Hi all,
I’ve just finished reading a fantastic book called Heart of a Champion by Ellen Schwartz, and I decided it was so good that I wanted to share it with you on my blog! Heart of a Champion is a story set in the early to mid-1940s about perseverance, bravery, and courage in the toughest of times. Kenji “Kenny” Sakamoto idolizes his older brother Mitsuo “Mickey”, a baseball legend in their home city of Vancouver, for his incredible talent and skill on the Asahi baseball team. Kenny has a possibly fatal heart murmur, and always has to “take it easy”, much to his annoyance. Kenny devises a secret plan to practice and play baseball with Mickey so that he can tryout for the Asahi’s junior team, the Clovers. But the Sakamoto’s (and other Japanese citizens of Canada) are sent off to internment camps due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Kenny’s dad, Hiroshi, is sent to be a laborer at an internment camp and thus the family life changes drastically with no more school and no more jobs. After arriving at the internment camp, Mickey gets arrested due to a minor act of defiance and is sent away to a hospital. It is up to Kenny to keep his family together and unite the camp. When Mickey loses will to live, Kenny must help save him through their shared love of baseball. This is a story for anyone who likes historical fiction, like me, and who also appreciates the game of baseball. I personally love sports and history, so this book merged them together perfectly. The book made me realize the importance of baseball in history, especially in tough times.
Here is this week’s prompt: What sport (or hobby, if you don’t have a favorite sport) has been most valuable to you throughout your life?
Click here to take a look at this amazing book on Amazon!
Thanks for reading!
-Marco
Sounds like a great book! I’ve always liked soccer. I also like frisbee. And so I guess it’s not surprising that I like ultimate frisbee, which is kinda like a mix of those. I also like watching the Ravens and the Orioles of course.
In any case, nice job capturing this story! i’ll have to read it – UA
Agreed! #Birdland #RavensFlock
Hi Marco, I always liked walking.. Whether it be on a beach, in the woods or in nice parks. Now I combine it with Geocaching and it is a perfect marriage of sport and hobby plus a thrill of the hunt Thanks to your family I was introduced to it years ago and it never gets boring love Grandma Natalie
good for you, keep reading and you will learn a lot, lovefrom Granny
Hi Marco. Horseback riding would be the sport that has been most important to me over the years. When I was young, I learned a great deal about responsibility from riding, taking care of my pony, and preparing for competitions. I also learned how to survive frigid cold barns!! Now that I’m old, riding gives me pure joy even while always providing a challenge. I’ve also learned that there’s never an end to learning. I’ve been riding for a long time and still have so much to learn.
Hi Marco,
I also love historical fiction and this book sounds like a winner! Like your mom, my inspirational sport is horseback riding. Over the years I’ve learned about the benefits of hard work, the importance of practice, the beauty of working as a team with a living creature, and most importantly (I think) to always pursue your dreams. I was fortunate enough to make this sport a career for almost a decade, and during that time I was able to share my passion with others and gained life long friendships. Most recently, my dreams have come true (with really hard training). Florida was awesome this winter… next… the Dixon Oval at Devon!! My advice is to work hard and keep dreaming!
xo Aunt D