Summer is the season of baseball, that quintessential Japanese game. Wait a second, what do you mean Japanese game? Isn’t it more like the quintessential American game? Well, baseball may have had its origins in America but it’s a sport as much beloved in Japan as it is in the U.S.
Dear Ichiro by Jean Davies Okimoto, illustrated by Doug Keith (Kumagai Press, 2002) is a book that explores Japan and America’s mutual love for the game of baseball. Henry Lockwood is a boy who lives in Seattle. One day he gets into a disagreement with his friend Oliver who accidentally spills grape juice all over Henry’s favorite stuffed animal. Unable to forgive Oliver, Henry carries his anger and resentment within him as he goes to a baseball game with his Grampa Charlie. The Seattle Mariners are playing and their key players are none other than Ichiro Suzuki and Kazuhiro Sasaki — two Japanese men. As Ichiro steps up to the plate, Grampa Charlie, who is a World War Two veteran, tells Henry that “A long time ago our countries were enemies.” As the game progresses, Grampa Charlie gets so excited he spills coke on Henry’s shirt. Henry doesn’t mind, though. It’s just a shirt, after all. But the incident does remind Henry of Oliver. Grampa Charlie, meanwhile, explains to Henry that the next player up is yet another Japanese man, and that reminds Charlie of how once again one of the hometown players is a fellow from a country that used to be enemies with America. That gets Henry thinking. Later, after the game is over, Charlie asks his Grampa how it was that former enemies could become friends. Charlie tells him that time must pass and that hearts must be open. That night, Henry pens a fan letter to Ichiro in which he tells him about how his Grampa’s words about how two baseball-loving countries used to be enemies and are now friends have inspired him to mend the rift he has with his friend Oliver.
Although American players have been playing in Japanese professional leagues for some time, it was only as recently as 2001 that the first Japanese position players were signed on to American pro leagues. That year, Ichiro Suzuki signed with the Seattle Mariners, and Tsuyoshi Shinjo with the New York Mets. Dear Ichiro celebrates these landmark signings in a way that clearly demonstrates how love of a game can overcome old enmities.
The Card: A Van Stone Novel by Jim Devitt
Review by Chris Singer
About the author:
Jim Devitt spent eight years working behind the scenes in a Major League clubhouse. After his time in professional baseball, Jim graduated from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology, and then continued on to complete his Master of Science degree in Education from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed research papers and presented at conferences throughout the country. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Melissa and their son, Gavin.
About the book:
Van Stone has it all, the perfect family, great friends and the best job in the world. Then, his life falls apart. Thrust into a deadly plot masterminded by unknown enemies, Van is in a race against time to save those closest to him. When Van wins an essay contest to become the new batboy for a Major League baseball team, he finds himself in a foreign world of million dollar athletes and fame. Forced into the spotlight, Van is uncomfortable in his new role. His instant fame at South Seattle High School has turned all eyes toward him, including unknown adversaries that want something he has.
Jack Stone works for Biotrust, a large and secretive biotechnology company. Van’s father is on the verge of making one of the most stunning discoveries in over a century, a technology that could change the world forever. While finishing the project, Biotrust forces Van’s father into a leave of absence. In an effort to protect his secrets, Jack may have endangered his family.
As The Card barrels forward, Van slams headfirst into a plot that threatens the people near to him. Working through adversity, Van finds an inner strength. He draws on his deductive powers and an unstoppable attitude, to battle the corrupt forces. Not knowing who to trust, Van sets out with his two best friends to solve the secrets behind an innocent gift, a Moe Berg baseball card.
Set in Seattle, Washington, this faced paced mystery takes you behind the scenes in professional baseball and into a world of cutting edge science and technology. Full of unexpected twists and high stakes drama, this first in a series adventure will keep you guessing until the final scene. As fresh as today’s headlines, Jim Devitt, in his debut novel, weaves a suspenseful ride that blows the lid off scientific advancement, in a story of breathtaking action and suspense.
My take on the book:
The Card is a fast-paced, entertaining action-adventure story both fathers and sons can read and enjoy together. Devitt’s experience working in a major league baseball clubhouse adds a really
