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House of the Red Fish
SALISBURY, Graham. House of the Red Fish. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2006. 288p, ISBN13: 978-0-385-7321-8 (hc), $13.22.
This book is a sequel to Graham Salisbury’s award-winning book entitled, Under the Blood-Red Sun. However, it is not necessary to have read the first book before reading House of the Red Fish as both books stand on their own.
Tomi Nakaji was a 13-year old Japanese American boy living on the island of Oahu during World War II. His father and grandfather were imprisoned following the bombing of Pearl Harbor because the United States was concerned about Japanese immigrants and Japanese-American citizens’ loyalty during the war. His papa’s Japanese-style fishing sampan was sunk by the Army following the attack. He made it his mission to find a way to raise the boat – The Taiyo Maru, as a sign of keeping hope alive that his father would one day return. Problems arose when Keet Wilson, a former friend of his, didn’t trust Tomi’s motives and tried to stop him from achieving the goal. As Tomi continued his efforts to raise the fishing boat, he realized there were many unexpected people of all ethnicities who wanted to help make it happen and befriend him.
Graham Salisbury’s family has lived in the Hawaiian Islands since the early 1800s. He grew up on Oahu and Hawaii and graduated from California State University and later received his MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University where he was a member of the founding faculty of the MFA program in writing for children. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his family.
Salisbury has written a number of historical fiction books for young adults that center around the Japanese American experience following the bombing of WWII in Hawaii. This book has received a variety of awards -- including: ALA Notable Book, Books for the Teen Age: New York Public Library, Outstanding Merit: Best Children’s Books of the Year by the Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education, Volunteer State Book Award Master Reading List, Sunshine State Young Reader Award master List, and is currently a Nominee for Hawaii’s (2009) Nene Award. Under the Blood-Red Sun, won the Scott O’Dell award for Historical Fiction, the Oregon Book Awards, Hawaii’s Nene Award and the California Young Reader medal. Other books he’s written include: Eyes of the Emperor, Blue Skin of the Sea, Under the Blood-Red Sun, Shark Bait, Jungle Dogs, Lord of the Deep, Island Boyz. In addition, he was a recipient of the John Unterecker Award for Fiction and the PEN/Norma Klein Award which recognizes superb new voices among American writers of children's literature.
The author does a fine job of sharing the thoughts and emotions of Japanese Americans during WWII as viewed directly through the eyes of Tomi. The book provides a historical base with a great fictional, but believable, story that young adults would enjoy reading. House of the Red Fish would be enjoyable for upper-elementary and middle school students wanting to learn more about the challenges that Japanese American families faced followed the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Students in Hawaii would particularly appreciate the way it is written because it mentions places still recognizable today. It accurately depicts the thoughts and feelings of the time period. Students who enjoy historical fiction written about Hawaii during WWII may also enjoy reading Harry Mazer’s trilogy about a boy coming of age during WWII. The titles in this trilogy include, A Boy of War (2002) from Aladdin Publishing, A Boy No More (2004) from Scholastic, and Heroes Don’t Run (2007) from Aladdin Publishing.
The attractive cover is eye-catching for young readers. The durable binding allows for years of enjoyment within a school or public library. The print size is appropriate and the font is easy and clear to read. Although the book did not include any illustrations, the writer’s descriptions were clear enough to allow the reader to create their own image of the experience. It’s a good historical fiction book for young adults. This book’s content is suitable for Grade 5-8. This book is a worthwhile addition in the Hawaiiana and historical fiction sections of youth libraries nationwide.
This book is a sequel to Graham Salisbury’s award-winning book entitled, Under the Blood-Red Sun. However, it is not necessary to have read the first book before reading House of the Red Fish as both books stand on their own.
Tomi Nakaji was a 13-year old Japanese American boy living on the island of Oahu during World War II. His father and grandfather were imprisoned following the bombing of Pearl Harbor because the United States was concerned about Japanese immigrants and Japanese-American citizens’ loyalty during the war. His papa’s Japanese-style fishing sampan was sunk by the Army following the attack. He made it his mission to find a way to raise the boat – The Taiyo Maru, as a sign of keeping hope alive that his father would one day return. Problems arose when Keet Wilson, a former friend of his, didn’t trust Tomi’s motives and tried to stop him from achieving the goal. As Tomi continued his efforts to raise the fishing boat, he realized there were many unexpected people of all ethnicities who wanted to help make it happen and befriend him.
Graham Salisbury’s family has lived in the Hawaiian Islands since the early 1800s. He grew up on Oahu and Hawaii and graduated from California State University and later received his MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University where he was a member of the founding faculty of the MFA program in writing for children. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his family.
Salisbury has written a number of historical fiction books for young adults that center around the Japanese American experience following the bombing of WWII in Hawaii. This book has received a variety of awards -- including: ALA Notable Book, Books for the Teen Age: New York Public Library, Outstanding Merit: Best Children’s Books of the Year by the Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education, Volunteer State Book Award Master Reading List, Sunshine State Young Reader Award master List, and is currently a Nominee for Hawaii’s (2009) Nene Award. Under the Blood-Red Sun, won the Scott O’Dell award for Historical Fiction, the Oregon Book Awards, Hawaii’s Nene Award and the California Young Reader medal. Other books he’s written include: Eyes of the Emperor, Blue Skin of the Sea, Under the Blood-Red Sun, Shark Bait, Jungle Dogs, Lord of the Deep, Island Boyz. In addition, he was a recipient of the John Unterecker Award for Fiction and the PEN/Norma Klein Award which recognizes superb new voices among American writers of children's literature.
The author does a fine job of sharing the thoughts and emotions of Japanese Americans during WWII as viewed directly through the eyes of Tomi. The book provides a historical base with a great fictional, but believable, story that young adults would enjoy reading. House of the Red Fish would be enjoyable for upper-elementary and middle school students wanting to learn more about the challenges that Japanese American families faced followed the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Students in Hawaii would particularly appreciate the way it is written because it mentions places still recognizable today. It accurately depicts the thoughts and feelings of the time period. Students who enjoy historical fiction written about Hawaii during WWII may also enjoy reading Harry Mazer’s trilogy about a boy coming of age during WWII. The titles in this trilogy include, A Boy of War (2002) from Aladdin Publishing, A Boy No More (2004) from Scholastic, and Heroes Don’t Run (2007) from Aladdin Publishing.
The attractive cover is eye-catching for young readers. The durable binding allows for years of enjoyment within a school or public library. The print size is appropriate and the font is easy and clear to read. Although the book did not include any illustrations, the writer’s descriptions were clear enough to allow the reader to create their own image of the experience. It’s a good historical fiction book for young adults. This book’s content is suitable for Grade 5-8. This book is a worthwhile addition in the Hawaiiana and historical fiction sections of youth libraries nationwide.
Submitted on May 2, 2008 by Stephanie Jenkins, LIS Student, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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