As I have grown as a writer of books for young people, I’ve come to realize that writing stories is only part of my mission and responsibility. Sure, writing is an art, and I treat it as such. But when I am out among my readers, I find something far more important going on: connection.
I have been especially moved by those with little or nothing to count on in their lives. When they look up at me with eyes of wonder, I am humbled. To them, I am more than a writer; I am someone who cares.
Caring is my mission. This understanding within myself underlies the integrity and intent of each of my twenty novels. I am extremely satisfied and proud to have my work play an important part in the work that thousands of committed teachers, parents and young readers have done and continue to do together.
My advice to young readers and writers is, “Read your brains out, then write until your fingers fall off.” Without literature, we have no history. So read. And write. And care.
Graham Salisbury Book Categories
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Appropriate for readers in grades 2-4 and older reluctant readers. Set in the Hawaiian Islands, these humorous and entertaining chapter books explore issues all young people face in their early growing years, including splintered families, bullies, camaraderie, and character building. Salisbury credits his own youth as inspiration for these lively, (mostly) fictional tales.
Appropriate for readers in grades 5-8. These novels, also set in the Hawaiian Islands, explore the many issues of coming of age in this exotic location, the most remote in the world. “For me, it all started with Blue Skin of the Sea, a book I wrote to memorialize a truly wondrous time in a truly wondrous place, Kailua-Kona before … let’s say … contact.”
Appropriate for readers in grades 5-12, but of interest to readers of all ages. These historically accurate books explore the effects of WW II on the Hawaii Japanese-American population of the 1940s, and how that generation raised the bar and built an unwavering foundation for all future generations of Japanese-Americans.
Calvin Coconut
Who is Calvin Coconut?
Kids often ask me if I am in any of my books. That’s a good question, and I like answering it. Yes! I am in every book … but not in the way one might think. I have never completely based a character on myself, though I have shared many pieces of my life in my stories. As amazing as my life is and has been, it’s way too boring for good fiction. Still, part of me is in every lead character I have ever written. It’s the part that believes in something, that feels something, that loves or dislikes something. My sensibilities come through in every story situation. And Calvin is where it all starts, in the age of wonder. With the ever-curious young. Character building can never start too soon. And this, to me, is what Calvin Coconut is all about. Character, values, ethics, work. Choices and consequences, even in the silliest of situations. Calvin is Every boy. Calvin is me.
Calvin Coconut | Trouble Magnet
Fourth-grader Calvin lives near the beach on Oahu with his mom and little sister. Mom likes to call Calvin her “man of the house.” But Calvin’s not great at being the man of the house, or taking care of his responsibilities. He’s too busy bouncing around with his friends and trying to avoid Tito, the tough kid.
Trouble Magnet is the first book in a new series for younger readers, full of all the fun of growing up in Hawaii. It introduces a wonderful multiracial cast of characters, including Mr. Purdy, who calls his fourth-grade class Boot Camp; Uncle Scoop, who runs the lunch wagon at the beach; Ledward, Mom’s 6’7″ boyfriend; and gorgeous, cynical, intimidating, 15-year-old Stella-from -Texas, who arrives to be Mom’s live-in helper—and to step all over Calvin’s turf.
Awards:
• 2011 Hawaii Nene Public Award Nominee
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• 2010 – 2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
• 2009 Book Award Nominee
• Spring 2009 Indie Next list
• 2009 New York Public Library Titles for Reading and Sharing
• 2011 Hawaii Nene Award Nominee
• 2011 – 2012 Indiana Young Hoosier Children’s Book Award Nominee
• 2011 PNBA Book Award Nominee
• 2011 Global Reading Challenge List, Seattle Public Library
• 2011 – 2012 Oregon Battle of the Books pick
• 2012 Beverly Cleary Children’s Book Award Nominee
• 2009 – 2010 Cochecho Reader’s Award Nominee
• 2012 – 2013 Minnesota Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award Nominee
Calvin Coconut | Zippy Fix
Calvin Coconut needs to fix things with Stella — and fast!
Stella from Texas is now officially a member of the Coconut household. As if getting a bossy babysitter isn’t bad enough, Stella teases Calvin mercilessly. What’s a nine-year-old boy to do? Calvin decides to fix her, and he dumps his neighbor’s cat, Zippy, on Stella’s bed, knowing she’s allergic.
But when Stella breaks out in hives and misses her first big date, Calvin realizes his zippy fix went too far. He’s got to make it up to her, and decides to give her a birthday present. But he has no money. Along with the help of his loyal friends and little sister, Darci, Calvin works hard, and comes up with enough cash to give Stella the best birthday gift ever.
Awards:
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• 2011 Oregon Book Award
Calvin Coconut | Dog Heaven
What do you want so badly that you can taste it—and can you persuade someone to give it to you? That’s the subject of a writing assignment Calvin’s fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Purdy, gives the class. Calvin wants a dog! He reads what he’s written to his mom to see just how persuasive he can be. No way, Mom says. Stella, their babysitter, might be allergic, and Calvin is too irresponsible to care for a pet.
Luckily, Mom’s boyfriend, Ledward, is on Calvin’s side. He takes Calvin to a place he calls Dog Heaven. There Calvin meets the dog of his dreams—Streak. Now Calvin’s got to convince Mom he’s dog-responsible, because he and Streak belong together!
Awards:
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• Los Angeles Times Parent Reading Circle Guide
• Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year
• 2010 Oregon Spirit Book Award (Oregon Council of Teachers of English)
• Parents Choice Award
• 2011 – 2012 Gate City Book Award Nominee
Calvin Coconut | Zoo Breath
Hawaii boy, Calvin Coconut, is a fourth grade whiz kid: he convinced his mom to let him adopt a dog. But Mom says Streak smells bad. Especially her breath. To Calvin, Streak’s stink is a good one.
But he’s worried. If he doesn’t come up with a way to deal with Streak’s breath soon, Mom might make him give his dog back to the shelter.
So when his teacher assigns a discovery project, Calvin decides to find a way to fix Streak’s zoo breath.
Awards:
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• 2011 PNBA Book Award Nominee
Calvin Coconut | Hero of Hawaii
Hawaii boy, Calvin Coconut, has come up with the best idea ever for his sister Darci’s birthday party. But a huge tropical storm hits the islands and threatens everything. It rains and rains. And rains. The river next to Calvin’s house rises high. When Calvin’s friend, Willy, falls into the raging water, Calvin grabs his skiff to save him.
As Willy is swept into the bay, Calvin struggles in the wild waves. What happens next shows Calvin what heroes are made of.
Awards:
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• 2012 Oregon Book Award
Calvin Coconut | Kung Fooey
There’s a weird new kid in Calvin Coconut’s fourth grade class. His name is Benny Obi, and the first thing he says when he shows up is, “I know kung fu.” Whoa! Is this kid for real? It’s only the beginning. Turns out he’s a big-time exaggerator, a bug eater, a scary storyteller, and he wears sunglasses to school. He’s also not afraid of Tito, a tough sixth-grader … and he should be.
That’s where Calvin steps in. Meanwhile, in Calvin’s neighborhood, everyone (including pets, bugs, and toads) clears the road — Stella, Calvin’s live-in babysitter, is learning how to drive … sort of.
Enjoy the humor in KUNG FOOEY and root for Calvin as he finds the courage to stand up for a friend.
Awards:
• Junior Library Guild
• Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year
Calvin Coconut | Man Trip
Calvin Coconut and his mom’s boyfriend, Ledward, are good buddies. When Ledward wins some plane tickets, he invites Calvin to fly to Hawaii, the Big Island, for a day of deep-sea fishing. Wow! Calvin’s never been on a plane, or on any boat but his little skiff.
Calvin catches his first big fish while trolling off the Kona coast. But that’s nothing compared to what happens when Ledward hooks a huge marlin that charges the boat!
A day full of adventure, fishermen, fish tales, and the lure of the sea opens Calvin’s eyes to some important ideas about respecting nature.
Awards:
• 2013 Oregon Book Award Nominee
Calvin Coconut | Rocket Ride
Calvin’s dad is a famous pop singer, and he’s going to be in a concert on the island! Everyone wants to go. Dad gave Calvin’s mom 10 tickets, and Calvin has to decide who gets the last ticket: teacher’s pet Shayla, who has a crush on him (ick!) or Tito the bully?
But much more important: Calvin hasn’t seen his dad in four years. And he’s never met Dad’s new wife. Will Dad still like Calvin now?
Awards:
• 2012 Oregon Spirit Book Award Short List (Oregon Council of Teachers of English)
Calvin Coconut | Extra Famous
There are zombies at Kailua beach!! Well, kind of. Fourth-grader Calvin Coconut and his friends have been recruited by Benny Obi (the boy from Kung Fooey who told wild and crazy stories and ate bugs) to be extras in his uncle’s movie: Zombie Zumba! And who ends up with an actual part? Calvin’s babysitter, Stella.
But movie parts are only part of the picture. Calvin’s friend, Julio, has another part that nearly makes his head explode. What’s that all about?
Awards:
• 2014 Oregon Book Awards Finalist
• 2014 Oregon Book Award (Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature)
Middle Readers
Night of the Howling Dogs
On the Big Island of Hawaii, Dylan’s Scout troop hikes down into the desolation of an ancient lava flow to camp on a small beach below the volcano. It’s beautiful. Peaceful.
But there’s a problem: Louie Domingo. He and Dylan share a secret history, and it lies like a shark beneath the surface of everything they do. … Until the world comes apart. '
Foreshadowed by two mysterious howling dogs, a disaster of unearthly proportions strikes. No one is spared its horror. But over the next hours Dylan learns the true meaning of leadership and the will to survive. More amazing still is that this story actually happened.
Awards:
• 2007 New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
• 2007 NAPPA Gold Award (National Parenting Publications Award)
• 2007 Junior Library Guild Premier Selection Award
• 2008 Texas Lone Star Readnig List
• 2008 New York Library Books for the Teen Age
• 2009 – 2010 Volunteer State Book Award Nominee
• 2009 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee
• An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book
• 2009 Nevada Young Readers Award Nominee
• 2008 Oregon Book Award Nominee
• 2009 – 2010 William Allen White Children’s Book Award Master List
• 2009 – 2010 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee
• 2009 – 2010 Mark Twain Readers Award List
• 2010 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee
• 2009 Nene Award Nominee (Hawaii State Children’s Choice Book Award)
• Texas Children’s Lamplighter Award Nominee
• Intermediate Sequoyah Masterlist 2010 (Oklahoma Library Association)
• 2010 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
• 2010 Utah Beehive Award Nominee
• 2010 – 2011 Minnesota Youth Reading Awards Nominee
Blue Skin of the Sea
Eleven luminous stories follow Sonny Mendoza and his cousin, Keo, young men who grow up in a Hawaiian fishing village, a world of dazzling beauty, powerful family ties, and vivid characters: Aunty Pearl, a full blooded Hawaiian as regal as the queens of old; cool Jack, from L.A., who starts a gang and dares Sonny to be brave enough, cruel enough, to join; mysterious Melanie, who steals his heart; and Deeps, the shark hunter.
But the most memorable character is the sea itself: inviting, unpredictable, deadly. Mendoza men are brave men, but Sonny’s courage is of a different kind. Why can’t he love and trust the water as the men of his family are meant to do?
Awards:
• 1992 Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal
• 1992 Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association
• 1992 Parent’s Choice Book Award
• Bank Street Child Study Book Award for 1992
• Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children’s Literature, Women’s National Book Association
• 1993 Oregon Book Award
• 1993 NCTE Notable Trade Book in the Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English
• PEN/Norma Klein Award, PEN American center in honor of Norma Klein. (Biennial prize recognizes an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children’s fiction.)
Lord of the Deep
Fishing. This is it, the big time. Mikey’s 13, a deckhand working on a charter boat in Hawaii. Working for the best skipper anywhere, his step-dad, Bill. Before Bill came along, it was just Mikey and his mom. Now they’re a real family, and Mikey has a little brother.
He can’t believe how lucky he is. And now he’s learning from the best, even though he’s only 13. Because Bill believes in him. And Mikey won’t let him down. He loves fishing and being out on the boat. But some seas, some fish, and some charter clients are a lot tougher to handle than Mikey ever imagined.
Take Ernie and Cal—they chartered Bill’s boat for three days and they’re out for the adventure of their lives. Now it’s up to Mikey and Bill to deliver it.
Awards:
• Winner of the 2002 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, starred review
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2002
• Booklist Magazine’s Editor’s Choice for 2001
• Horn Book Fan Fare selection 2001, starred review
• A Best of the Year Book, Cooperative Children’s Book Center
• Riverbank Review 2002 Children’s Books of Distinction (Finalist)
• New York Public Library 2001 Title for Reading and Sharing
• The Bulletin Magazine’s Blue Ribbon List for 2001
• Parents’ Choice Fall 2001 Gold Award Winner
• 2002 – 2003 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award master list (Vermont children’s choice)
• Capitol Choices book for 2001
• 2004 Nebraska Young Adult Golden Sower Award Nominee
• 2003 – 2004 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominee
• 2003 – 2004 Virginia Young Reader Award Nominee
• 2004 – 2005 Indiana Young Hoosier Award Nominee
• 2004 – 2005 Texas Blue Bonnet Award Master List
• Arizona State University Honor List: Literature for Today’s Young Adults
Island Boyz
Feel the rush of leaping off a cliff into a ravine. Know what it’s like when a brother returns from war changed forever. See deep into the mystery of sharks and spirit guides.
Survive prep school, hurricanes, the night shift at Taco Bell, first love. Graham Salisbury is an island boy himself. In this rich collection, his love for Hawaii — for the land, for its boyz and the amazing girls in their lives — shines through every story.
Awards:
• Best of the Best 2002, Booklist Editor’s Choice
• 2003 Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library
• “Best of the Best” 2003, Chicago Public Library’s list
Shark Bait
Mokes is 12, and he knows he’s supposed to stay home when the Navy ships drop anchor in the harbor. Anything can happen on those nights when his sleepy Hawaiian village wakes up — with everyone dancing, laughing, drinking, fighting. But tonight Mokes has got to be there.
His hero, Booley, has sworn to get revenge on a sailor, and Mokes must uphold one of the codes of survival: Stand by your friends. There’s one problem, though. Mokes’s dad is the chief of police.
Awards:
• Parent’s Choice Honor Award
• 1998 Oregon Book Award
Jungle Dogs
Jungle Dogs is a strong family story that examines issues of courage, heroism, and violence. Sixth grader “Boy” Regis loves his family, their Hawaiian village, and the sea. But he’s terrified of the wild dogs that lurk along his paper route.
His older brother, Damon, calls him Sissy boy, and stirs up trouble by jumping into the middle of Boy’s own battles at school. “Fight or die, “Damon says, and “How can you be my brother?” Boy is no sissy, and he’s determined to face the jungle dogs. If he can do that, he can find a way to show Damon: you don’t always have to fight to win a battle.
Awards:
• 1999 Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association
• Junior Literary Guild Pick (January 1999)
• New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age 1999
• Nominee: Heartland Award (Kansas)
Banjo
Danny Mack is a rising rodeo star in rural Oregon. He lives on a ranch with his older brother, their dad, and his faithful border collie, Banjo.
Late one night, Danny is awakened by gunshots. Banjo has been wounded. The neighbors claim he was going after their livestock, which gives them the right to shoot the dog or have him put down. Dad reluctantly agrees. They must obey the law. Danny knows Banjo is innocent, and comes up with a desperate plan to save him--but something goes terribly wrong.
Days later, on a distant ranch, Meg Harris finds a frightened dog alone in the woods. Banjo. She takes him home and searches for the dog's owner, furious that he was abandoned. She's not going to give Banjo up easily.
Told by Danny and by Meg, this fast-paced, heartrending novel explores the deep connection between humans and animals, and reminds readers that you can't judge an animal--or a person--before you know their story.
Awards:
• 2019 Oregon Spirit Award Honor Book
Oregon Council of Teachers of English
World War ll Novels
Under the Blood-Red Sun – Now a Movie!
December 7, 1941 — thirteen-year-old Tomikazu Nakaji and his best friend, Billy Davis, are playing in a field near their homes in Hawaii when the Japanese launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. As Tomi looks up at the sky and recognizes the Blood-Red Sun emblem on the amber fighter planes, he knows that his life has changed forever.
His father and grandfather, both Japanese-Americans, are quickly arrested and taken to concentration camps. His mother loses her job because she is Japanese. Although Tomi feels frightened and ashamed of his native land, he is forced to become the man of the family.
Under the Blood-Red Sun is an unforgettable tale of courage, survival and friendship.
Awards:
• 1994 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction
• 1999 California Young Reader Medal
• 1998 Nene Award (Hawaii Young Reader’s Choice)
• 1998 Utah Young Adult Book Award Nominee
• 2014 Phoenix Award Honor Book
• 1998 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award Nominee
• Teacher’s Choice for 1995, International Reading Association
• 1995 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association
• Books in the Middle: Outstanding Books of 1994 for the Middle School Reader VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
• Library of Congress: 1995 Notable Children’s Books of the Year
• 1995 Oregon Book Award
• 1995 The Family Channel Seal of Quality
• 1995 Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library
• Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies for 1995
• 1994 Booklist Editor’s Choice
• 1994 Parent’s Choice Honor Award
• 1994 Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association
• 1994 Notable Children’s Book of the Year, American Library Association
House of the Red Fish
1943, one year after the end of Under the Blood-Red Sun, Tomi’s Papa and Grandpa are still under arrest, and the paradise of Hawaii now lives in fear—waiting for another attack, while trying to recover from Pearl Harbor.
As a Japanese American, Tomi and his family have new enemies everywhere, vigilantes who suspect all Japanese. Tomi finds hope in his goal of raising Papa’s fishing boat, sunk in the canal by the Army on the day of the attack. To Tomi, raising Papa’s boat is a sign of faith that Papa and Grandpa will return.
It’s an impossible task, but Tomi is determined. For just as he now has new enemies, his struggle to raise the boat brings unexpected allies and friends.
Awards:
• 2007 ALA Notable Book
• 2007 Flamingnet Top Choice Award
• 2007 Books for the Teen Age: New York Public Library
• 2007 Best Children’s Books of the Year by the Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education
• 2008 – 2009 Volunteer State Book Award Master Reading List
• 2007 – 2008 Sunshine State Book Award Master List
• 2007 Oregon Book Award Nominee
• 2009 Nene Award Nominee (Hawaii)
• 2008 – 2009 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominee
Eyes of the Emperor
When Eddy Okubo lies about his age and joins the United States Army in Honolulu in 1941, he isn’t expecting war to break out. But soon after he enlists, the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, and suddenly his fellow Americans see him as the enemy.
Even the army doubts his loyalty — and the loyalty of all the American soldiers of Japanese ancestry. Eddy and twenty-four other Japanese American soldiers are sent to a remote island on a secret mission, given a terrifying job, and told that only they can do it.
On the island, the meanings of duty, patriotism, loyalty and courage are tested in a bizarre world where Eddy is tried in unbelievable ways.
Awards:
• 2005 Best Books of the Year, Kirkus Reviews
• 2005 Parent’s Choice Silver Honor Award
• 2006 Notable Social Studies, Trade Books for Young People
• 2006 – 2007 Texas Tayshas High School Reading List
• 2006 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• 2006 ALA Notable Book
• 2006 New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age
• 2006 Capitol Choices, Noteworthy Books for Children
• 2006 PEN USA Literary Award (finalist)
• 2006 Oregon Book Award
• 2007 Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee
• Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Nominee 2007 – 2008
• Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth 2005 – 2006
• 2007 – 2008 South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee
• 2007 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee
• 2009 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee
• 2008 – 2009 Oregon Battle of the Books Title List
• 2010 Nutmeg Book Award Nominee (Connecticut)
Hunt for the Bamboo Rat
Based on a true story, this World War II novel by Scott O’Dell Award winner Graham Salisbury tells how Zenji, 17, is sent from Hawaii to the Philippines to spy on the Japanese.
Zenji Watanabe graduates from high school in Hawaii and is recruited into the army as a translator because he speaks perfect Japanese. He is sent to Manila undercover as a civilian to gather information on the Japanese in the Philippines. If they discover his identity, he’ll be executed as a traitor. When captured, he maintains that he is an American civilian despite unthinkable torture. He also survives being lost in the jungle for months. Zenji’s time behind enemy lines is grueling, and his survival is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.
This is the fourth book in Graham Salisbury’s highly acclaimed Prisoners of the Empire titles, which began with the award-winning Under the Blood-Red Sun.
Praise for Hunt for the Bamboo Rat
“Salisbury has once again crafted a fine novel, based on an actual person, about first-generation Americans of Japanese descent and the clash of culture and national identity that World War II accentuated. Written in short, rapid-fire paragraphs that move the plot along at a brisk pace, the story will leave readers spellbound.”–Kirkus Reviews, Starred
“Fast-paced and compelling, this title will be enjoyed by voracious and reluctant readers.”–School Library Journal
“The history is fascinating, and Zenji is a fictional hero readers will long remember.”–The Horn Book
Awards:
• Oregon Spirit Book Award for 2014 (Oregon Council of Teachers of English)
• 2016 Oregon Book Award Finalist
• 2016-2017 South Carolina Book Award Nominee (Junior Book Award)
• 2016-2017 South Carolina Book Award Nominee (Young Adult Book Award)
• 2016-2017 Nebraska Golden Sower Award Finalist