• Heart of a Samurai

  • By: Margi Preus
  • Narrated by: James Yaegashi
  • Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (217 ratings)

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Heart of a Samurai  By  cover art

Heart of a Samurai

By: Margi Preus
Narrated by: James Yaegashi
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Publisher's summary

Praised as “a timeless tale” by Booklist in a starred review, this Newbery Honor book by Margi Preus explores the cultural divide between the East and West circa 1841. When Manjiro, a Japanese teenager, is thrown from his fishing boat during a storm, he’s rescued by an American whaling ship. Befriending the ship’s captain, Manjiro decides to travel with the crew to Massachusetts. But years later, when Manjiro attempts to return to his homeland, he’s imprisoned as an outsider.

©2010 Margi Preus (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“Preus mixes fact with fiction in a tale that is at once adventurous, heartwarming, sprawling, and nerve-racking ...." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Heart of a Samurai

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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Wonderful !

I really enjoyed this book !! The reader really brought this amazing story to life , I look forward to the next book !

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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a beautiful story of the first Japanese boy in Ame

Would you consider the audio edition of Heart of a Samurai to be better than the print version?

yes

What other book might you compare Heart of a Samurai to and why?

Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa

Which character – as performed by James Yaegashi – was your favorite?

John

If you could take any character from Heart of a Samurai out to dinner, who would it be and why?

John.it would be interesting to hear how his thoughts progressedfrom childhood to adult

Any additional comments?

the fantastic story about the early history of Japan and America

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautifully written story of love, courage and tolerance

And adventure! On top of that, it’s based on a true story. Lovely tale for its target age group of 8-12. Can’t wait to read more from Margi Preus!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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fantastic!

I really enjoyed this story, the narrator was really easy to listen to. I really love learning about the history of Japan and how Japan and America come to know each other.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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11 year old son loved it

I carpool my 11 year old son and his friend and they both really enjoyed the story. They thought it was really cool that it is based on a true story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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great book

wonderful historical fiction for kids. great story and characters provide an interesting view of history from the other side of the world.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect book for 5-9th graders

Where does Heart of a Samurai rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Excellent.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Manjiro is my favorite character. Manjiro holds on to his culture, draws from his past experiences, knowledge of what he knows is right and wrong, while looking for guidance from his elders. Manjiro is a positive role model demonstrating patience, adaptability, intelligence, and maturity. He is a curious boy, who appreciates education and is not afraid to work hard.

Which character – as performed by James Yaegashi – was your favorite?

Mr. Yaegashi performed wonderfully in all characters. I particularly liked how he performed the Japanese language parts.

Any additional comments?

Perfect book for school and classroom readings because it touches on poverty, Japanese history, american history, the gold rush, American and Japanese prejudice, and ties it all together with samurai lessons that make the foundation of Manjiro's character.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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enjoyed every minute

This book was a dynamic story with an excellent reader. Also, fascinating history about Japanese and American history. home school win...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great story, couple of places where it skipped

I love this story, and the reader. It was awesome. there were several places where the story skipped a line or a little bit ahead. I am not sure if it was just my download or if it was the actual problem with the recording

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good

Would you consider the audio edition of Heart of a Samurai to be better than the print version?

this book is good because it tells about a story of a real person and how he lived in the old time

What other book might you compare Heart of a Samurai to and why?

Home of the brave

Which scene was your favorite?

my favorite scene is when Majiro becomes a samurai and comes home

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