Stealing Home

by J. Torres, David Namisato (Illustrations)

When a boy struggles after moving to a Japanese internment camp during WWII, baseball shows him another way to approach life.

Sandy Saito is a happy boy who reads comic books and is obsessed with baseball—especially the Asahi team, the pride of his Japanese Canadian community. But when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, his life, like that of every other North American of Japanese descent, changes forever. His family is forced to move to a remote internment camp, and his father must spend months away from them. Sandy, his mother and his brother cope as best they can with the difficulties at the camp. Over time, Sandy comes to realize that life is a lot like baseball. It's about dealing with whatever is thrown at you, however you can. And it's about finding your way home.

In this emotionally gripping graphic novel, J. Torres has artfully woven a fictional story into a historically accurate, thoroughly researched account of the events surrounding the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II. Using the approachable graphic novel format, the story of this grave chapter in North American history is gently told with sensitivity and insight, and the theme of baseball runs through the story as a message of hope and renewal. The time and place are evocatively rendered in David Namisato's detailed sepia-toned art. Along with its links to social studies and history lessons, this book offers a perfect lead-in to discussions about differences, inclusion and empathy, and about why this history is relevant today. The book includes extended background information in an afterword by Susan Aihoshi and resources for learning more.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Sports, Fiction, Comics

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2021

About the author

Comic book writer whose credits include the Eisner Award nominated Alison Dare, the YALSA listed Days Like This and Lola: A Ghost Story, as well as Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Love as a Foreign Language and Teen Titans Go, which garnered him a Shuster Award.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Historical Fiction Middle Grade Graphic Novel. This book follows a young Japanese boy that lives in Canada. This book takes place during WWII right after Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. I loved the pictures in this Graphic Novel because it takes you back to that time period. This book is written in away that Middle Grade readers can understand how hard it was during this time period without upsetting the readers to much. I loves that the boy we follow loves baseball because the main characters love of baseball help tell the story without overwhelming the young readers. This was a great Graphic Novel. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kids Can Press) or author (J. Torres) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical graphic novel for middle school aged children about how Japanese-Canadians were forced into Relocation Camps after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I had no idea that Canadians followed the U.S. in this shameful practice of forcing these people out of their homes and into shacks in abandoned ghost towns in middle of nowhere.

The story is written from the perspective of Sandy Saito, the oldest son of a doctor. His father is always busy and has little time to play catch with his sons. Sandy's world revolves around baseball and his family, even after being moved to the camps. Torres capably handles the story in such a way that kids can understand what happened without getting scared or freaked out. The art is very good as well.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the best work I have read by J.Torres, illustrated by David Namisato, about how the Canadian government--in addition to the US--"interned" Japanese families after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I did not know that Canada also participated in these shameful acts. Families lost their belongings and their homes. The story is set in British Columbia, focused on Sandy Saito, who was obsessed with baseball, mainly BC's Vancouver Asahi team. I have also read two or three picture books that focus on how interned (imprisoned) Japanese families created baseball leagues as a way of creating some form of escape.

Because it focuses on how the process impacted one family--Sandy's Dad is a doctor--it is pretty moving.

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve read George Takei’s memoir “They Called Us Enemy”, you know how unfair life was to the Japanese-Americans after the Pearl Harbor attacks. “Stealing Home” gives us a similar glimpse but with a couple of minor yet significant changes. It tells us the story of the reshuffling of Japanese-Canadians after the attacks, and it is aimed at middle-graders instead of at adults. These two changes make the grim topic appear hopeful.

We meet Sandy, a huge baseball fan, who stays with his parents and younger brother in Vancouver. After the bombing of the Pearl Harbor, life turns upside down for them. Having to leave almost everything behind after they are made to shift to transit camps in remote areas, Sandy still tries to make the best of the situation. But what he misses the most is baseball, and what finally makes him feel better is baseball’s re-entry in his life. The book also touches upon his complicated relationship with his doctor-father.

The graphics in this book are quite simplistic and sepia-toned. This helps create a nostalgic flavour to the story.

As an essential part of Canadian history, this book serves very well to enlighten modern youngsters about the travesties of the past. Thought the topic is dark, the author does his best to keep the content child-friendly. The only thing I felt could have been better was the end. While I get the point about baseball being the be-all and end-all for Sandy, I sure would have liked to know what happened next in the internment camp. The ending felt incomplete. In spite of this, I will recommend the book wholeheartedly. It is only by learning about our past that we can avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kids Can Press, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.




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[greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a quick read set in one of the most tragic times in human history - WWII. i love everything that's related to this period so no wonder i picked this graphic novel up!
it was more of a story about the relationship between a child and his father & also baseball so if u love baseball - u will love this more than i did cuz i don't really care about sports 😂 also this was set on a camp which just brought the memories of what people told on the internet about what they actually endured there... i do recommend reading this!

[Ankita Goswami · Rating 4 out of 5]

A NetGalley ARC.

This was quite an emotional read. The story wonderfully highlights the pain of displacement within a country one calls their own, and the loss of a "home", your comfort zone. I didn't have any prior knowledge of the repercussions of the Pearl Harbour attack on the Japanese already living in the US and Canada, so this story provided a much-needed perspective on the Second World War that I haven't read about in literature.

I only wish the book was slightly longer and went deeper into the displacement issue.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more. I have not read many stories of what the Canadian version of the Japanese Internment was like, but from this book, I would take it that it was just as bad as it waas in the states.

And perhaps I was spoiled by reading George Takai's autobiographical account of what the camps were like in his excellent graphic novel "They called us Enemy".

And I realize that this is trying to show how Baseball make it easier to endure.

But with such a buildup, why stop with them playing the game? It is almost as if the author said, ok, it's all ok now, and nothing more to see here.

But, if this is to show the hardships that the Japanese Canadians went through, then that works. But, there should have been more to the book than this.

Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.

[natsuki jam #1 fan • wari · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is by far one of the best graphic novels i’ve ever had the pleasure of reading! it had a lot of heart, strength and courage woven intricately into each page. it tackles some heavy topics and it shows us how staying hopeful and making the best out of a bad situation can help us through some tough times in our lives. i definitely recommend this to someone who is after a graphic novel that will make you feel a whole bunch of emotions at once.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few graphic novels now about internment camps, and I would say this may be the most friendly to young audiences I've seen—especially for any kids who enjoy baseball or sports in general. It focuses more on family, baseball, and the main character's father, and less on the uglier aspects of internment camps than other books I've read on the topic, but still portrays them clearly enough to drive home the fact that these camps were a cruel treatment of innocent people in North America's recent history.

I thought the art was stunning and the story was incredibly engaging, and felt like it could easily have been nonfiction instead of historical fiction. I'd highly recommend Stealing Home to anyone who enjoys historical graphic novels, especially young readers who aren't familiar with the WWII internment camps!

✨ Representation: main characters and most side characters are Japanese

✨ Content warnings for: racism, bullying, imprisonment, mentions of war, illness, death, separation of families

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[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


I have always been interested in stories from the WWII, so when I saw this graphic novel I just had to click that request button. I haven’t read a lot of books about the internment camps for Japanese/Asian people, they aren’t so easy to find. So I was eager to read this one.

In this one we meet a boy and his family. We see how the dad works as a doctor and is barely there, which I found just sad. I mean, I understand he has to work, but the kids were constantly disappointed. They went to grab their stuff to play ball and then dad would have an emergency.
Yep, a big theme in this book is baseball. They are fans of Asahi team. I loved seeing the MC play baseball, exercise with his dad (if he was there) or with his little brother (who wasn’t so good). Throughout the graphic novel we will see that baseball will keep playing a big role for our MC, and I definitely like this. The MC himself was a pretty great character.

Things were looking pretty OK at the beginning… but then things quickly went south. Pearl Harbour is bombed and we see how that affects the Japanese/Asian community. People are mean to them (even friends in class). We read of internment camps. That was pretty shocking as those camps, in the beginning and maybe just at a lot of places, were little more than tents, or tons of people stuffed together. It was heartbreaking to see families broken apart, sickness spreading, worries growing.

Then it is time for our family to move to such a camp. I was at least thankful for them that the camp was houses. Not really good houses, but at least something to keep them warm/protected. The way the camp worked was interesting to read (I hope that is the right word, my mind also tries to find another word but it is not coming out). We see how our family tries to make the best of it. I was totally happy when they met up with the dad again.

The book gets interested and interested (and at times very sad or harrowing), but sadly, the ending was just way too soon in my eyes. It felt more like a chapter ending instead of a graphic novel ending. It just came out of nowhere and I feel that much more could have been said and done. Or maybe at least make it feel natural. Because of the ending I am rating this book a tad lower, from 4.5 to 4 stars.

The art was really nice, I like the style.

All in all, I am glad I have read this book. It was an interesting look in what happened in America to Japanese/Asian people. It is just heartbreaking that these people, even after the war, had to fight so hard to be accepted again. To find a home. To find jobs. To find a place to belong.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Jaclyn Hillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great look at the Japanese Canadian experience during WWII; a perspective I hadn't read about before. I love how this book is targeted towards younger readers, but even as an adult, (hopefully) you can sympathize with the main character Sandy. Baseball is life, and I'm glad baseball provided the hope they needed in order to survive the camp.

[Shafira Indika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baguus!! Bikin nangis (dikit) bacanya.

Historical fiction selalu menarik perhatianku. Kalo pas pelajaran sejarah aku jadi tau peristiwa-peristiwa besar dalam sejarah, melalui historical fiction aku jadi tau cerita lain di peristiwa besar tersebut. Cerita yang lebih detail lagi, yang fokus pada dampaknya ke kehidupan manusia biasa yang ga terlibat apa-apa dalam peperangan.

Seperti halnya graphic novel ini.

Awalnya cmn iseng utak atik Libby karena kebetulan baru regist library card NYPL, berujung nemu buku ini. Emang niatannya lagi pengen cari graphic novel sihh karena kalo beli buku fisik kan tentunya cenderung mahal. Pas baca sinopsisnya langsung tertarik.

"Stealing Home" bercerita tentang seorang anak laki-laki namanya Sandy Saito. Dia ini keturunan Jepang dan tinggal di Amerika. Sandy sangat suka baseball. Dia suka main lempar-tangkap sama ayahnya. Dia juga punya tim favorit. Semua itu berubah dengan peristiwa pengeboman Pearl Harbour oleh Jepang. Gerakan orang-orang berkebangsaan dan keturunan Jepang mulai dibatasi. Ada batas jam beraktivitas—ini menyulitkan ayah Sandy yang merupakan seorang dokter. Ada juga penyitaan(?) barang-barang yang mereka miliki seperti TV dan mobil.

Hingga puncaknya, Sandy beserta adiknya dan ibunya terpisah dari ayahnya dan mereka dikirimkan ke camp. Bentuknya ga kyk tenda pengungsian gitu sihh, lebih kyk rumah tapi bukan rumah gituloh. Disini disebutnya shack. Disana gaada listrik dan air mengalir. Beda jauh lah sama kehidupan Sandy di rumahnya yang dulu. Tapi mau gamau ia harus tinggal disana.

Buku ini tipis, hanya 116 halaman. Di beberapa halaman terakhir ada tambahan penjelasan dari penulis. Menurutku buku ini recommended sih! Buat kalian yang lagi reading slump atau butuh bacaan yang singkat dan tipis-tipis aja atau tentunya kalian yang suka historical fiction, wajib coba baca buku ini! Aku pinjem di Libby sihh, kurangtau apakah di scribd ada juga atau ngga:(

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle look at the internment of Canadian citizens of Japanese descent during World War II through the eyes of a young boy. I am very familiar with how it occurred in the United States, so it was interesting to get a glimpse at how it played out in mostly the same manner to the north.

It's a good introduction to the subject for children, but it might have dwelled a bit more on the negative consequences and the aftermath. Instead it kind of stops in the middle of the period of incarceration with a happy ending of sorts by zeroing on the boy's relationship with his father instead of the bigger picture.

[Andrea Pole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stealing Home by J. Torres is the heartbreaking story of a young Canadian boy who is sent to a Japanese internment camp during WWII. Sandy Saito is a happy child, whose passion in life is baseball, specifically the Asahi team that are the pride of his Japanese Canadian community. But his idyllic life in Canada changes drastically following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour, and Sandy soon realizes that life will never be the same for his family. Separated from his father, a doctor, whose skills have taken him to where he is most needed, Sandy spends his days longing for a time when the two could bond over their shared passion for baseball.

This is such an important story in Canada's history and the details, while difficult to fathom, are clearly well-researched and presented with great understanding and sensitivity. I would recommend this book most highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for an ARC.

[Nicole (book.quill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly sanitized kids version of the American made Japanese internment camps, it does a decent job capturing the events using a kid and baseball as the viewpoint. It lacked the emotional impact I was expecting but still worked very well as an intro to the history for the age group

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. This was such a unique perspective on WWII, the Japanese internment camps, and how baseball was used to boost morale. I loved learning about the Asahi baseball teams (being a giant baseball family, this was right up my alley), while also peering into the Japanese-Canadians experiences after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

These experiences always hurt my heart to hear about, but so so important to read about as well. The graphic novel formatting was done very beautifully and the artwork was superb.

*Thanks to the folks at Netgalley for an eARC*

[Musharrat Zahin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a free advance copy in an exchange for an honesty review.

This middle-grade graphic novel tells the story of how the aftermath of Pearl Harbor affected the Japanese community in Canada. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese xenophobia had been spreading for decades throughout Latin America, often influenced by U.S. attitudes and actions. It affected the life of our main protagonist, Sandy's too. Japanese Canadians were treated unjustly and were kept inside internment camps. They suffered the pain of break-ups in which the men, women, and children were sent to different camps and endured the disrespect and hostility of Canadians for their Japanese origin.

Although internment camps were associated with little freedom and the constant displeasure of being guarded, the Japanese were treated civilly. Despite the poor quality of their housing, they did have a roof above their heads. Sandy loves to play Baseball with his father, but his father has so many important duties more than playing. Sandy realizes, his life is also like 'Baseball'. The illustrations are absolutely magical and the writing is lyrical.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply moving story inspired by the author’s parents’ and grandparents’ forced incarceration in camps in B.C.’s Interior after Pearl Harbour, because of racism. The main character’s and others’ spirits are raised through playing and watching baseball, which is instituted in the camp after the hard work of settling in to poorly constructed shacks. This forcible confinement was one among many shameful acts committed by the Canadian government against its non-white residents.
The story is told with sensitivity and educates, and also shows how baseball united and sustained the camp residents.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many books about Japanese Internment during World War II, but this might be the first I've read that focuses on the internment in Canada. I thought this was a fantastic read. I found myself riveted from the first page, which I found surprising because typically I don't enjoy stories that revolve around sports.

The story is told from the perspective of Sandy, just your average baseball-obsessed American boy in 1941. His father is always busy, but they both share a love of baseball that helps them to connect. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, everything changed.

See my full review here: http://historybookbybook.com/Stealing...

[Morgan Gariepy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of George Takei's "They Called Us Enemy," but for a younger audience and from a Canadian perspective.

[Suhasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant, bleak and saddening story of a family uprooted from their home by the government of a country they called their own.
The sepia style illustrations gives you a sense of authenticity in this historically accurate fiction graphic novel.
This one is not just about the war, it's also about human endurance, life and baseball.

"Baseball was more than a sport to us. It was about dealing with whatever is thrown your way, however you can. Baseball is about finding your way home. It's a metaphor for life"

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a book teaches me something totally new. I did not know Canada put Japanese in camps during WWII. I also learned about the Japanese baseball teams. I think this was a 4.5 for me.

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 Hello Book Friends! STEALING HOME by author J. Torres and illustrator David Namisato is a beautiful and emotional graphic novel. I requested a copy for review because I was interested to know more about this historical event that took place in British Columbia, Canada. Although I was born in Canada, my education was very Québec centric, and I hate to admit that I am still learning about major events that happened in other parts of my country. This graphic novel is about the mistreatment of Japanese-Canadians after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. This is not a proud Canadian moment. We learn from our mistakes, let’s hope that this will never happen again. The story is well delivered, and the illustrations are out of this world.

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[Norma ☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this!

This is the story of a Canadian Japanese family during World War II, following in the specific a young boy named Sandy who likes football, playing it with his dad and a Japanese baseball team called Asahi.
After the events of Pearl Harbor all of Japanese living in Canada were forced to move to remote internment camp and then is were Sandy and his family life changes forever.

I really like this graphic novel and the story it tells!
Honestly I knew very little about the events in it and it was really interesting to read a different side of the history I already was familiar with.

[Curious Madra · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was easy to follow and the fact it was interesting to see the eyes of Asian Americans who were affected during World War but it needed to show exactly how baseball games were played then. Look I may not be a “pro” at baseball but it would have been nice to teach us more on how they coped with organising baseball games during that time…

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for giving me this book!

[Marcela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know that Canada had the same shameful history of WWII Japanese internment camps as the US. This was an excellent way of presenting the topic for older elementary or middle grade kids.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars A good introduction for kids about the Japanese Interment (Prison) Camps during WWII. I never knew that there were such camps in Canada and not just in the US.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gave an interesting glimpse into what life was like for a young boy in an internment camp in Canada. Unfortunately, because of the length, this is all we got - a glimpse. I would have liked more about the day to day operations. It also seemed to end so abruptly; they play baseball and that's it, no more problems in the camp.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#StealingHome #NetGalley

[Amanda M (On The Middle Shelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting addition to the Japanese internment camp memoir group. I appreciated that this book was set in Canada and shed light on the internment/relocation camps that were there. I also loved the role that baseball played in this book and the exploration of sports in helping with mental health. Great read and would recommend to students.

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

(netgalley arc)

This graphic novel tells the story of Sandy Saito and his family who are forced to move into internment camps in Canada during World War 2. Through Sandy's life for baseball and his family we get to experience what this new reality means for him, how it leads to confusion and how he is more and more overwhelmed with the consequences of the war. Sandy's perspective felt very realistic in that it really felt as if he were telling me this story.

I think the contrast between his view and feelings and what we as a reader know about his reality was amazingly done and really added to the whole story. I would definitely recommend this graphic novel for everyone but especially for young readers, since I think this is a great way to teach them more about Canada's history and War in general.