Wong, J. S. (2006). Apple
pie 4th of july. Ill. Margaret Chodos-Irvine. New York, NY: Harcourt. ISBN
978015205708
Plot Summary
Apple Pie 4th
of July is about a Chinese American girl whose parents own a market and sell
Chinese food. On the day of 4th of July she is afraid no one will
come and buy their Chinese food. To her surprise, in a turn of events, people
line up to purchase Chinese takeout.
Critical Analysis
The setting of the story
takes place at a young Chinese American girl’s parent’s market, which is opened
year round, even on the 4th of July! Most stores will observe the
national holiday as it marks the independence of the United States. The main
character, the young Chinese American girls tries hard to understand why her
parents would make Chinese food, when people usually eat apple pie on the
Fourth of the July. The United States has become a nation of many cultures,
which is proven as customer’s line up to buy Chinese food.
Events in the story such
as the traditional eating of apple pie, parade, and the fireworks displays help
portray the American culture, on the other hand the opening of the store year
round, making Chinese food on the Fourth of July, and her parents not
understanding, showcases she struggles with both her Chinese and American
cultures.
The illustrations help
blend the two cultures together. The illustrations of the Chinese food, the
wok, chopsticks, fireworks, and characters gives the readers an authentic
visual representation of the Chinese culture.
Review Excerpts
Horn Book Guide (fall, 2002) - "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.
School Library Journal (May 1,
2002) – “K-Gr 2-This simply
told story explores a child's fears about cultural differences and fitting in
with understanding and affection. A Chinese-American girl helps her parents
open their small neighborhood grocery store every day of the year. However,
today is the Fourth of July and her parents just don't understand that
customers won't be ordering chow mein and sweet-and-sour pork on this very
American holiday. As she spends the day working in the store and watching the
local parade, she can't shake her anxiety about her parents' naïveté. When
evening arrives along with hungry customers looking "for some Chinese food
to go," she is surprised but obviously proud that her parents were right
after all: Americans do eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July. Nighttime finds
the family atop their roof enjoying fireworks and sharing a neighbor's apple
pie. Done in a "variety of printmaking techniques," Chodos-Irvine's
illustrations are cheerfully bright and crisp, capturing the spirit of the day
as well as the changing emotions of the main character.”
Connections
Literature including
other cultures holidays and traditions:
Lin, Grace. Bringing in the New Year. ISBN
9780375837456
Manushkin, Fran. Reb, White, and Blue, and Katie Woo!.ISBN9781404859852
Chen, Shan-Shan. Mei-Mei’s lucky birthday noodles. ISBN
9780804849784
Say, A. (2011). Drawing
from memory. Ill. Allen Say. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN
9780545176866
Plot Summary
Through Allen Say’s memories is how
he tells his story of how he became an artist. Growing up in Japan during World
War II and the unforgettable opportunity working under Noro Shinpei, readers
get a insight of how he became the award winning artist he is today.
Critical Analysis
Allen Say went through many
experiences as he finally reached his dream of becoming an artist. In the end
he decides to leave for the America for better opportunities and to not continue
to be a “burden” on his mother. It is through his memories he recalls his own
story of how he became the artist he is today. Readers experience the many
events Say went through, but through perseverance he obtained his goal.
Events such as World War II and
demonstrations for a better government in Japan help account for authentic timeline of the story. Such events and impacted Say’s life as his life was
broken apart as his house was destroyed causing his father to find work else
where. His parents go through divorce, an occurrence many children can relate
to. Even though this individual is from Japan many readers get the chance to
see what life was like for one individual in the 1930s/1940s.
School is extremely competitive in
Japan, even at the middle school and high school level. Entrance exams are
required in order to gain entrance for particular schools. This event can be
seen at the beginning of the story as Say is trying to gain admittance to one
of the most prestigious schools so he can move out on his own.
Say’s decision to use a combination
of real photos and illustrations captures the Japanese culture, providing
authentic representation for readers. For example, the furniture in his
grandmother’s living room, grandmother’s traditional clothing (kimono), other
drawings showcase non traditional Japanese clothing as well (some individuals
are more traditional than others), the structures of the buildings (“long
house”) downtown Tokyo, newspapers (written in Japanese), original comic strips
of “Demokurashee-chan”.
Review Experts
Horn
Book Guide starred (Spring 2012) – “This rendering of
Say's adolescence--a coming-of-age story within the context of a long life and
vocation--takes the form of an album, with text, photographs, drawings, and
paintings. At the center of the book is Say's relationship with Noro Shinpei, a
popular cartoonist who took Say on as an apprentice at thirteen. Throughout the
volume, content is reinforced through canny artistic choices and harmonious
design.”
School
Library Journal (October 1, 2013) – “Gr 4-7-This
"journey through memories" uses a scrapbook format featuring the
author's photographs, sketches, drawings, and comic-style panels. Say shares
his love of comics and the important influence they have in his art. The book
is a poignant tribute to his mentor, Japanese cartoonist Noro Shinpei.”
Booklist
starred (August 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 22)) –
“Grades 4-7. Say, a Caldecott Medal–winning picture-book creator, returns to
his most fertile ground—true life—to tell the story of how he became an artist.
He began living alone when he was 12, paying a little attention to schoolwork
and a lot of attention to drawing, a pursuit that flourished under the
mentorship of his favorite cartoonist, Noro Shinpei. His narrative is
fascinating, winding through formative early-teen experiences in Japan as he
honed his skills and opened his eyes to the greater world around him. This
heavily illustrated autobiography features Say’s characteristically strong
artwork. The visually stunning sequences include a standout scene in which the
young artist and a friend stumble upon a massive demonstration, which is
depicted as a huge crowd of people that snakes down one page and is stopped
short by a brick wall of police on the next. The scrapbook format features
photographs, many of them dim with age; sketchbook drawings; and unordered,
comic-book-style panels that float around wide swathes of text and unboxed
captions, and the overall effect is sometimes disjointed. Still, as a portrait
of a young artist, this is a powerful title that is both culturally and
personally resonant.”
Connections
Interested in reading other selection
on with a focus from multiculture artists biography/ memoir check out the
following list.
Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the Artists. ISBN 9780544252233
Say, Allen. The Inker’s Shadow. ISBN 9780545437769
Young, Ed. The House Baba Built: An Artist’s Childhood in China. ISBN
9780316076289
Kadohata, C. (2013). The
thing about luck. Ill. Julia Kuo. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young
Readers. ISBN 9781416918820
Plot Summary
The Thing About Luck follows
a young girl named Summer and events of “bad luck” that happen to her and her
family. Her parents have left to Japan to tend to an emergency just as the
family was preparing to harvest season. Harvest season is a must and Summer and
her little brother must go with her grandparents. Summer’s grandparents Obaachan and Jiichan are traditional, elderly, and demanding.
Through an unfortunate event, Summer seems to have made Obaachan upset, and
must make a tough decision in order to save her family’s job, even though she
may go against her grandparents.
Critical Analysis
The setting of the story takes place
in Texas where seasons of harvesting of wheat occur annually. This year due to
unforeseen circumstances, Summer and Jaz must accompany their grandparents.
Children from different cultures can relate to these characters partake as
migrant workers in the story.
The description of the characters for
example, the grandparents are more traditional where respect from their
grandchildren is demanded. The grandparents names Toshiro and Yukiko
(Obaachan/Jiichan), are also
traditional. In turn the grandchildren understand manners and respect go hand
in hand, especially toward their grandparents. The description of Summer’s
hair, “I had the bad luck of being in that small minority of Asian people with
frizzy hair.” gives authenticity to the characters and take away the misleading
conceptions that all Asians have straight black hair.
Even though Summer is only 12 years
old, the demand of migrant work is present as she assists her grandmother with
her job cooking meals for the workers and owners. Summer even takes the responsibility
for looking our for her younger brother who may be diagnosed with ADHAD/ OCD.
Changing her luck around, Summer finds the courage to do what it takes to save
their family’s jobs.
Review Experts
School Library Journal (June 1,
2013) - Gr 5-8-Fans of Kadohata's
Kira-Kira (S & S, 2004) will welcome this similarly gentle,
character-driven exploration of familial bonds, this time set in the
contemporary Midwest. With their parents called away to care for relatives in
Japan, 12-year-old Summer and her younger brother, Jaz, accompany their
grandparents, performing the grueling work that comes with the harvest season.
In her likable voice, Summer observes the varying excitement, tedium, and
challenges of harvesting wheat, sprinkling her narration with casual turns of
phrase such as "OMG" and "epic fail" that will endear her
to readers. Strong family ties suffuse this novel with a tremendous amount of
heart. Though Summer's brother has been diagnosed with a number of disorders,
she prefers to think of him as simply "intense," and, like most
siblings, is alternately protective of and annoyed by his idiosyncrasies. Her
grandparents, comically strict Obaachan and kindly Jiichan, bring warmth and
humor with their cultural and generational differences. Kadohata expertly
captures the uncertainties of the tween years as Summer navigates the balance
of childlike concerns with the onset of increasingly grown-up responsibilities.
She ponders the fragility of life after a brush with death from malaria,
experiences newfound yearnings upon becoming preoccupied with a boy, and
bravely steps up to save the day when her grandfather falls ill. The book's
leisurely pace and extensive information about grain harvesting require some
amount of patience from readers, but their investment will be rewarded by
Summer's satisfying journey to self-actualization.
Booklist starred (April 1, 2013
(Vol. 109, No. 15)) - Grades 4-8. It
seems that if Summer’s Japanese American family didn’t have bad luck, they’d
have no luck at all. Certainly good luck (kouun) is elusive. Consider that
Summer has had malaria; her little brother, Jaz, is friendless; her parents
have to fly to Japan to take care of elderly relatives; and her grandmother
(Obaa-chan) and grandfather (Jii-chan) must pay the mortgage by coming out of
retirement to work for a custom harvesting company. When the siblings accompany
their grandparents on the harvest, Summer helps her grandmother, a cook, while
Jaz is Jaz: intense, focused, and bad-tempered. At first, things go reasonably well,
but then Jii-chan becomes sick, and it appears that it might be up to Summer to
save the day. Will she succeed? Kadohata has written a gentle family story that
is unusual in its focus on the mechanics of wheat harvesting. Readers may skim
the more arcane aspects of the labor-intensive work, focusing instead on the
emotionally rich and often humorous dynamics of Summer’s relationship with her
old-fashioned but endearing grandparents and her troubled younger brother.
Another engaging novel from the Newbery Medal–winning Kadohata. HIGH-DEMAND
BACKSTORY: With the blogosphere already starting to buzz, and author
appearances and web promotions planned, Kadohata’s already sizable audience
will likely increase with this title.
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2013) - In this funny, poignant novel, twelve-year-old Summer's parents can't go "on harvest" this year, so Summers grandfather, Jiichan, comes out of retirement to drive a combine, while her grandmother, Obaachan, cooks for the work crew (with Summer as her assistant). When a crisis hits, Summer gathers her courage and saves the situation; her exultance makes for an uplifting conclusion.
Connections
If you enjoyed The Thing About Luck
by Cynthia Kadohata you may also like the following titles by Kadohata.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Checked. ISBN 9781481446617
Kadohata, Cynthia. Half a World Away. ISBN 9781442412750
Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-Kira. ISBN 9780689856396
Lin, G. (2007). The year
of the dog a novel. Ill. Grace Lin New York, NY: Little, Brown. ISBN
9780316060028
Plot Summary
The Year of the Dog follows
a young Taiwanese American named Pacy. As Pacy and her family celebrate the
Chinese New Year, her mother mentions it is The Year of the Dog, which marks
the year to be filled with good luck and friendships. Pacy anticipates a year
full of luck and new friends, but this year has other plans in store for her.
Critical Analysis
Readers are quickly met with cultural
markers from the start of the story as Chinese (“Gong xi-gong xi! Xinanian kuai
le!”)is spoken during a conversation between the father and relatives from
Taiwan. Although the characters of the story are Taiwanese/Chinese American,
they are celebrating the Chinese New Year with authentic dishes (shrimp, pork,
vegetables) and other traditions of celebrating the Chinese New Year with the New
Year tray filled with special Chinese New Year candy. Hong Bao (special red
envelopes containing money) are given to the children as part of tradition for
the Chinese New Year. Other Chinese dishes, wonton soup, white rice, and stick
re-brown spareribs. This helps provide cultural authenticity to the story.
The uncertainty about being Chinese
and American is present through the story. For example, when Pacy and her
sister are preparing the New Year tray they have ran out of the Chinese candy
and contemplate whether adding American candy to the tray as her father says, “This
way is good , he said. “We should have both Chinese and American candy for the
new year. It’s just like s- Chinese-Americans.
The illustrations are simple, but
still provide great visuals of the text for readers. They help the reader get a
better insight how the main character visualizes the characters or events
throughout the story.
Many themes were present in this
story such as friendships and finding ones self. The year of the dog promised a
year full of luck and friendship which Pacy became friends with Melody and won
a prestigious story award, be apart of her school play with an important role,
which Pacy did not think it was important at the time. Even though things may
not go exactly as we expect it, there is always a reason for it. We must be
patient and take advantage of every opportunity given as we are never sure if
this is our time or calling.
Review Experts
School Library Journal (March 1,
2006) – “Gr 3-5-A lighthearted
coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist. Readers follow Grace, an American
girl of Taiwanese heritage, through the course of one year-The Year of the
Dog-as she struggles to integrate her two cultures. Throughout the story, her
parents share their own experiences that parallel events in her life. These
stories serve a dual purpose; they draw attention to Grace's cultural
background and allow her to make informed decisions. She and her two sisters
are the only Taiwanese-American children at school until Melody arrives. The
girls become friends and their common backgrounds illuminate further
differences between the American and Taiwanese cultures. At the end of the
year, the protagonist has grown substantially. Small, captioned, childlike
black-and-white drawings are dotted throughout. This is an enjoyable chapter
book with easily identifiable characters.-Diane Eddington, Los Angeles Public
Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.”
Booklist starred (January 1,
2006 (Vol. 102, No. 9)) – “Gr. 3-5. When
Lin was a girl, she loved the Betsy books by Carolyn Hayward, a series about a
quintessentially American girl whose days centered around friends and school.
But Lin, a child of Taiwanese immigrants, didn't see herself in the pages. Now
she has written the book she wished she had as a child. Told in a simple,
direct voice, her story follows young Grace through the Year of the Dog, one
that Grace hopes will prove lucky for her. And what a year it is! Grace meets a
new friend, another Asian girl, and together they enter a science fair, share a
crush on the same boy, and enjoy special aspects of their heritage (food!).
Grace even wins fourth place in a national book-writing contest and finds her
true purpose in life. Lin, who is known for her picture books, dots the text
with charming ink drawings, some priceless, such as one picturing Grace dressed
as a munchkin. Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from Grace's
parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese heritage. Lin
does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the 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.”
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall
2006) - “For
Taiwanese-American Pacy, sorting out her ethnic identity is important, and she
wonders what she should be when she grows up. Writing and illustrating a book
for a national contest makes her think that perhaps she can become an author of
a "real Chinese person book." Lin offers both authentic
Taiwanese-American and universal childhood experiences, told from a genuine
child perspective.”
Connections
If you enjoyed this title,
you may also enjoy the following:
Chen, Pauline. Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas. ISBN
9781599901220
Lin, Grace. The Year of the Rat. ISBN 9781725414051
Lin, Grace. Dumplings Days. ISBN 9780316531337
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