Rick Kotani’s 400 Million Dollar Summer
Rick Kotani’s 400 Million Dollar Summer by Waka T. Brown is a middle grade novel published by HarperCollins Publishers on February 18, 2025. This 272-page book follows the journey of a twelve-year-old boy named Rick Kotani, who is passionate about baseball but finds his summer plans disrupted when he moves to Oregon to assist his grandfather. As Rick navigates this unexpected change, he uncovers family truths that resonate with the Japanese folktale of Urashima Taro, exploring themes of family and personal integrity.
In this story, Rick’s initial disappointment transforms as he bonds with his grandfather and becomes involved in a competitive local baseball league. The narrative delves into the dynamics of friendship, social skills, and the pressures of school life, while also touching on multicultural elements and the fantasy of achieving greatness. As Rick faces the choice between ruthless competition and the values of family and true friendship, readers will find a thoughtful exploration of growing up and the complexities of personal ambition.
Official synopsis Publisher
Oregon Book Award-winning author Waka T. Brown hits a home run in this middle grade novel about a baseball-obsessed twelve-year-old who moves to Oregon to help his grandfather–an elusive old man with a shrouded past–but ends up learning unexpected truths about his family and how they mysteriously parallel the Japanese folktale of Urashima Taro.
Rick Kotani is looking forward to spending the entire summer playing baseball. Sure, his team never wins, but he’s been practicing a special pitch he knows is going to land him a 400-million-dollar major-league contract . . . someday. That all changes when his mother throws a curveball of her own: Instead of playing ball in California, Rick will be heading to Oregon to help keep an eye on Grandpa Hiroshi while they move him to a retirement home. Trading no-hitters to be a babysitter Rick is beyond bummed.
But once there, Rick discovers Grandpa is actually pretty cool, and the two bond over a Japanese folktale about a fisherman, Urashima Taro, who trades his life on earth for the riches of an underwater kingdom. And like the fisherman, Rick soon forgets about his team back home when he joins a supercompetitive local league that only cares about being the best–at any cost.
As the team racks up the wins and Grandpa makes his final move, Rick must decide which ending he wants for his story: Will he fall in line with his ruthless teammates and their victory-obsessed coach in his own “underwater kingdom,” or will family, true friendship, and integrity lead him back to shore
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