[Book Introductions/Book Reports for Junior and Senior High Students] Vol. 3: "Star Classroom" by Kaoru Takada, "The King of the Cavern" by Yo Tomoi, "On the Way Home from the Cafe" by Hikaru Shimazu
I was lucky enough to encounter some good books over the New Year holidays, making for a great start to the year.
By the way, at the end of last year, I watched NHK's 'Document 72 Hours: Year-End Special 2025' again.
What a wonderful program... For the number one spot in the year-end special, 'Christmas Eve in Nagasaki: A Hospital Cake Shop,' I was deeply moved by the people gathered at the hospital, the individual medical conditions of the patients, the thoughts of those working there and those visiting, and the light shed by the presence of a 'cake shop' in that place.
Then, on the 10th (Saturday) after the New Year, 'Document 72 Hours: At a Bookstore in Tokyo That Never Sleeps' was rebroadcast. The intensity of the people visiting the bookstore in the middle of the night is incredible. Whenever this program does a close-up on bookstores or libraries, it reaffirms the mission of my own work, and I always feel overwhelmed with emotion.
Today, I have three recommended books. All of them are new releases currently available only in hardcover. None of them are duds!
"Star Classroom" by Kaoru Takada
Sayaka stopped attending school after being bullied in junior high and never received her 'graduation certificate.' Because she remained a truant, she harbored resentment toward her parents. She worked part-time at a video rental store called 'Agatha,' but on her way home from work, she was encouraged by the classes she watched through the fence at the Kobore Night Junior High School, and for the first time in eight years, she returned to junior high... Having taken that courageous step, Sayaka makes friends in her night class...
It's not all just pretty words, but life can be restarted at any time. This is a book that will make anyone, of any generation and in any position, stop and think.
"The King of the Cavern" by Yo Tomoi
A novel modeled after the real-life wrongful conviction case known as the 'Yoshida Cavern King Incident.' I didn't know such a wrongful conviction case existed. Whether the novel mixes historical fact with fiction, I read it all in one go. The protagonist, Matsunosuke Iwata, is wrongly convicted, followed by a 50-year battle with the police and the judiciary. It is truly terrible that something like this actually happened. On the book band, author Yoshinobu Kadoi writes, 'Should I really be feeling this thrilled by such a story? I couldn't stop reading even while feeling guilty.' That is exactly how I felt.
"On the Way Home from the Cafe" by Hikaru Shimazu
This is a candidate for the 174th Naoki Prize (second half of 2025), which will be announced any moment today. The setting is 'Cafe Saigyo' in Ueno, Tokyo. It is an omnibus of the lives of the waitresses working there. As the era progresses from Taisho to Showa, the shadow of World War II grows darker... which has a major impact on the lives of the waitresses. Although the era goes back from the present, the worries of the waitresses are things that resonate with us today, and I felt empathy and affection for every one of them.
I think the first two books are suitable for book reports by junior and senior high students, and while the third one might not be ideal for a book report, I think students who like the writing style will enjoy it.