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136 pp.
| Front
| April, 2004
|
TradeISBN 1-886910-99-5$$16.95
(2)
4-6
When Chinese-American Sarah's fourth-grade teacher assigns her to befriend Tina, newly arrived from China, Sarah resents the assumption that a similar heritage will make them friends. Indeed, the girls' alternating narratives dramatize how different their concerns are. Equally strong as a story of friendship, of three contrasting families, and of the immigrant experience.
40 pp.
| Philomel
| June, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-399-23727-5$$15.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
William Low.
In a story based on real events in New York's Chinatown in the 1920s, children from Little Italy keep demolishing Grandfather Chin's magnificent kites. After Henry Chu and his friends discover why, the children negotiate a satisfying resolution for their problem. The kites in Low's dramatic paintings differ somewhat from those described in the text, but he portrays the setting and characters with sensitivity.
32 pp.
| Knopf
| May, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-375-81521-X$$15.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-375-91521-4$$17.99
(3)
K-3
After a trip to a Chinese restaurant, the narrator of this amusing story becomes convinced her family's fortune cookie fortunes are coming true. For example, her sister Mei-Mei's fortune is "Your smallest action will attract many"; when Mei-Mei fills the bird feeder, a flock of birds arrives. Exaggerations in the colorful illustrations give the story a tall-tale flavor.
106 pp.
| Atheneum/Schwartz
| March, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-689-84907-9$$15.95
(3)
1-3
Illustrated by
Anne Wilsdorf.
Seven-year-old Ruby Lu practices her magic tricks, attends Chinese school on Saturdays, and prepares for the arrival of relatives newly emigrating from China. Ruby is a spunky child--and Wilsdorf's angular sketches are as full of life as Ruby herself. The text is more difficult than the format suggests because the language is peppered with Chinese words and poetic expressions.
32 pp.
| Chronicle
| May, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-8118-3772-6$$14.95
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Grace Lin.
This rhyming book counts to ten, highlighting items or activities related to Chinese culture. "One is a drummer / One is a race / One is a dragon boat / that wins first place!" An endnote explains such terms as mahjong and dim sum. Lin makes good use of colorful patterns in her gouache illustrations, which feature a multiethnic cast of characters.
(4)
K-3
We Are America series.
This informative series introduces young readers to the immigrant experience, from life in the homeland to life adapting to a new culture. Personal narratives, photographs, maps, and timelines present a vivid portrait of the challenges and successes encountered, while descriptions of pastimes and traditions offer cultural perspective. Reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these We Are America titles: Chinese Americans, German Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Indian Americans, Filipino Americans, and Italian Americans.]
117 pp.
| Holt
| June, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-7153-9$$15.95
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Yangsook Choi.
Chinese-born Ni Ni is Jimmy's next-door grandmother and best friend. Her jar of keys, literally keys to her past and present, are just one of the many links between them. When it's decided that the frail Ni Ni must move across country to live with her daughter, the boy is devastated. It's predictable that the change benefits both, but there's unusual warmth and depth in the story. Realistic drawings enhance the open, inviting format.
32 pp.
| Lee
| March, 2003
|
TradeISBN 1-58430-057-4$$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Michelle Chang.
After Nancy's grandmother Ni Ni gets a letter from China saying that her family home has been torn down, Nancy decides to make a goldfish pond in their backyard to remind Ni Ni of the pond she had as a child. The characters in the olive and gold illustrations are occasionally stiff, although the story of a child's concern for her grandmother is touching.
24 pp.
| Tundra
| October, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-88776-632-3$$17.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Song Nan Zhang
&
Song Nan Zhang.
When Emma gets upset because she doesn't look like the rest of her family, Grandma tells her once again the story of her adoption from China. There's not much tension in the text, but the description of the joyous welcome Emma received is a satisfying one. The realistic paintings have nice elements but sometimes look awkward.
112 pp.
| Chelsea
| March, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-7126-X$$22.95
|
PaperISBN 0-7910-7513-3$$9.95
(4)
YA
Immigrants in America series.
Covering stereotypes, challenges, and prejudices, each of these comprehensive but dryly written books discusses the history and contributions of a specific immigrant group. Archival photos and text boxes break up the presentation and extend the information. Profiles of notable immigrants are interspersed. Addresses, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Immigrants in America titles: Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Swedish Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, and German Americans.]
150 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| May, 2003
|
TradeISBN 1-58234-814-6$$16.95
(3)
4-6
In the late nineteenth century, Chinese immigrants were forbidden from entering the U.S. In 1889, thirteen-year-old Clementine finds a half-dead Chinese man in a burlap sack in the sea. What follows is an eerie, atmospheric tale of friendship, family, and betrayal. Despite some anachronistic language and actions, the author convincingly takes readers to the San Juan islands setting.
137 pp.
| Delacorte
| June, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-385-7038-1$$15.95
(4)
4-6
Eleven-year-old Fiona Cheng, half Chinese American and half Scottish American, struggles with her grandparents' expectations of her and with her own confused feelings about her identity. In attempting to address all the issues that confront mixed-race kids, the novel ends up with some artificial-feeling characters and situations, but Namioka's protagonist and story are still engaging.
(4)
K-3
Raintree Biographies series.
Plentiful reproductions of the work of each subject contribute to the cluttered design of the dryly written profiles. Each two-page section focuses on an aspect of the artist's life, and sidebars provide quotations from the artists themselves as well as cultural and artistic context. Although superficial, these books give readers a basic understanding of these pivotal figures. Timeline, reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Raintree Biographies titles: Edward Hopper, Frank Lloyd Wright, Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso, Dorothea Lange, and Maya Lin.]
181 pp.
| Hyperion
| June, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-7868-0670-2$$15.99
(4)
4-6
Teddy's little brother Bobby seems destined for greatness, but Teddy seems destined to inherit his dad's fish store. He wants to prove himself while camping with Uncle Curtis, but all three have farcical bad luck with rain, rocks, mosquitoes, and even a skunk. Periodic life lessons add to the slightly formulaic feel, but Yep's yarning about San Francisco's Chinatown is entertaining.
(2)
4-6
Golden Mountain Chronicles series.
The lives of two boys, old beyond their twelve years, intertwine in this saga of ugly events in the Wyoming Territory. This novel focuses on the 1885 race riot in which white coal miners massacred the Chinese workers favored by the mine owner. The well-drawn history is fascinating; a subplot is intriguing; and the plight of the boys as outsiders will appeal to readers. A historical note and a series overview are appended. Bib.
Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2003
32 pp.
| Lerner/Millbrook
| March, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-7613-2314-7$$22.90
(4)
K-3
What Was It Like, Grandma? series.
Illustrated by
Peter Linenthal.
Photographs by
Peter Linenthal.
In these photo-essays, a grandmother shares stories of her childhood with her grandchildren and teaches them about her cultural and family traditions. Each book in this series includes a recipe and an activity. Although several of the photos are blurred and the different type sizes are confusing, the books offer a personalized past and present look at these cultures. [Review covers these What Was It Like, Grandma? titles: Grandma Esther Remembers, Grandma Francisca Remembers, Grandma Lai Goon Remembers, Grandma Lois Remembers, Grandma Susan Remembers.]
112 pp.
| Benchmark
| September, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-1324-3$$31.36
(3)
4-6
Great Journeys series.
Golden Mountain examines the brutal labor conditions and racism suffered by the Chinese immigrants who helped build the transcontinental railroad; Barbed Wire discusses the injustices experienced by Japanese Americans interned during World War II. These clearly written series books blend history with intriguing anecdotal material and feature plentiful black-and-white photos and reproductions. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Great Journeys titles: Behind Barbed Wire, and To the Golden Mountain.]
154 pp.
| Godine
| October, 2002
|
TradeISBN 1-56792-166-3$$17.95
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Mark Mitchell.
When Rusty Dalton unearths a chest full of gold dust in the Nevada desert, the crotchety prospector must find a way to safely get this treasure to the Wells Fargo Office in Rhyolite. With the occasional assistance of a Chinese boy named Lee, Rusty repeatedly outsmarts various thieves eager to steal the gold. The friendship between Rusty and Lee is at the heart of this appealing tale of the Old West.
32 pp.
| Harcourt
| May, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-15-202543-X$$16.00
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Margaret Chodos-Irvine.
"No one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July," a girl tells her Chinese-American parents, who cook chow mein to sell in their market. As the day wears on with few customers, the girl is disappointed--until a crush of hungry people in the evening proves that chow mein is as American as apple pie. The immigrant experience is handled with good humor; the cheerful mixed-media art portrays cultural details in a matter-of-fact way.
112 pp.
| Groundwood
| September, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-88899-475-3$$14.95
(1)
4-6
Illustrated by
Harvey Chan.
These ten original ghost stories, alternately tragic, ironic, and gentle, are informed by two millennia of Chinese tales about wandering souls. Chinese-Canadian archivist and storyteller Yee dramatizes the killing work, the broken dreams, the humiliation, loneliness, heartbreak, and loss experienced by Southern-Chinese immigrants to North America over the past one hundred years. A rough-hewn black-and-white illustration introduces each story.
Reviewer: Margaret A. Chang
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2003
58 reviews
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