Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus was a Newbery Honor book for 2011. It's about a 14-year-old boy named Manjiro who is with 4 friends fishing when a huge storm hits, and they end up getting stranded on a deserted island. As food begins to run out and things are getting desperate, they are rescued--but by barbarians (what Manjiro has been taught white men are). As Manjiro and his friends are taken on board by the kind captain, Manjiro finds that these men are not barbarians and that he is very interested in the world outside Japan. The book chronicles Manjiro's travels and his dream to one day return home.
This was a really awesome book. First of all, it's based on a true story (explained in the epilogue and historical note at the end), which is really cool. The book also had very likable characters and a interesting and changing story that kept me reading. It was very well written and just a good book. I'd rate it higher, but I don't think it quite reached the love level because I wasn't too interested in the subject matter--but the book was great.
Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)
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