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.**