Hunt for the Bamboo Rat

Brief Description: Zenji Watanabe, seventeen, is sent from Hawaii to the Philippines to spy on the Japanese during World War II and, after he is captured and tortured, must find a way to survive months of being lost in the junble behind enemy lines. Marc Notes: ; Zenji Watanabe, seventeen, is sent from Hawaii to the Philippines to spy on the Japanese during World War II and, after he is captured and tortured, must find a way to survive months of being lost in the junble behind enemy lines.. Biographical Note: Graham Salisbury s family has lived in the Hawaiian Islands since the early 1800s. He grew up on Oahu and Hawaii and graduated from California State University. He received an MFA from Vermont College of Norwich University, where he was a member of the founding faculty of the MFA program in writing for children. He lives with his family in Portland, Oregon. Graham Salisbury s books have won many prizes." Blue Skin of the Sea" won the Bank Street Child Study Association Children s Book Award; "Under the Blood-Red Sun "won the Scott O Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the Oregon Book Award, Hawaii s Nene Award, and the California Young Reader Medal; "Shark Bait "won the Oregon Book Award and a Parents Choice Silver Honor; "Lord of the Deep" won the "Boston Globe Horn Book "Award. He has also written the Calvin Coconut series for younger readers. Graham Salisbury is a recipient of the John Unterecker Award for Fiction and the PEN/Norma Klein Award. Visit him online at grahamsalisbury.com."Review Quotes: "Kirkus Reviews "starred review," "September 2014: Written in short, rapid-fire paragraphs that move the plot along at a brisk pace, the story will leave readers spellbound. A gripping saga of wartime survival. ..".the history is fascinating, and Zenji is a fictional hero readers will long remember." - Horn Book Review "From the Hardcover edition.""Publisher Marketing: A gripping saga of wartime survival. "Kirkus Reviews," Starred Based on a true story, this World War II novel by Scott O Dell Award winner Graham Salisbury tells how Zenji, 17, is sent from Hawaii to the Philippines to spy on the Japanese. Zenji Watanabe was born in Hawaii. He s an American, but the Japanese wouldn t know it by the look of him. And that s exactly what the US government is counting on. Because he speaks both English and Japanese perfectly, the army recruits Zenji for a top-secret mission to spy on the Japanese. If they discover his true identity, he ll be treated as a traitor and executed on the spot. As World War II boils over in the Pacific, Zenji is caught behind enemy lines. But even though his Japanese heritage is his death warrant, it s also his key to outwitting the enemy and finding the strength to face the terrors of battle, the savagery of the jungle, and the unspeakable cruelty of war. The riveting "Hunt for the Bamboo Rat "is based on a true story and follows in the path of author Graham Salisbury s other highly acclaimed Prisoners of the Empire titles, which began with the award-winning"Under the Blood-Red Sun." "Salisbury has once again crafted a fine novel, based on an actual person, about first-generation Americans of Japanese descent and the clash of culture and national identity that World War II accentuated. . . . The story will leave readers spellbound." "Kirkus Reviews, "Starred "Fast-paced and compelling, this title will be enjoyed by voracious and reluctant readers." "SLJ" "The history is fascinating, and Zenji is a fictional hero readers will long remember." "The Horn Book" "From the Hardcover edition."" Review Citations:

Booklist 09/15/2014 pg. 55 (EAN 9780307979704, Open Ebook)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2014 (EAN 9780307979704, Open Ebook)

Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2014 pg. 108 (EAN 9780307979704, Open Ebook)

Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2014 pg. 115 (EAN 9780375940705, Library Binding) - *Starred Review

School Library Journal 09/01/2014 pg. 131 (EAN 9780375940705, Library Binding)

Booklist 09/15/2014 pg. 55 (EAN 9780375940705, Library Binding)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2014 pg. 173 (EAN 9780375940705, Library Binding)

Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2014 pg. 108 (EAN 9780375940705, Library Binding)

Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2015 (EAN 9780375940705, Library Binding)

School Library Journal 09/01/2014 pg. 131 (EAN 9780375842665, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2014 (EAN 9780375842665, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Booklist 09/15/2014 pg. 55 (EAN 9780375842665, Hardcover)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2014 pg. 173 (EAN 9780375842665, Hardcover)

Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2014 pg. 108 (EAN 9780375842665, Hardcover)

Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2015 (EAN 9780375842665, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Salisbury, Graham Graham Salisbury writes from the heart and draws on his own experiences of growing up in Hawaii. His drive to write about the emotional journey that kids must take to become adults in a challenging and complicated world is evident through his work. Says the author: "I've thought a lot about what my job is, or should be, as an author of books for young readers. I don't write to teach, preach, lecture, or criticize, but to explore. . . . And if my stories show [characters] choosing certain life options, and the possible consequences of having chosen those options, then maybe I will have finally done something worthwhile. Wonder of wonders." Salisbury has already done something worthwhile. His first novel, "Blue Skin of the Sea," won the PEN/Norma Klein Award, the Bank Street Child Study Award, and the "Parents' Choice" Book Award, and was selected as an NCTE Notable Trade book in the Language Arts, a "School Library Journal" Best Book of the Year, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. His second novel, "Under the Blood-Red Sun" has won the prestigious Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the 1998 Hawaii Nene Award, as well as numerous other honors. This powerful and poignant book is the moving story of a Japanese American boy caught in the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. "Shark Bait "is" "a fast-paced, exciting action story that explores the lure of violence and its consequences for a boy and his friends when a Saturday night tumult stuns a Hawaiian village. To read a letter to educators and hear an excerpt from the book, along with pronunciations of the unusual words and character names from the novel, click here. The most recent novel from Salisbury,"Lord of the Deep," enticingly combines the high action of fishing with a narrative that delves into the intricate relationship between a 13-year-old boy and his new stepfather. Born in Hawaii, Graham Salisbury is a descendant of the Thurston and Andrews families, who were among the first missionaries to arrive in the Hawaiian Islands. He grew up on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. Later, he graduated from California State University and received an MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University. Salisbury has worked as the skipper of a glass-bottomed boat, as a deckhand on a deep-sea fishing boat, as a musician, and also as an elementary school teacher. Today, he lives with his family in Portland, Oregon, where he manages a historic office building.