BookDragon Books for the Diverse Reader

Heroes by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee [in What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature]

HeroesDonnie’s friends always force him to play the enemy because, as a Japanese American, he looks like “them.” But Donnie’s valiantly father served in World War II and his uncle fought in Korea. His friends want him to prove it, but his father and uncle tell him, “real heroes don’t brag.” Heroes, a multi-award winner, is the Mochizuki/Lee team’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed Baseball Saved Us.

During World War II, approximately 50,000 Americans of Asian ancestry served in the U.S. armed forces; most volunteered willingly even after they had been unjustly imprisoned in internment camps. Ironically, the 442nd Regiment, an all-Japanese American infantry regiment led by a Korean American was one of the most decorated units ever in U.S. Army history.

Review: “Asian American Titles,” What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature, Gale Research, 1997

Readers: Children

Published: 1995

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