From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
A historically fictional novel about a boy, Manjiro (John Mung) considered the first Japanese person to come to America. Shipwrecked on an island with four friends he is certain his impossible dream of one day being a samurai would never be, but then they are rescued by an American whaling ship, the John Howland. Aboard the boat, Captain Whitfield enjoyed Manjiro's company so much that he invites him to come to America and makes him his son.
The book tells of some of the prejudices faced by Manj ...more
The book tells of some of the prejudices faced by Manj ...more
Historical fiction, adventure, Japan, based on a true story.
Absolutely loved this book and can't wait to use it with students. I especially enjoyed Manjiro's voice and humor. As readers we feel like we are him. The layout and design of the book with black pages and different fonts is outstanding! It is obvious Margi Preues, author, did thorough research. Including the drawings and maps by the real life Manjiro are amazing. Everyone should read this book! ...more
Absolutely loved this book and can't wait to use it with students. I especially enjoyed Manjiro's voice and humor. As readers we feel like we are him. The layout and design of the book with black pages and different fonts is outstanding! It is obvious Margi Preues, author, did thorough research. Including the drawings and maps by the real life Manjiro are amazing. Everyone should read this book! ...more
Aidan and I finally gave up on this YA book about a young Japanese boy stranded on an island and picked up by a Nantucket whaling ship. This book was proabably WAY too advanced for Aidan (he picked it though) and a little too slow for both our tastes. It seems like a very lovely book but I think its appeal for younger readers will be minimal. It is beautifully written (thus the Newberry award) but painfully slow. To give Aidan credit he made it about halfway through before deciding to "take a br
...more
Interesting story, made even more intriguing knowing it was based on a true story. I liked how it described the interaction between two cultures that didn't know much about each other.
...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jan 19, 2012
Dolores
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
action,
friendship,
middle-grade,
adventure,
family,
favorites,
guy-reads,
historical,
realistic,
award-book
I really wasn't looking forward to reading this book, but I really enjoyed it. Manjiro was an amazing and fascinating character who lived a life full of adventure. I loved the author's note in the back that explained which details were true and which were added for artistic "oomph". Could have done without the whaling details, though. Blech.
...more
What a great story! This book begs to be read aloud as it reads like poetry. It has a high interest level and is very rich in history (based on a true story). Highly recommended for anyone.
Jun 19, 2011
Launna
marked it as to-read
Nov 14, 2013
Andrea
marked it as to-read
Jan 15, 2021
Kirsten Barber
marked it as to-read-soon
Mar 28, 2024
Kim
marked it as to-read
