Hunt for the Bamboo Rat (Prisoners of the Empire Series)

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A great read!

My son, 12, loved this book. He flew through it and really was engaged with subject matter.

My 13 year old daughter loves this series!!

Easy to read, well thought out story line. The character was very loveable and I even found myself shedding a few tears during my reading. I read the book from cover to cover in under 6 hours.

Review Copy: purchasedHunt for the Bamboo Rat begins with conflict, action, and suspense. From the start, Zenji Watanabe lands in dangerous situations and uses his intelligence and sheer determination to work his way through. He faces adversity using what he has learned from his teacher priests. He thought of becoming a priest himself. He has compassion on others and many times he stands firm and peacefully faces his problems as he imagines the priests would – and there are many problems to address.Zenji runs into street thugs on more than one occasion, he spies on Japanese people, and is trapped behind enemy lines among other dangers. Salisbury keeps the action rolling in this suspenseful survival story. It is a page turner.The overall tone of the book is fairly serious, but there are a few moments of humor. Zenji’s mother writes Japanese poetry that her children translate into English. Zenji appreciates his mother’s creativity. This is a poem that was posted on the wall of the messy room that Zenji shared with his brother Henry.MessyRoom likeThis must meanMongoose came in houseThinking this placeIs garbageCan.As for the serious side of things, the “enemy,” members of the Japanese military, are generally seen in a negative light. Throughout the book though, readers can clearly see the complexity of humanity and the problem with judging someone by racial stereotypes. There are Japanese who behave honorably and those who behave otherwise. Zenji, being compassionate, tends to believe the best of others unless they give him good reason to change that opinion.One issue I had with the book was the form of English that was used on occasion. One example is a Taiwanese worker in the Philippines. “You no clean good, I whip you,” is one of the phrases he used. What surprised me though was when Zenji then thought or replied in the same manner. He said, “Spotless, I clean um good.” He is a Japanese American who speaks with standard English grammar at most other times. It didn’t really make sense for him to speak like that in those situations, but it happened multiple times. This isn’t a major problem, but it is something that can shake the reader out of the story.I had difficulty finding anything negative about Zenji. He is quite the hero. He has intelligence, courage, compassion, and strength.Recommendation: For those who enjoy war stories and adventure, this book would be a great choice and I would say get it soon. Otherwise, borrow it someday.Review originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/11/review-hunt-for-the-bamboo-rat/

HUNT FOR THE BAMBOO RAT the a riveting story of a young Japanese American man, Zenji, who is a spy for the US Army during World War II.Using a unique perspective, HUNT FOR THE BAMBOO RAT shows the tensions in Hawaii and the Philippines before the United States entered World War II as well as life as the war progressed. As brave Zenji works as a spy and translator for the US Army, he must learn new skills and try to keep his honor in difficult circumstances. Eventually, Zenji is captured by the Japanese and must creatively find ways to survive in the face of hardship. For anyone looking for an interesting take on World War II, an intense novel of survival or just a good read, I highly recommend HUNT FOR THE BAMBOO RAT.HUNT FOR THE BAMBOO RAT is a well-written book about the terrors of war, new life and how to stand honorable and brave in the midst of terrible circumstances. Zenji’s struggle to survive will keep you glued to the book.For anyone looking for an interesting take on World War II, an intense novel of survival or just a good read, I highly recommend HUNT FOR THE BAMBOO RAT.Reviewed by Emily P., Teen Board Member

Hunt for the Bamboo Rat is such a suspenseful story with such a young hero, it is hard to believe it is based on the experiences of real-life WWII hero, 17 year old Richard Sakakida. A language prodigy fluent in Japanese, English and Tagalog, and semi-fluent in Cantonese, protagonist Zenji Watanabe is recruited by the Pentagon to go to the Philippines and work as a spy in a hotel popular with Japanese business men. When the Japanese conquer the Philippines a few months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Zenji has the opportunity to escape, but gives up his seat on the plane to another Japanese American who has a wife and young children. Zenji is taken prisoner and charged with espionage and as a traitor to Japan. The Japanese did not care that he was an American. They believed that his ancestry should have been more important to him than his patriotism. They torture and starve him over many weeks. Luckily, a Japanese general sees the benefit of Zenji's language talents and puts him to work in the office translating intercepted war communications. After a couple of years, Zenji has the opportunity to escape, but ends up injured and lost in the dense isolated rain forest of the mountains. He almost dies several times. I appreciated that author, Graham Salisbury, showed how there were many people, American and Japanese, who were conflicted by their part in the war. He also showed how love of family can be a great motivator when despair is taking over.