Tomi was born in Hawaii. His grandfather and parents were born in Japan, and came to America to escape poverty. World War II seems far away from Tomi and his friends, who are too busy playing ball on their eighth-grade team, the Rats. But then Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese, and the United States declares war on Japan. Japanese men are rounded up, and Tomi’s father and grandfather are arrested. It’s a terrifying time to be Japanese in America. But one thing doesn’t change: the loyalty of Tomi’s buddies, the Rats.
湯米出生夏威夷，而出生於日本的祖父與父母，為了脫貧來到美國。二次世界大戰對於八年級生的湯米及他老鼠隊隊員的朋友們而言，看似沒有任何關聯。但隨著珍珠港被日本襲擊、美國向日本宣戰，在美的日本人無不戒慎恐懼，而湯米的父親及祖父也都被逮捕了。唯一不變的是湯米那群死黨對他的忠心。