Eyes of the Emperor

Salisbury, Graham. 2005. EYES OF THE EMPEROR. New York: Random House. ISBN 0385729715 [Suggested Grade Levels 7-12]

REVIEW
Based on the true experiences of twenty-six Japanese American soldiers, EYES OF THE EMPEROR follows the journey of a fictional hero, Eddy Okubo, from his Hawaiian home to his base station on an island in the Mississippi River during the early days of World War II. Eddy and his fellow soldiers are taking part in Roosevelt’s new secret experiment; their assignment is to help train dogs to learn the smell of the enemy. Upon arriving the men are told: “You are here to represent the enemy these dogs will encounter in the Pacific. We’re going to train them to find you by your Japanese scent. You’re not the trainers . . . you’re the bait. We’re going to teach them to smell you, track you down, and attack you” (126). Eddy is shocked, hurt, and confused by his assignment as well as his harsh treatment, but ultimately decides to persevere despite ongoing prejudice all around him knowing that their racist experiment is doomed to fail in the end due to faulty logic. A tale of friendship, prejudice, and determination, EYES OF THE EMPEROR is an eye-opening account of human strengths and weaknesses set against a little known piece of American history.

CONNECTIONS
Show teens some of the racist propaganda produced by the American government during World War II. Excellent images can be found at this site: http://www.rotten.com/library/imagery/propaganda/racist-propaganda/ To learn more about Japanese American soldiers during World War II explore this excellent site: http://www.goforbroke.org/default.asp

RELATED BOOKS
Other books about Japanese American treatment during World War II:
Cooper, Michael. FIGHTING FOR HONOR: JAPANESE AMERICANS AND WORLD WAR II. ISBN 0395913756
Salisbury, Graham. UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN. 0440411394
Stanley, Jerry. I AM AN AMERICAN: A TRUE STORY OF JAPANESE-AMERICAN INTERNMENT. ISBN 0517885514

By Becky Laney