Salisbury, Graham. House of the red fish.

SALISBURY, Graham. House of the red fish. Random House, Wendy Lamb. 304p. c2006. 0-385-73121-3. $16.95. (Lib. bdg: 0-385-90145-3. $17.99.) J

In this sequel to Salisbury's prize-winning historical novel Under the Blood-Red Sun, Tomi is still contending with prejudice against Japanese Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story is set in Honolulu in 1943; 9th-grader Tomi's father and grandfather have been taken off to US Army prison camps, and his mother is working as a housekeeper. Would-be vigilante types roam the streets, enforcing curfews and looking for any excuse to harass Japanese Americans, but Tomi is unlucky enough to have an enemy right on his doorstep: Keet Wilson, the son of the family his mother works for, who is determined to make life difficult for him. Happily, Tomi has some loyal friends on his side, and when he decides to try to raise and restore his father's sunken fishing boat they rally to help him, despite threats from Keet and his gang of bullies. Even Tomi's cantankerous grandfather, released from prison camp because of a stroke, comes to his aid.

Salisbury, who grew up in Hawaii, makes the culture, including the pidgin English, and the male comradeship, with insults masking affection, come alive, as Tomi learns the value of friendship and of fighting for what you love. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.