How did kids get through life in a Japanese relocation camp during World War II? Some turned to America's pastime, baseball. But how to you play baseball in a desert? This month's book explores this incredible history through the life of the fictional Tetsu, a twelve year old baseball fanatic living in an Arizona relocation camp with his family. At this month's book wrap, Janice Kambara, associate producer of the PBS documentary Time of Fear, will show us rarely-seen home movies made in the camps that feature baseball games and other family activities. Come discuss an amazing book and get a once-in-a-lifetime peek into this complicated era.

About A Diamond in the Desert

Twelve year old Tetsu's life completely changes after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when he and his family are forced to relocate to an internment camp in the Arizona desert. Life in the camp is hard, but things look up when someone tries to put together a boy's baseball team. Tetsu lived for baseball before the war, but here in the camp other duties call. Between taking care of his sister and worrying about why his father has been taken for questioning, will Tetsu still get to be a kid and enjoy his favorite sport? Adult and child readers alike will connect to this beautifully told story of family, responsibility, and the love of the game.

About the Reading into History Book Club
Each month families read a historical fiction or nonfiction book together at home. At the end of each month, families can attend a Book Wrap event where they will share reactions to the book, see cool museum artifacts and documents related to the book, and meet other history detectives and special guests! Past guests have included authors Walter Dean Myers, Avi, Neela Vaswani, and Donna Jo Napoli.

This program is supported by a grant from the New York Council for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.