Under the Blood-Red Sun

Salisbury, G. (1994). Under the blood-red sun. Delacorte Press. ISBN 99780385320993

“Tomi was born in Hawaii. His grandfather and parents were born in Japan, and came to America to escape poverty.
World War II seems far away from Tomi and his friends, who are too busy playing ball on their eighth-grade team, the Rats.
But then Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese, and the United States declares war on Japan. Japanese men are rounded up, and Tomi’s father and grandfather are arrested. It’s a terrifying time to be Japanese in America. But one thing doesn’t change: the loyalty of Tomi’s buddies, the Rats.”
(Amazon Reviews)

Under the Blood-Red Sun wades into heavy topics such as war, racism, and patriotism through the youthful lens of Tomi and his band of friends. The author, Graham Salisbury, grew up in Oahu and dedicated this book to the Men of the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II, many of whom were Japanese-American as described in the epilogue. The epilogue also details the aftermath of World War II concerning Japanese internment camps. The story portrays a child’s experience on the American homefront. More than that, it is about the hardships of Japanese immigrants during WW2. It is a story of friendship, perseverance, and community. The writer weaves Japanese American culture and language into the story, pulling you into another time with urgency and a sense of nostalgia. This book is a study of 1941 Pearl Harbor as seen through the eyes of a young boy.

Book Review Excerpts:

“Character development of major figures is good, the setting is warmly realized, and the pace of the story moves gently though inexorably forward. While it may be a bit more aimed than pitched, the ending leaves readers confident that the Nakajis will survive.”
(Shoemaker, J. (1994). Under the blood-red sun (Book Review) (Undetermined). School Library Journal, 40, 127.)

“Salisbury skillfully describes Tomi's emotional highs and lows, and has a particular knack for realistically portraying the camaraderie and dialogue between boyhood chums. The slow-evolving plot drags in a few spots (especially the play-by-play descriptions of baseball games), but readers are rewarded with steadily building dramatic tension in the novel's second half and a satisfyingly open-ended finale.”

(Salisbury, G. (n.d.). Under the Blood Red Sun. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 17, 2023, from https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780385320993)

Connections:

-This could complement an SEL lesson about cross-cultural friendships using Tomi and Billy as examples.
- A study of WWII through the lens of Japanese Americans is an unusual but enlightening paradigm. This book would facilitate great discussion.

Awards:

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Hawaii Nene Award, 1998

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Booklist Children’s Editor’s Choice

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5360.