Heroes

By Ken Mochizuki, Dom Lee
Paperback: $11.95

A Japanese American boy learns about heroism from his father and uncle who served in the U.S. Army.

Description

Donnie is tired of playing the bad guy every time he and his friends get together to play war. According to the other kids, Donnie should play the enemy-after all, as a Japanese American he looks like “them.” Instead, Donnie wishes they could just play his favorite game, football.

When he argues that his family served in the U.S. Army, Donnie’s friends laugh and dare him to prove it. But when he asks his father and Uncle Yosh for proof, they tell him that kids should play something else besides war. “Real heroes don’t brag,” Uncle Yosh says. “They just do what they are supposed to do.”

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s, this intergenerational story explores how one family deals with the painful legacy of war and prejudice. In their powerful follow-up to the award-winning Baseball Saved Us, Ken Mochizuki and Dom Lee once again present young readers with American heroes they won’t usually find in history books, but who they can always hold in their hearts.

About the Creators

Ken Mochizuki

Ken Mochizuki is a writer, journalist, and former actor who made his picture-book debut with Baseball Saved Us. He is also the author of several other award-winning picture books published by Lee & Low, including Passage to Freedom and Heroes. Mochizuki lives in Maple Valley, Washington. His website is kenmochizuki.com.

Dom Lee

Dom Lee made his picture-book debut with Baseball Saved Us. He grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and went on to illustrate books in both the United States and Korea. His titles for Lee & Low include Ken Mochizuki's Passage to Freedom and Heroes, as well as the award-winning Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds. Lee's unique illustration style involves applying encaustic beeswax on paper, then scratching out images, and finally coloring the images with oil paint. Lee and his wife live in Hollis, New York.

Awards

  • Teachers' Choices

    International Literacy Association (ILA)

  • Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People

    National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

Reviews

  • "Once again Mochizuki and Lee adroitly focus kids' attention on a pervasive social problem by giving it an individual face; they make their points in an age-appropriate fashion, neither trivializing the issues nor condescending to their audience. . . Mochizuki captures his protagonist's hurt, confusion and pride — emotions capably matched by Lee's atmospheric artwork."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "This book evocatively recreates a time when the war was still fresh in the minds of young parents, and ably shows how subtly prejudice was passed on to their children. But Heroes is also a tribute to the 442nd Regiment Combat Team, an all-Japanese-American regiment, and serves as a reminder of their important contribution."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Mochizuki and Lee tell a moving picture-book story. . .. The strong, brown-shaded pictures show the pain of the outsider and his loneliness in the crowd."

    - Booklist
  • "Dignified and effective."

    - The New York Times
  • "The beauty of Heroes lies in Mochizuki's ability to convey weighty ideas in a low-key text."

    - San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
  • "This book has value beyond revealing historical details. It allows children to question what real heroism means."

    - The Children's Book Review

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781880000502
  • Price $11.95
  • Publication Date Mar 01, 1995
  • Trim Size 8 × 10 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 1123
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781880000168
  • Price $16.95
  • Publication Date Mar 01, 1995
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Word Count 1123
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / People & Places / United States / Asian American
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Social Themes / Prejudice & Racism
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Family / Multigenerational
  • Themes Asian / Asian American / AAPI, Bullying, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Civil Rights Movement, Conflict resolution, Cultural Diversity, Discrimination, Dreams & Aspirations, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fathers, Fiction, Friendship, Heroism, History & Civics, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Immigration, Integrity / Honesty, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Pride, Respect / Citizenship, Responsibility, Self Control / Self Regulation, Similarities and Differences, Sports, Sports History, United States History, War, World War II
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 10
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 5
  • Guided Reading S
  • ATOS Book Level 3.3
  • DRA 40
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 5
  • Lexile Level 670
  • Reading Level Grades 2 - 3
  • SRC 3.7
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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