I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Since there were a ton of missing lines and passages, as well as many grammatical errors, my review is much lower. The missing lines especially impact my review, because I literally had no idea what was going on with some scenes, and having to infer and guess what was being said left me honestly really confused. Who is saying what? What is going on? Is she coming with him? Is he leaving her?

That aside, with the remaining passages I had left, the story could have been a strong one. Michiko and her family must deal with tensions in a Canadian town during WW2. Michiko (aka Millie or Mitch) copes with this through baseball. We usually read about Japanese discrimination in WW2 from an American viewpoint, so reading about Canadian history is a breath of fresh air. I don't play sports either, or know a thing about baseball, but it was really cool that Michiko found her niche with the sport.

I really wish I could have given this a higher rating, but the story itself was well-researched and could be a great MG historical read. ( )

Cherry Blossom Baseball is an engaging book about a Japanese girl named Michiko, who is forced, along with her family, from her town in Canada to Ontario during World War II. Isolated and scapegoated by her own country's racist policies Michiko is bullied by the kids in school where she is the only Japanese child. Luckily, Michiko has a heart as big as a Mack truck. and loves baseball. She is spunky, courageous, and with her strong pitching arm and great intelligence Michiko finds a way to play on an all-boys baseball team. She becomes a shero and eventually finds acceptance among her peers and adults alike. It doesn't end the pain or the stigma faced by her family but it does ease things a bit.

Cherry Blossom Baseball is easy to read, very absorbing and shows how a compelling character is impacted by the heartbreak of living with racism.. It shows in beautiful detail how a family copes with this loss and also how it damages some relationships and strengths others. For me, some of the best passages of the book were about Michiko's family and the love and compassion they have for each other. This is a perfect book for middle school. They will learn about a sad and dark time in our history and I think they will also be caught up in the story of how Michiko becomes a cherished part of her community. Great.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion. ( )

I'm very interested in all things 'gender bender', so after reading the description, I knew I had to read Cherry Blossom Baseball.

The Michiko as a boy part wasn't really a big part of this story (it started in the second half), but Michiko was a very interesting character and I didn't miss it that much. She is a young girl, not only growing up during the second world war, but also hated by most of society, because she is japanese and therfore the enemy. Michiko's struggles were reasonable, how she wanted to be herself and at the same time be like the other children, so she could fit in. I was very sorry for her because of the bullying she had to endure and I felt her happiness when playing or talking about baseball. The war itself isn't talked a lot of, but its shadow is shaping the lives of every person, which makes an interesting read.

I got a really early ARC and a lot of sentences were missing, so some things I didn't get. But as I said, early ARC. Those are never perfect.

You may guess it, but better be safe than sorry: Trigger warning for racism.

As I said before I got it an ARC. It was provided by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you. ( )