From BooklistGr. 7-9. This sequel to Mazer's A Boy at War (2002) picks up after Adam, his mother, and his little sister have left Honolulu and moved to Bakersfield, California. Still under the shadow of his father's death at Pearl Harbor, Adam struggles to get his bearings. When his Japanese American friend, Davi, writes from Hawaii to ask Adam to find his father, whom the authorities have taken to California, Adam begins a quest that takes him to an internment camp.
Written in first person, the novel chronicles the emotional confusion Adam feels as he looks for the right path and his satisfaction when he finds it. Although reading the previous book is not necessary, the scene in which Adam first sees Davi's father again as well as the many mentions of Adam's fatherwill resonate more powerfully for readers familiar with it. The book ends with a time line of the Pacific war in 1942, a discussion of the home front, and quotes from documents related to the Japanese internment. A satisfying coming-of-age story in a well-documented historical setting.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedThis edition also includes literature circle questions
