Nobu Fukui

The Tama River Nobu Fukui

Although the background of the story is Japan, 1954, this book deals with themes that resonate today. Eleven years old Nobuo is the target of other children in his sixth grade class because he is overweight. His enemies call him balloon, and he fights back violently. In result, he is branded bully, and nobody likes him. Three new kids come into the class and Nobuo becomes friends with two of them, one is a beautiful, but fragile looking girl named Harumi and the other is a Korean boy, Saburo. Saburo is picked by classmates because of his race, and Nobuo becomes his protector. After an accident, Nobuo gets to know Harumi. Harumi is an extremely bright girl, and Nobuo begins to admire her. Nobuo and Harumi spend Sundays together going to The Tama River, where Nobuo does drawing and Harumi reads a book for him. Nobuo feels happy for the first time in his life. The new teacher who is assigned to Nobuo's class, Mr. Yoshida, is called Kamikaze sensei and feared by kids, because he punishes the misbehaving kids physically and mercilessly. There is a devastating tragedy, and Nobuo becomes desperate. After some violent incident involving Nobuo, Kamikaze sensei becomes sympathetic to Nobuo. The Tama River is Nobuo's sanctuary, and his young life evolves around the school and the river. He is growing up fast as the river flows forcefully.