Heart of a Samurai

Heart of a Samurai: Based on the True Story of Manjiro Nakahama
by Margi Preus

Amulet Books, 2010







Genre:  Historical fiction, Adventure

Honors:  Newbery Honor Book, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year for Fiction, ALSC Notable Children's Book, Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year List, Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature

Review:  A historically accurate adaptation of the true story of Japanese born John Mung aka Manjiro Nakahama, this book follows Manjiro from the time he is lost at sea until his return to Japan almost twelve years later. The story accounts how Manjiro and his companions survived initially before their rescue by American whalers, Manjiro's subsequent informal adoption by the captain of the ship, and his endeavor to return home to his mother. Manjiro is a curious boy who grows to learn the ways of Americans and compares that to his life in Japan; this curiosity ultimately changes the course of history of the entire country of Japan.

Opinion:  The Japanese Samurai are legendary fighters and piqued my interest immediately. Although the book did not follow an actual Samurai initially, the title truly encapsulated the power of the story, a strong and curious Japanese boy who follows his heart. The end notes mentioned the factual account of the story, and the author stayed true to most of the facts, creating an even more inspirational piece.  

Ideas:  As the book follows the account of a real Japanese person, and how he eventually changed the relationship between the two huge world powers - Japan and America, I believe this would work perfectly as a world history piece. Another direction to take might be to use this book as part of a display of notable Asian figures.