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What Members Thought
Delightful throwback of a book, like something I would have read in the fifties--I mean, if I'd been alive in the fifties, so, like a soft, faded, library-bound hardcover I would have taken out in the eighties, only to see it disappear a couple of years later when everything was modernized.
Not to say that it is too old-fashioned. I think this book is good enough and fast-paced enough to be interesting to modern children. I know kids in my classes would have enjoyed it if they'd been forced to re ...more
Not to say that it is too old-fashioned. I think this book is good enough and fast-paced enough to be interesting to modern children. I know kids in my classes would have enjoyed it if they'd been forced to re ...more
I still have strong memories of reading and being facinated by Rhonda Blumberg's 'Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun' in 5th grade. This book is a great pairing for that read as it shows the period just before Perry's arrival in Japan and provides a bit of the backstory. Based on historical figure Manjiro "John Mung," who rose from poor fisherman to adviser to the Shogun through his amazing real life adventure. Shipwrecked at 14, nearly starves to death, rescued and adopted by a whaling c
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3.5 stars. I enjoyed this historical fiction based on the life of Manjiro, a 14 year old Japanese fisherman, who is shipwrecked with his friends and rescued by an American whaling boat. It provides an interesting perspective on the clash of cultures in the 1840s. I loved the notes from the author at the end, and drawings from the real Manjiro's journals. I felt the author tried to stay very true to his journals, and as a result the main character did not grow and have as much depth as he could h
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This was a great peek into Japanese culture when they were still isolating themselves from the world (1830-50), into the whaling industry then, and into the attitudes of America at that time. Based on a real person, this story of John Mung reveals a bit of a genius, as he pursued whaling, teaching English, building ships, translating and writing books, and other things. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Awesome historical fiction about a Japanese boy. I love the drawings inserted throughout! Great look into racial prejudices occuring between two different cultures and how one person really can make a difference. *Mom, I think Dad would really like this one if he's not too busy with work.
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Mar 01, 2011
Karen Gibson
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
2011-111-book-project
For someone whose least favorite book of all time is Moby Dick, it came as a surprise to me how much I liked this Newbery Honor book which was also set in great part on a whaling ship. Heart of a Samarai was a great read.
Fascinating story about the "first" Japanese boy to visit America. This would make a great lead in to a discussion about differences and prejudices and how our perspective is often more narrow than we realize.
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This was the only Newbery Honor title for 2011 I hadn't yet read. I enjoyed it a lot and found the main character's resilience & thoughtfulness inspiring. Also great descriptions of whaling and Japanese customs in the early 1800s, especially concerning foreigners.
The writing was good but not amazing in terms of style and plot, and finally, I felt that this book was written for adults more than children. I enjoyed it but didn't find that a child or young teen reader would find this book riveting ...more
The writing was good but not amazing in terms of style and plot, and finally, I felt that this book was written for adults more than children. I enjoyed it but didn't find that a child or young teen reader would find this book riveting ...more
Historical fiction from Japan. I thought it was very well researched and presented in an exciting and readable way. If you are interested in Japanese history, you might like this novel.
Jan 13, 2011
Jess
marked it as to-read
Feb 20, 2011
Barbara
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2011
Beth Given
marked it as to-read
Apr 25, 2012
Sarita
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2012
alisonwonderland (Alison)
marked it as to-read
Dec 11, 2013
Geni
marked it as to-read
May 30, 2014
Sarah
marked it as to-read
Aug 04, 2015
Lola
marked it as to-read
