I wish this book had more readership, it’s a story and, more importantly, a history worth learning about.

The story of what happened to a community of Japanese Canadians in Vancouver in 1941 is a story every Canadian should hear. It's told from the voice of 9 year old Kenny, whose family is all about baseball. When essential things like freedom started to be taken away from them, I got a sick feeling, and eventually became appalled, because in my lifetime I can't imagine that this occurred. The fact that many boys and men formed Asahi baseball teams in their camps shows their strength of character in such devastating circumstances.
This is a sensitive topic for sure, the way Japanese Canadians were treated in WWII, after Pearl Harbor, and is part of Canada's shameful past. I was very glad to read Heart of a Champion, and I will be sharing this book with young readers and encourage they pass it around to friends. Although for YA readers, Heart of a Champion is for everyone.
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, also not realizing it's for YA's.

It was so so sad but the ending was amazing!!!!

A surprising, heart-warming story about what it means to have heart even in the face of adversity.

At first glance, I thought that this was more of a dramatic, historical fiction of Japanese internment camps during World War II. It's not often that the focus of a WWII book is from the Japanese perspective living in North America (so that's including Canada, which is where the book takes place). I didn't realize that it was aimed towards younger kids. I was pleasantly surprised at the sophistication of the writing, and the trust that the writer puts into her readers. She assumes that the reader is smart enough to know what it means to have a separate Japanese name and an English name. She assumes readers don't need to be explained what shoyu and rice cakes are. And she understands that readers, especially young readers, are wise enough to know what discrimination looks like. I find too many books aimed at children get too preachy or too simplified in their exposition, not giving the readers themselves time to formulate their own opinions. Schwartz gives her readers that freedom.

The main characters are likable and have enough depth to them to keep them interesting. However, many of the side characters are simple, one-dimensional, predictable characters. I guess it's what's to be expected in a short book as Heart of a Champion, though I still would have liked to be pleasantly surprised more than once. Heart of a Champion tugs at the heartstrings, and will probably make you tear up a few times. And that's what makes this a great read.

I'd recommend for any reader of any age.

**I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers giveaway for an honest review.**

A bit of a slow start for me, but well worth the read. I think this is a novel that captures a glimpse into what internment was like here in BC and this honestly makes me want to read more. It's heartbreaking to think about what Japanese Canadians went through, but this is definitely a story or perseverance and triumph for the main character. Wonderful characterization of all the relationships in Kenny's life and how the situation changes these relationships as well as his view of himself.

In the early 1940's, Kenny's older brother, Micky, plays baseball for the Asahi team in Vancouver, BC. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and its declaration of war against Canada and other countries, anti Japanese sentiment grew. Through Kenny and his family, readers see what happened and the impact it had on his family as they eventually end up in an internment camp. Kenny, who always been considered frail because of a suspected heart murmur, ends up coming into his own, and showing his family, his community, and himself, what he is really capable of.

I'm conflicted about this book. While it's well enough written, it is about the Asahi baseball team and Japanese internment. It's written by a white woman who teaches creative writing. It feels all wrong to me that she is even telling this story that isn't really hers to tell.
I'm waiting for feedback from some Japanese Canadians friends before I approve this book.

This is the feedback I got from my friend.
"Looks like she researched the Asahi's. she drops Japanese words and foods but she isn't Japanese Canadian. My grandparents and their generation didn't hug - not even family members. And they wouldn't have put up with a kid refusing to get better because he brought shame to his family. Kids of my dad's generation wouldn't have dared to wallow in self pity. Just the act of defiance would have been considered shameful. They did as they were told or they got cuffed or yelled at. The author doesn't know much about Japanese dance either. It's not like ballet - you rarely if ever wear geta to dance. You don't wear kimonos to practice either. The kimonos were made of silk and weren't washable. You also don't wear kimonos for the Obon dances. It's in the summer so one wears yukata which is made of cotton. Since you dance outside, you wear footwear."

I'm not recommending this one.

Though this book is clearly written for a pre-teen age bracket, I still found it deeply moving and a fabulous introduction to historical fiction and Canadian history.

Centering around the Sakamoto family, a Japanese-Canadian family living in Vancouver in 1941, the plot is focused particularly on the 10-year-old middle child, Kenny. For a book for younger children, it was a surprisingly sophisticated look at a very dark time in Canada's history. I had to stop several times as the rights of Japanese-Canadians, even ones born in Canada like Kenny's family and schoolmates, are revoked and they are eventually sent to an internment camp.

Heart of a Champion has a simple plot involving Kenny's love of baseball and that served as a strong theme for the book. The characters are simple as the perspective is heavily Kenny's, so there are petulant bullies and confusing adults, but that is part of the charm. Schwartz managed to capture the mindset of Kenny perfectly - he's a compelling mix of the naive bravery of childhood and the sad reality of their situation.

I also really liked that the Sakamoto family's closest friends were the Bernsteins, a Jewish family that had fled Europe a few years before. The closeness between their families adds a few welcome dimensions; the friendships are heartwarming and the parallels in minority experience aren't missed.

All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone, of any age.

**I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers giveaway for an honest review.**

I received this book from a goodreads giveaway. The intended audience for this novel is 9 to 12 years olds, but I still found it to be a surprisingly enjoyable read. It touches on some important historical events that I don't recall learning about in school as a child. I think this book had added significance for me because we attend the Powell Street Festival every year. I will definitely be passing this book on to my children to read when they are a little older.

read this for work. Not the best MG book i've ever read; I think the voice doesn't sound like a genuine child & the writing talks down a little. The subject matter is important though and I think it provides messages of acceptance, bravery and a solid family.