Skunk Scout

by Laurence Yep

Teddy's idea of a good vacation is a triple-feature at the movie theater. So when his uncle invites him to go camping, he is more than a little reluctant. To make matters worse, his know-it-all little brother, Bobby, is coming, too. Teddy practices his camping skills in his Chinatown apartment and watches Wilderness Scout for tips, but nothing can prepare him for his meeting with Mother Nature. Soon Teddy, Bobby, and Uncle Curtis find themselves in the woods, sleeping on rocks, and battling raccoons, mosquitoes, and poison oak. Through it all, Teddy is determined to prove he is just as smart as his little brother. But the worst is yet to come. A hike leaves them lost in the woods-and is that a skunk coming down the path?

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Born June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.

Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

How is this not more popular? It's a quick, funny adventure about two boys and their uncle who just happen to be Chinese-American. It's #OwnVoices# multicultural diversity, and the references to Chinatown, traditions, etc. are not didactic but still satisfying. I think reluctant readers would like it, and so would avid book-learners. It would also be great as a family read-aloud, with interesting conversation prompts. For example, do you think Teddy will settle down with the store when he grows up? And why isn't everyone associated with the store already familiar with dry ice?\

Recommended to city kids, educators looking for 'diversity' reads, and anyone looking for a humorous heart-warmer.

[Rachel Spears · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the ending was lacking a little. We are going to read this in my class next week, going to have my advanced students re-write the ending.

[Mattine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story of two brothers and their uncle on a camping adventure that takes them out of their comfort zone. A good read for kiddos to learn about Chinese culture and the traditions within.

[Marinel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a great entertaining book for kids !

[Kimber Fowler]

no rating because it doesn't deserve one 😁

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy is not thrilled with the present his uncle gave him for his tenth birthday--a camping trip for him and his younger brother--but on his first outing away from San Francisco's Chinatown, Teddy learns some interesting facts about nature, about his uncle, and about himself. Little boys will definitely like the humorous mishaps in the book. I think girls will find some situations gross. The cover art will lure boys more over girls. The character’s strengths and weaknesses are revealed through humorous situations they encounter. Real, credible-main character well-rounded.

[Melissa Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Perfect for characterization skills.