John H. Ritter
Known for blending high drama and complex characters with imaginative storytelling, YA novelist John H. Ritter offers deep insights into life through the often harsh, often magical realism of baseball.
Cuyamaca Mountains, San Diego
“A riveting historical novel…Spellbinding… A must-read.”
— Priscilla Ouchida
Former Executive Director, National JACL
“Knee-buckling historical curveballs…and high-stakes action.”
— Alan Gratz
NY Times bestselling author of Refugee
Available January 12, 2027
From Philomel – An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, New York
America's Game
It was an extraordinary challenge for a Japanese American baseball club to make. Especially from inside a California concentration camp as World War II raged on. They did it anyway. They had a dream.
Learn MorePre-order America’s Game:
Early praise for America's Game…
“[A] riveting historical novel… [Treated] as criminals by the government, the young heroes of America’s Game navigate an unprecedented world peppered with discrimination and injustice…[R]eminds me of my father who was the pitcher for the championship team at Amache prison camp… A must-read…[R]ecommended for all libraries and classrooms.”
— Priscilla Ouchida, Former Executive Director, National JACL
“John Ritter is one of the rare two-way players in kids’ books. On one page he’s dropping knee-buckling historical curveballs, and on the next he’s knocking it out of the park with high-stakes action.”
— Alan Gratz, NY Times bestselling author of Refugee and War Game
“I found this beautifully written novel both moving and illuminating…America’s Game is a wonderful example of how a carefully researched story can bring history to life. I highly recommend it.”
— Graham Salisbury, award-winning author of Under the Blood-Red Sun
“America’s Game is a gripping historical novel…
“With his signature flair for fine prose, John H. Ritter delivers a compelling read, deftly weaving rich historical context with a poignant coming-of-age story…”
— Chris Crowe, IRA Award-winning author of Mississippi Trial, 1955
About John H. Ritter
Novelist John H. Ritter grew up in the chaparral-covered mountains east of San Diego, CA. “Out in that wild country,” he says, “there was a real sense of the spirits who walked the land in the centuries before. And being so cut off from other kids, I roamed the hills a lot, following hawks and quail, climbing boulders, sitting in ancient caves. Rattlesnakes never bothered us much. But I felt the spirits everywhere.”
Other Books by John H. Ritter
Choosing Up Sides
The Boy Who Saved Baseball
Under the Baseball Moon
