Samurai Shortstop, Alan Gratz

The age of the Samurai is over. Just over - it's 1890, and Japan's Emperor has recently ordered all Samurai to give up their swords. Rather than do so, Toyo's uncle commits ritual suicide, right in front of Toyo (NOT for the squeamish!!!). Still reeling over his uncle's death, Toyo has been sent to Japan's most exclusive boarding school. The older kids there mercilessly haze the younger ones, beating them senseless in the middle of the night. Toyo gains a measure of respect because he's really good at baseball. But then his father starts teaching him the ways of the Samurai, and Toyo begins to worry that his father intends to commit suicide, and wants Toyo to assist him... Readers will cheer for Toyo as he outwits the older boys, laugh with him and his funny friend Futoshi, and worry along with him about his father. And the sports scenes are cool - they play baseball in flip flops! Check out the book's website.