop to do the mean thing.You better to read it.

[Ali Aalyassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is one of the best books i have read , the story is about bullying and bullying is a really comment thing that happen to kids , the character called Jason he moved from u.s.a to japan he,s japanese in not that good, and some times in the book he talk about he,s accent and how he saying the words in Japanese , its a great story for kids and adults , if you have ever get bulled or not it will give an experience of what it means to get bulled and what it fell to be a different person from all the people around you, and how people can change even if they are dreadful .

[Junghyun Yoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is little bit hard to me.

It doesn't have picture and hard to feel characters(jason and friends) feel so I try to remind the important part and imagine the situation on my head.

and I give 4 star of this book cause this book hard to me it's true but the hard level helping me up grade my english skill and this book has characters are got on their story. It's to be intersting

also good story and good word in there that's the reason why I give 4 star for this.

I hope many people read to this book.

[Rana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the story of boy named Jason and he is an American boy living in Japan and he is living in a family of father mother and little sister named Cora and has Japanese is not that good he went to school named dragons mouth and in this story he will try to get the bully stop from Hurt him and he his group named hun six yohe Go and Shonta they they trying to Hurt Jason and what would Jason do for the Han six ? Does he will be there friend ~or he would try to get them in trouble? And now you wall see lots of hard times that Jason in

[Abdulrahman Hussein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very interesting to read.This book is about a boy who live in japan, In his class he is in to a group call Han 6 but the kids are not friendly at all and they so mean to Jason, however, all the time Jason don't do anything. One of his bast friend betray him because of the Han 6 kids . For example when you read the book there is different story in the book you will know when you read the book.the book was written an easy to read, I was feeling sad for Jason.I love to read more book like this one (=

[Taha Abuzokhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is not bad, it's a kid moved from the U.S. to Japan cause he's father has a new job, and he went to the school and had an enemies before friends, some times he feel happy like when he drank the tea with the old man, and some times he feel sad when the other students harassment him.

I chose 3 stars cause the book has no pictures and the events in the book are so long, and there are no paragraphs are summarized.

[Sakshi Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought this book same time it make me sad and same time it make simle because we have han 6 in the jason school. they are really mean to him because jason don't know japens at all because his from USA his at japan right now so his trouble speaking japens in school so then han 6 are then starting making sad to him that your not japens and your american. they always making fun of him.

[Isla H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is really good and interesting and has a lot of mystery and you wonder what is happing next and who did that and stuff like that.

[Naman S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book because it did not make any sense, it was boring and it made harder for me.

[Zianh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason have mean friends they name Han6 and yohei,they mean to jason meany time. Jason feels like they brok him with a hammer.
I like this book because the word was novel in verse because wane I see this way I thing it,s easy for me.

[Mandy Perret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the poetry and the idea of an American Living in Japan post war but the bullying scenarios felt overdone. I would have liked to know more about the characters and how they ended up there.

[James Gui · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book but the start of the book was a little confusing, I didn't understand it well and it was boring.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over seventy percent of young people say they have encountered bullying in their schools—as victim, offender or bystander. The Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education defined bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated or has a high likelihood of repetition. But bullying is not a problem only in the United States.

As Holly Thompson so powerfully and effectively portrayed female bullying—bullying by exclusion, spreading rumors, and meanness ("Mean Girls")—in her verse novel Orchards, she portrays the more physical and verbal abusive bullying of males in Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth.

Jason Parker is a fifth grade American boy living and attending school in Japan where he is different—and bullied for being different. He has redefined “friend” as anyone who doesn’t punch or kick him or refer to him as a “stinking foreigner.” Near the end of the school year Jason is placed in a group, or han, with five of the meanest kids in the class. What follows is relentless bullying, and the reader sees the importance of telling an adult, but not just any adult. The teacher has to be aware of what is going on, and Jason is afraid that his parents will make it worse. He is hoping to last until his parents can afford to send him to the international school.

With the support of his little sister, two new friends outside school—an older man with Parkinson’s disease and a teen who quit school because of the bullying, his English group, and aikido, Jason perseveres until the bullies “play” the choking game and Jason’s parents and the school finally become involved. Jason’s aikido instructor explains “…we need to train so that we sense danger in order to avoid it” but also warns him “the world is full of all kinds of people and some of them are a bit lost” (308-309).

In short lyrical free-verse lines, the reader learns about Japanese culture but also the trials of being perceived as different in any culture. The reader experiences the effects of bullying on children and the importance of effectively stopping and preventing bullying but also becomes aware of the dilemmas involved with trying to end bullying. I found myself frustrated that Jason did not tell his parents, but then I am an adult. I also was disturbed that his teacher ignored all the signs, but I have learned that this is too often true. In fact, Jason wants to change the rule that allows teachers to hit students.

An effective study of bullying would be for a class to either read both Orchards and Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth to gain different perspectives and begin conversations on the different types of bullying, or for half a class to read one, or to combine these novels with other books on bullying that I reviewed in “Books to Begin Conversations about Bullying” [http://www.yawednesday.com/blog/books...], adding Gordon Korman’s Restart which I had not yet read.

[Sydney Arndorfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy, but interesting read. This book is written entirely in verse, which I was initially skeptical about as I began reading this story. However, the writing flows very nicely and part-way through the book, I could not imagine the story being written in any other manner. It is written from the perspective of a sixth grade American boy, Jason Parker, detailing his experiences after his family has moved to Japan. He attends a local Japanese public school and within this school, he regularly faces physical and verbal abuses from several of his Japanese peers. Throughout the story, Thompson's writings make it clear that these abuses against Jason, however, are not committed by all of his Japanese peers, but rather the students within his select classroom group known as Han 6. This book observes the ramifications of bullying and strategies Jason employs to cope including adventuring with his smart younger sister Cora, attending his international study group, practicing aikido, and even befriending an older man who is suffering from Parkinson's disease. This book was a great introduction to some basic elements of Japanese culture and it includes a glossary, cultural guide, and further resources for any reader that is interested in further exploring topics discussed within the book. This book is well worth the read and I would highly recommend it to anyone that finds these topics of interest!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Parker, Japanese-American lives in a small seaside town with his parents who teach. He has to do sixth grade again because of different rules, but his age doesn't help him be any safer from bullies who want the power over him. This verse novel with a strong voice leads us into Jason's story with so many tense moments, showing Jason's courage and strong wish to learn to be calm. I kept wanting help the teacher "see". Jason keeps quiet and hopes too that the teacher notices how terrible he's being treated. He has friends, but they only can help after school. The book gives a glimpse of this culture and traditions, the wise and the different ways from here in America. There are good developed characters that Jason counts on, too. The poetry/prose tells just what the reader wants to know in lean wording and both lovely and harsh images. Here is one sample from a night experiencing a typhoon: "Cora comes up to my bunk/and in the typhoon night/things rattle, crash/smash, slam/and groan." There’s a glossary, a cultural guide & further resources about bullying. Reading aloud with a group will bring questions and conversation that hopefully will help those who feel alone and unsafe.

[Swizzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to the poetic presentation, this makes for a very fast read. At first, I was somewhat put off by the setup of the lines, but don't let that steer you away from the story. It serves to fragment Jason's thoughts well and reads like a 6th grader might think.

When many people think of Japan, they don't often know about the discrimination foreigners face. It's especially difficult to take when one is from American roots where the country was founded on the idea of being a diverse melting pot. The struggles of Jason and his sister Cora to integrate with their classmates is very real and Holly Thompson does an excellent job of illustrating the troubles of growing up as a foreigner in Japanese schools such as the "hands off" approach to classroom discipline, general passive attitudes, and the difficulty adapting to the language. Despite the negative experiences, there are a few friendships Jason makes between an older boy bullied out of school (Daiki) and an elderly man with Parkinson's (Takemura) that pepper in some poignant scenes showing true Japanese hospitality.

Loved the inclusion of the glossary, guide to pronunciation, cultural guide, and web resources at the back of the book.

One thing I would have liked to see more of would have been positive interactions between Jason and his peers and how well-received Jason and Cora's business proposition might have been.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of bullying set in Japan. Having worked with exchange teachers from Japan, I remember that one of the problems they faced in their classrooms back home was bullying. This story is about an American boy who lives in Japan facing bullying because he is different. The pacing will keep kids reading. The escalation of the bullying will keep them reading, as well. This novel in verse will attract reluctant readers, too. The exploration of Japanese culture is interesting but may be too foreign for anyone who hasn't visited Japan. It may take some discussion to help American students understand the Japanese school and cultural dynamic.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the book was basically about a boy who is not from Japanese and was every time been bullied by the Japanese student in the local school, but he always gets to survive there and try his best to solve the problem. He has a little sister that hate the kindergarten she was in because the kids were weird for her and she doesn't want to play with them, but for him, it's the opposite he wanted to have a friend so he doesn't get bullied, then he had a best friend in Japan school, still it didn't work out well, because later on he betrayed him, so it was really bad...........

[Viola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes I think that this book is good. It talks about a Japanese seaside neighborhood lives someone called Jason Parker and his family. He is a sixth grader, one year older than his classmates, a stinking foreigner to some classmates, an orange belt in aikido, big brother.
He is just a boy trying to get through his days with calm and courage. If only everyone around him would let him.
I think that this is a beautifully written spare novel in verse about one boy's life--a story related with anyone who has ever struggled to fit in.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had the opportunity to read several fabulous young adult novels this year. Thompson's story about a sixth grade American boy in Japan is powerful! It focuses upon his being bullied in school and how it escalates. His savior, his six-year-old sister Cora, also a victim of bullying in a more subtle way, bring about an effective change.

Its poetic style writing enhances the story, making it flow!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has ever felt threatened by a bully, this is a book not to be missed. Jason, a sixth grade American living in Japan, gives voice to the horrors that can go on behind the scenes in any school, leaving kids feeling alone and scared. Author Holly Thompson provides a variety of solutions by showing how Jason deals with these bullies. Although the lengths to which Jason’s bullies take their violence is terrifying, it makes a compelling read which is hard to put down.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because of my love of novels in verse. I think it works well for the story here, which tells of a boy bullied for being a foreigner in his Japanese classroom. There are other things happening as well, but this is mainly a bullying story. I felt a little like it ended too quickly after the bullying came to a head, but overall, it was a decent read.