Samurai Shortstop

by Alan Gratz

Book Overview

Tokyo, 1890. Toyo is caught up in the competitive world of boarding school, and must prove himself to make the team in a new sport called besuboru. But he grieves for his uncle, a samurai who sacrificed himself for his beliefs, at a time when most of Japan is eager to shed ancient traditions. It's only when his father decides to teach him the way of the samurai that Toyo grows to better understand his uncle and father. And to his surprise,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142410993
• ISBN13: 9780142410998
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Burning Besuboru!!

Samurai Shortstop is about a 16-year old Japanese boy, Toyo. Right from the first sentence of the book it really grabs your attention. Toyo's uncle is preparing to commit sepukku. This is considered an honorable way to kill yourself in Japan. The story draws you into the life of Toyo and helps you to understand his relationship with his father and learning the art of bushido. He goes off to a private boarding school where he learns how to stand up for himself and fight off the seniors who are out to torture the first years. I liked this book because it combines the sport of baseball along with Toyo's high school experience in Japan. If you want to read a book that is hard to put down and will keep you intrigued until the very last page, then this is the book for you.

Japan proves pleasant backdrop for charming baseball story

Samurai Shortstop proved to be a most pleasant read over the summer. Now, I am a 20 year old college student who most likely should be reading Dostevesky. Instead of that, this past summer I had the pleasure of reading Alan Gratz's fantastic work. It is a solid attempt at bridging young Americans with young Japanese, all through the medium of baseball and middle school/high school. I am not well versed in Japanese culture, but from what I have read and seen in film, this book gets it right. I would go so far as to say it is an accurate histrography of the time in the broader strokes. This book has a fair share of action, both in the form of the baseball games and the hazing rituals of late 19th century Japan. It should be noted to the parents of younger readers that these scenes are not too violent, but do convey a sense of the horror involved. It might serve parents well to have their children read the Author's note at the end of the book before the preceeding pages. I can not speak highly enough of this book. My copy met with an unfortunate accident with a bottle of water at college, so I will soon be ordering a new copy for my bookcase! I am currently seeking a track in Education on the High School level and must certainly say that this book will be on my reading lists for first year/second year students.

A Thought provoking page turner

Books that attract and hold the interest of boys are rare and in high demand. Alan Gratz's book, Samurai Shortstop, will do both. In his first 5 pages of text, the stage is set for this powerful, thought provoking YA novel. With well-chosen words Mr. Gratz promotes understanding of cultural differences in a fascinating, well-researched manner without once digressing from the thrill of his page-turning story. Introducing understanding of an ancient Japanese life-style into the hearts and minds of twenty-first century multi-cultural readers, then integrating its highest principles with a modern-day western sport, represents a formidable task which Alan Gratz has accomplished admirably. While this book will certainly hold the interest of male readers, any reader will appreciate this excellent, well written story.

Grand Slam!

What an amazing debut! Toyo's story grabbed me from the first page with his uncle's preparation for ritual suicide. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book to see if Toyo could successfully apply bushido principles to baseball, to see if he and his father could bridge just a little of the gap between them, if he could ever forgive his uncle for leaving him. But now I want more! Bravo, Alan, bravo!

Life Wins

Alan Gratz's triumphant first YA, SAMURAI SHORTSTOP, opens on the narrator's description of watching his beloved uncle gut himself. Baseball and violence carry this impressively researched depiction of Meiji Japan, and of relationships, between young males, and between father and son. In this polished, always suspenseful story, son and father help one another mature. Martha Bennett Stiles