Soontornvat, C. (2020). A Wish in the Dark. Candlewick. ISBN: 978-1536204940
Plot Summary
Pong and his best friend Somkit have only known life inside of Namwon prison. Their mothers were prisoners therefore they must stay in the prison until they are 13. One day Pong escapes the unfair prison that he lives in only to discover that life on the outside is not fair either. The Governor who has supposedly saved their city after the great fire by bringing back the light is not all he seems to be. Nok is a young girl whose father is the warden of Namwon prison. When Pong escapes it causes havoc in Nok’s life and she has vowed to seek revenge on Pong. As the story unfolds both Pong and Nok discover that things aren’t always as they seem, and they discover that there is a difference between law and justice.
Analysis
This story is set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world and inspired by Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. This story shows Thai culture through food, clothing, and religion. One example of Thai culture is Pong living with the Buddhist monks. He stays in the temple and develops a special bond with one of the monks, Father Cham. Father Cham teaches him many lessons and ultimately leads him to find his purpose. Culture is also shown through the food in the story such as the mango trees that the boys eat from in the prison as well as the fish market that hides the Mud House hideout. There are several themes running through this story which include: oppression and civil disobedience. The characters also discover the power of friendship and standing up for what is right.
Reviews
It’s a novel—a stand- alone, no less—that seems to have it all: a sympathetic hero, a colorful setting, humor, heart, philosophy, and an epic conflict that relates the complexity and humanity of social justice without heavy-handed storytelling. Soontornvat deftly blends it all together, salting the tale with a dash of magic that enhances the underlying emotions in this masterfully paced adventure. An important book that not only shines a light but also shows young readers how to shine their own. Luminous.
—Booklist (starred review)
Combining themes of coming-of-age, protest, and the power of freedom, this book will inspire young readers to stand up for their own beliefs as well as those of all people. This is a thought-provoking adventure that will cause readers to ask themselves whether being safe or having freedom is the better option, and if that needs to be a choice at all.
—School Library Connection
A thrilling fantasy, set in a fresh, original world, with a vital message at its heart. A Wish in the Dark is incandescent.
—Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Inquisitor’s Tale
Connections
2021 Newberry Honor Book
Other books by Christina Soontornvat include: The Last Mapmaker, The Changelings, and Snowplace Like Home.
Say, A. (1999). Tea with Milk. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 978-0547237473
Plot Summary
May lives in San Francisco with her Japanese parents. They speak to her in Japanese and serve her plain green tea. When May is with her friends she speaks English and drinks her tea with milk and sugar. One day her parents decide that they miss their home and move their family back to Japan. Here May sticks out and is homesick for America. She tries to be a good Japanese woman but does not like living in Japan. Then she decides to move to the city and get a job like an independent American girl. While living in the city she meets a man named Joseph. Together May and Joseph learn that home is not a place, but the people you share it with.
Analysis
This story has beautiful illustrations done in muted tones with watercolor. Many of the illustrations are painted in a portrait style. The culture represented in this story is Japanese. This is shown through food, dress, customs, and language. One way the author shows the Japanese culture is through food, by comparing a traditional Japanese breakfast of rice and miso soup with the American breakfast of pancakes. Also the author mentions several times the comparison of plain green tea and tea with milk and sugar. Some of the Japanese customs that May has to learn when returning to Japan are flower arranging, calligraphy, and the tea ceremony. The culture is also shown through the clothing with May wearing a traditional kimono for her new job in the city. The theme of this story is that home can be anywhere. May and Joseph are from two different places, he is Chinese and she is American, but with the support of each other they can make a home in Japan. May learns that she does not have to fit into any mold, Japanese or American, in order to be happy.
Reviews
"Continuing to explore place and home, Say tells the story of his mother, first introduced to readers in TREE OF CRANES. Born in California to Japanese immigrants, Masako is miserable when she moves to Japan with her parents after high school. The illustrations capture Masako's unhappiness and also her eventual contentment as she learns to combine two cultures." Horn Book
In describing how his parents met, Say continues to explore the ways that differing cultures can harmonize; raised near San Francisco and known as May everywhere except at home, where she is Masako, the child who will grow up to be Say's mother becomes a misfit when her family moves back to Japan. Rebelling against attempts to force her into the mold of a traditional Japanese woman, she leaves for Osaka, finds work as a department store translator, and meets Joseph, a Chinese businessman who not only speaks English, but prefers tea with milk and sugar, and persuades her that ‘‘home isn't a place or a building that's ready-made or waiting for you, in America or anywhere else.'' Painted with characteristic control and restraint, Say's illustrations, largely portraits, begin with a sepia view of a sullen child in a kimono, gradually take on distinct, subdued color, and end with a formal shot of the smiling young couple in Western dress. A stately cousin to Ina R. Friedman's How My Parents Learned To Eat (1984), also illustrated by Say.
Kirkus Reviews —
Connections
Other books by Allen Say include: Grandfather’s Journey, Drawing from Memory, and Tree of Cranes.
Young, E. (2011). The House Baba Built. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN:
978-0-316-07628-9
Plot Summary
Right after the stock market crash in the United States Eddy’s family moves back to Shanghai. Here Eddy’s father leases land to build a home to keep his family safe during WWII. Not only was Eddy’s family kept safe here but his extended family as well. Then a German couple and their daughter move in to escape the war and find refuge in their home.. The house that Baba built becomes a safe haven full of joy and imagination for Eddy and his siblings.
Analysis
This memoir is beautifully written and illustrated. The illustrations vary in style, some are mixed media with photographs mixed in with line drawings or chalk. Others are collaged with crinkly paper, reed paper and paint. Many of the pages have fold outs featuring large illustrations or maps of the house Baba built. The text follows the flow of the story sometimes running diagonally across the pages. The culture represented in this story is Chinese. Most of the characters are Chinese except for the German couple and their daughter who come to live in the house. This is shown through food, customs, and historical references. Eddy talks about the food that they eat including bamboo shoots and fava beans and also references not having any meat because of the war. One of the customs mentioned was Chinese New Year and how the boys had to help grind the rice for the festivities. Also included in the back of the book is an afterword with pictures of the house Baba built long ago and today. There is a timeline of the events surrounding the time they spent in this home and an Author’s note at the very end. The Author’s note includes a drawing of the floor plan of the house where so many cherished memories were made, the house that Baba built.
Reviews
In this picture book memoir by the Caldecott Medalist, which opens in 1931 (the year he was born), the stock market has crashed, and China is in turmoil. Young’s father, Baba, persuades a landowner in Shanghai to let him construct a huge brick house on his land; Baba promises to return the house after 20 years, long enough to keep his family safe until WWII ends. Young’s creation, shaped with help from author Libby Koponen, is as complex and labyrinthine as Baba’s house, with foldout pages that open to reveal drawings, photos, maps, and memories. Tender portraits of his siblings, torn-paper collages showing tiny figures at play, and old photos of stylish adults intermingle, as if they’d been found forgotten in a drawer. Young’s fans will savor stories of his East-West childhood; he and his four siblings raise silkworms, watch Westerns, train fighting crickets, and dance the conga when the war finally ends 14 years later. “Life,” Baba writes to his children, “is not rich not real unless you partake life with your fellow man”; Young set the course of his life by his father’s words. It’s history at its most personal. All ages. (Oct.) Publisher’s Weekly
Connections
Other books by Ed Young include: Lon Po Po, Voices of the Heart, and Seven Blind Mice.
Lin, G. (2006). The Year of the Dog. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN:978-0316060028
Plot Summary
Pacy is excited for Chinese New Year this year because it is the year of the dog. Her parents tell her that the year of the dog is a good time for friends, family, and “finding herself”. Therefore Pacy is determined to make this year the best it can be and to find out what she wants to do with her life. This is going to be her lucky year. Right away Pacy discovers that this isn’t going to be as easy as she thought. She does however make a new Chinese friend Melody who helps her on her journey. The journey starts out rough with losing the science fair and being told she can’t be Dorothy in the school play because “Dorothy isn’t Chinese” by one of her classmates. Then the year ends with Pacy winning a writing contest and discovering her love of writing. This story is a quick, fun read that is perfect for young readers.
Analysis
This story is a quick read with fun line drawings throughout which add great detail to the story. The characters in this story are mostly Chinese or Taiwanese with many cultural references made throughout. The culture is shown through the illustrations of Chinese dress and food items. There are also many references to food such as when Pacy talks about her favorite breakfast of rice porridge with fried egg and dried pork on top. There are also many references to Chinese/Taiwanese holidays and customs such as Chinese New Year, Red Egg party to welcome her baby cousin, and her grandmother painting on her neck to get rid of her pain. The main character also discusses the different holidays that her family celebrates with a Chinese twist such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. The author also brings up the difficulty of being both Chinese and American, and how she felt too American for her Chinese friends and too Chinese for her American friends. This story is perfect for all children who can relate to fitting in and trying to find your purpose. Included in the back of the book is an Author’s note which discusses how the author developed the idea for the book and a little about her background. This book is perfect for any library, a great read.
Reviews
* "Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers."―Booklist, starred review
"This comfortable first-person story will be a treat for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who enjoys stories of friendship and family life."―Kirkus
"Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here."―Publishers Weekly
Connections
Other books by Grace Lin include: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, When the Sea Turned to Silver, and A Big Mooncake for Little Star.
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