Eyes of the Emperor Book Review by Graham Salisbury

Written by Graham Salisbury 

Published by Wendy Lamb Books in 2005

ISBN: 978-0440229568

Plot Summary: Eddie is a 16 year old boy who wants to serve his country in World War 2. He changes his birth certificate so that he can join the U.S. Army. Eddie finds that being in the army isn't all that it is cracked up to be and he is under suspicion after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Eddie believes that he will be helping fight in World War 2 but finds out that the army has other plans for him as he is used as bait in order to train the attack dogs that were found in K9 units. Eddie ends up going to the mainland to various bases for training which is his first time leaving the island of Hawaii. He is assigned a dog named Kooch who is not able to tell the difference of ethnicities based on the scent of someone. Eddie finally makes his way to Europe to fight after the experiment fails with the dog and is proud to serve his country as equals with his fellow Americans. 

Critical Analysis: This book provides another insight to what it meant to be a Japanese American through the really tough time in the country's history where Japanese people were looked at with suspicion and distrust. The author does a great job of showing Eddie's perseverance through some very tough situations that he is forced into. The different locations help add to the historical time period and gives the reader more background into what the war effort looked like in the 1940's. The author highlighting the program that Eddie was a part of shows just how deeply divided the country was over ethnicity and race and allows the reader to make their own judgements on whether or not this was a program that was worth it at the time. 

Review: Kirkus Book Review

Salisbury chronicles the true story of Hawaiian soldiers of Japanese descent following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Eddy Okubo has an evolving understanding that Japanese Americans are no longer trusted, even if they are serving in the U.S. armed forces. “To them we all look like Hirohito. . . . We got the eyes of the Emperor,” they realize. Eddy and 25 others are sent to Cat Island, Miss., where their humiliation is absolute. They are part of an experiment (based on a racist, erroneous theory that Japanese smell different from Caucasians) to see if army dogs can be trained to scent Japanese soldiers. Through a process of merciless brutalization, the dogs will be trained to hate, hunt and attack “the bait.” Eddy can only face this cruel duty by reconciling it with his vow to wipe out the shame his father felt after Pearl Harbor, and to prove his loyalty and his worthiness to serve. Salisbury’s tone, both unsentimental and unsensational, renders his telling all the more powerfully affecting. Morally and psychologically complex, historically accurate and unforgettably gripping. (author’s note, glossary) (Historical fiction. 12+)

Connections: Students can look into researching other stories about how different ethnicities and races have been treated throughout the years and provide context into what life was like during those time periods. 

More Stories about Japanese Internment Camps

Barbed Wire Baseball: How One Man Brought Hope to the Japanese Internment Camps of WWII by Marissa Moss ISBN: 978-1419720581

Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp by Katie Yamasaki ISBN: 978-0823423750


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