Donnie is tired of playing the bad guy every time he and his friends get together to play war. According to the other kids, Donnie should play the enemy-after all, as a Japanese American he looks like "them." Instead, Donnie wishes they could just play his favorite game, football.
When he argues that his family served in the U.S. Army, Donnie's friends laugh and dare him to prove it. But when he asks his father and Uncle Yosh for proof, they tell him that kids should play something else besides war. "Real heroes don't brag," Uncle Yosh says. "They just do what they are supposed to do."
Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, this intergenerational story explores how one family deals with the painful legacy of war and prejudice. In their powerful follow-up to the award-winning Baseball Saved Us, Ken Mochizuki and Dom Lee once again present young readers with American heroes they won't usually find in history books, but who they can always hold in their hearts.
Awards
Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
Notable Children's Books
Smithsonian
Teacher's Choices
International Reading Association (IRA)
Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
"Editor's Choice"
San Francisco Chronicle
Interest Level
Grades 1 - 5
Reading Level
Grades 2 - 3
Themes
War, United States History, Self Esteem/Identity, Heroism, Fathers, Asian/Asian American Interest
Accelerated Reader
Level: 3.3
Points: .5
Dom Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, and received his MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. With his unique style of art combining techniques of painting and scratching details in encaustic wax, Lee has illustrated many award-winning picture books for children for LEE & LOW (see full list to the right). He lives with his wife and children in Demarest, New Jersey. To find out more about Dom Lee, visit www.domandk.com
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