Apple Pie 4th of July

by Janet S. Wong, Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Illustrator)

Shocked that her parents are cooking Chinese food to sell in the family store on an all-American holiday, a feisty Chinese American girl tries to tell her mother and father how things really are. But as the parade passes by and fireworks light the sky, she learns a surprising lesson.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Cultural, Realistic Fiction, Food, Family

40 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Janet S. Wong was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in Southern and Northern California. As part of her undergraduate program at UCLA, she spent her junior year in France, studying art history at the Université de Bordeaux. When she returned from France, Janet founded the UCLA Immigrant Children's Art Project, a program focused on teaching refugee children to express themselves through art.

After graduating from UCLA, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in History and College Honors, Janet then obtained her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she was a director of the Yale Law and Technology Association and worked for New Haven Legal Aid. After practicing corporate and labor law for a few years for GTE and Universal Studios Hollywood, she made a dramatic career change—choosing to write for young people instead. Her successful switch from law to children’s literature has been the subject of several articles and television programs, most notably an O Magazine article, a "Remembering Your Spirit" segment on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and the Fine Living Channel’s "Radical Sabbatical."

Janet's poems and stories have been featured in many textbooks and anthologies, and also in some more unusual venues. Poems from Behind the Wheel have been performed on a car-talk radio show. "Albert J. Bell" from A Suitcase of Seaweed was selected to appear on 5,000 subway and bus posters as part of the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority's "Poetry in Motion" program, and was later highlighted on the Hallmark Channel’s "New Morning" show. And, in April 2003, Janet was one of five children’s authors invited to read at The White House Easter Egg Roll.

Janet and her books have received numerous awards and honors, such as the International Reading Association's "Celebrate Literacy Award" for exemplary service in the promotion of literacy, and the prestigious Stone Center Recognition of Merit, given by the Claremont Graduate School. Janet also has been appointed to two terms on the Commission on Literature of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Janet currently resides near Princeton, NJ, with her husband Glenn and her son Andrew.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl - believing that the 4th of July is a time when people eat American foods like apple pie - tries to convince her parents that no one will be interested in the Chinese food they sell in their store. Despite her gloomy predictions - which seem, at first, to be borne out by the events of the day - they calmly carry on preparing the chow mein and sweet-and-sour pork. Do her immigrant parents know something she, despite being born in America, doesn't...?

Janet S. Wong, the child of Korean and Chinese immigrants herself, delivers an engaging story in Apple Pie 4th of July, one that addresses everything from the immigrant experience during the holidays, to the importance of food in shaping our identity. Although I think it will be of particular interest to immigrant and first-generation children, it is also just a fun holiday story that can be enjoyed by all young readers looking for 4th of July tales. The accompanying illustrations by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, which (according to the colophon) use a "variety of printmaking techniques," are bright and appealing, with a particular emphasis on red, white and blue.

[S10_Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apple Pie 4th of July is a charming book about a Chinese-American, little girl. Her parents own a small neighborhood store that sells Chinese food. For more than over half of the book, the young girl struggles internally about why her parents have opened the store on the day of an American holiday. Throughout the book the young girl often tells herself comments like, “My parents do not understand all American things. They were not born here.” Even though customers do not come into the store to buy food during the day, in the evening the store does get a steady flow of customers. At the end of the story, the little girl goes on the roof to watch the fireworks with her Chinese parents. Though the author does not come out and say it, it appears that the little girl understands that customs and traditions can merge and evolve as cultures merge and evolve.

This book would be great for students who are Pre-K through 2nd grade. The illustrations truly say 1,000 words a piece. I feel the children will empathize with the character while becoming more culturally aware. This book could be integrated into units that are about customs and cultures. It could also be helpful to parents who are from another culture, that have an American born child. It may help them understand some of the struggles their children may face internally.

[Aladdin Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tale seems to be one with a somewhat "odd" storyline. While the concept of a young child celebrating the holidays is appealing, how this celebration is brought to fruition take a strange and lengthy turn....as if the whole point of the story is drawn out. the main character, I feel, is portrayed as an impatient child and kind of takes a shot at her parents stating that they are "ignorant' to the concept of what it means to be an American. She believes that just because she has spent the entirety of her life (grand total of no more than 10 yrs) that she knows more about what the American culture looks like.

When I first read the title of the book, I originally though that that I would be reading about the recipe of an apple. Or at the least have the author have the main theme of the book focus on an apple pie. But this is not the case at all. The theme is focused on Chinese food. This is one reason why I was not fond of the book (misleading theme). Even when reading this to a group of students, they seemed to be a bit confused when I was speaking so much about chow mien and sweet & sour pork and only mentioned the pie at on the lat page.

[David Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text-to-Teaching Connection

Author Janet Wong does an excellent job of portraying the feelings of the young main character in the book. The young girl becomes annoyed with her parents when they insist on cooking Chinese food on the 4th of July. She feels that her parents do not understand the significance of the holiday because they were not born in the United States. In the end, she comes to realize that just not everyone has the same traditions and just because her parents were not born here they can make new traditions in the same vein as the old ones.

As a teacher, I would like to use this book at the beginning of the year to help young students understand that everyone comes from different backgrounds and may have different traditions than other students in the class. If you use this book at the beginning of the year, the events of that year's 4th of July celebrations will hopefully still be fresh in the student's minds. As a follow activity to the reading and class discussion, I would have students in younger grades draw a picture of something their family does that may not be considered "traditional" during a holiday of their choosing and be able to tell the teacher about it. Older grades such as 2nd and 3rd would write a short explanation for their drawing.

[Jasmine Na · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Apple Pie 4th of July," Janet S. Wong shares the story of a Chinese-American girl who does not understand why her parents work and eat Chinese food instead of apple pie for the holiday. The author shows how the main character is embarrassed that her parents do not follow the "American" tradition and eat and do things differently. The language of the book are simple and is a good read for 2nd graders. The book shows a variety of culture in the book through illustrations and does a good job of tying two cultures into one, Chinese and American. The illustrations follow along with the story and is accurate with the characters, setting, and plot. Overall, the story has appropriate language and shows different perspectives, however there could be an assumption that children can learn that all Chinese people eat chow mien on 4th of July, which is not true.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades 2-6
A girl is disgusted with her parents’ insistence to keep their Chinese restaurant open on the Fourth of July; Americans don’t want Chinese food on the Fourth of July, she thinks. Just before the fireworks, she is in for a surprise when people pile in. This short book convincingly captures the blasé self-consciousness of some children while subtly presenting what it means to be American. Margaret Chodos-Irvine’s prints are pared down and graphic, filled with patriotic anaphora and symbolism. Although this book is listed as appropriate for Pre-K through second grade, I doubt that most kids as young as 4 could understand the complexities of trying to straddle two cultures. Certainly these issues would be valuable for older children to discuss. Most children can relate to the feeling of being embarrassed by one’s parents, so the opportunities for discussion extend beyond cultural identity.

[Ch_nataliepelaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about a young chinese american girl who is sulking in her parents food store and would rather be out watching the parade and fireworks on the fourth of July. She believes that her parents don't understand that Americans do not eat chinese food on the fourth of July. She believes her parents don't understand because they were not born in America. The young girl would rather be eating apple pie instead of chinese food. Then 5'oclock rolls around and she realizes more and more people are coming in for chinese food. In fact there is a line into the store of people wanting chinese on the fourth of july. The book ends with the girl on top of the roof eating apple pie and watching fireworks. The message is clear, chinese food is American, they are American. This book is for preschool-2nd grade.

[Morgan Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a Chinese-American girl who is frustrated that her families store is open on Fourth of July. Throughout the book she expresses her annoyance and does not think her parents “understand” that it is an American Holiday. As people start ordering food and the fireworks start, she learns a surprising lesson. This holiday is celebrated with all cultures and while the store was open people were buying Chinese food. The illustrations in this book were colorful and introduced both cultures into the book. I would love to share this with my future students because it teaches a great lesson. I would first read this book to my class and let them reflect on the book. I would then ask them what they thought the book was about and write about a tradition that their family does and why it is important to them. I would recommend this book to my fellow colleagues.

[Caitlyn Robinson]

In the realistic fiction Apple Pie Fourth of July, a second-generation girl whose family is from China is convinced that Chinese food is not right for the Fourth of July, but her parents are not. Her belief is disproved when later that day a string of customers cram inside to buy Chinese food. The illustrations are fun, colorful and help provide a more meaningful understanding through facial expressions and body language. Also, the story is written using choppy sentences, which provides interest and insight into the personality of the young girl, who is relatable to children through her restless, observant and sometimes egocentric nature. The cultural diversity is between Western and Chinese culture and is focused on aspects of food and work ethics. The parents of the girl are dedicated and seem to have a sense of fulfillment from working, while seeming to find enjoyment in their work, which is recognizable by their facial expressions and body language. A downside to Apple Pie Fourth of July is that it lacks an obvious, detailed plot with a problem and solution. To receive meaningful take-aways from the story the reader must dig deep into the text, which can also be seen as a benefit for teachers as it allows for problem-posing questions by asking children what the meaning of the story is, with teacher support. (Freire, 1968). Another downside is the illustrations lack variety, as all characters look fairly identical, with only skin color and hair differences. Also because this book focuses on Asians, there is a stereotype present by portraying the characters with slits as eyes, even though all characters in the book are portrayed this way. Overall, this book is a fun way to introduce to children lessons surrounding appreciation for one's culture, and to show how what is considered "American" culture is also influenced by other cultures, including Chinese, such as celebrating with fireworks, as the girl's father points out in the book.

[Mackenzie Donahoo]

In Apple Pie 4th of July, we meet Laura. Her family is Chinese. They own a restaurant that is always open. When it comes to the Fourth of July, he parents begin to make Chinese food. Laura says to them that no on will want Chinese food on the Fourth of July. Her parents claim that they will. As the day passes people come into their restaurant to get apple pie. Laura begins to lose hope that anyone will want their Chinese food, so she eats it herself. Then towards the end of the day, the first person walks in asking for Chinese food. Right as Laura is about to explain that she already ate it all, her mom comes out with more food. Laura sees lots of people coming in throughout the rest of the night hoping for some Chinese food until the store closes. Then, her family goes up on the roof top and watched the fireworks.

I liked this book because I thought it was a creative way to talk about culture and the food that people around the world eat. I enjoyed the pictures and thought they fit well with the story line. I would recommend this book!

I could use this book in my classroom to talk about culture. Laura's parents do not know why people would not want Chinese food because their culture is different. I could talk the types of food that people across the world enjoy. I could also talk about what Fourth of July is and what it means for America.

[Hannah]

Summary: This is a book about a young Chinese girl, who celebrates the fourth of July differently than most American families celebrate. On this independence day, the young girl dreams of eating apple pie and watching the fireworks. This does not correlate with her family's traditions, therefore, she spends the afternoon helping her parents at their Chinese restaurant. She can't imagine why anyone would want to eat Chinese food on the fourth of July, when they could be eating apple pie instead. When American families begin coming to her parents' Chinese restaurant, the young girl is very surprised.

Evaluation: This book features images that illustrate the book, so that the reader is able to make connections. The book is organized to where it flows efficiently with the story.

Teaching Ideas: This text can be used to teach students that everyone has different traditions, however, it is okay to celebrate things your own way. This is also good to compare traditions in America with other countries. This book could also serve as an introduction to the fourth of July in America, for young readers.

[Leslie Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Apple Pie 4th of July' by Janet S. Wong is a multicultural book that is about a young girl and her experience during the 4th of July. All this little girl wants on the 4th of July is to celebrate it like 'all' Americans, going to the parades and eating hamburgers. But her family cooks Chinese dishes and have their store open. She points out that no one wants to eat Chinese food on the 4th of July. But as the day goes on she learns that people do want to eat Chinese food even on the 4th of July. When it is time to close they go up to watch the fireworks and her mother bring up an apple pie to celebrate.

The story explains how not everyone celebrates the 4th of July the same way or any other holiday the same and that is okay. The images as simple and illustrate the story very well. Margaret Chodos-Irvine used lots of colors and used different printmaking techniques to create the picture.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The children's book, "Apple Pie 4th of July" by Janet S. Wong offers children a look at the culture and perspective of a Chinese family and their seemingly unusual mannerisms during the 4th of July. The girl, whose parents are not native to America, points out the frustrations that she has with her parents keeping their store open during a holiday. As her day goes on, she comes to realize that her family celebrates the 4th of July in a different way, but it is still a celebration for them and they and their store are still part of the community and a part of America. This is a good book for children to better understand the ways other cultures and non-native families celebrate and contribute to the American community as a whole. The illustrations give a colorful and enriching quality to the book and help to enhance the similarities between all families, no matter their background.

[Shelby Santullo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story shows the differences and similarities between Chinese culture and American culture. The little girl this book is Chinese-American and her family runs a store that serves Chinese food. She is surprised that many people come to the store on the 4th of July for Chinese food since it is an American holiday. Her father explains to her that fireworks are Chinese just as they are American, both countries use them to celebrate. In the end, when their store closes for the day the little girl goes to watch fireworks and eats apple pie. I think this is good book to teach students about the differences and similarities of Chinese and American culture. I wish this book was a little more depth though, I felt like it was cut short.

[Daniel Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave a unique perspective into how a Chinese girl feels and understands the 4th of July. She thinks that it is dumb for her parents to cook Chinese food on the 4th of July because nobody wants to eat it on this day. I found it ironic at the end of the book that so many people come in the store to enjoy Chinese food. I think that it what makes America so great. We can enjoy others cultures while still celebrating our own. I also found it heartwarming that her and her family watch fireworks at the end of the book. They are immersing themselves into American culture while others were diving int their culture. This made me happy that this is able to happen in our country. This book could start discussions about culture and how we should celebrate all cultures in our country.

[Alex Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used for assignment 5

The main characters and her family own a market, and she cannot figure out why her parents must make so much Chinese food on an American holiday. She is convinced that no one will want their food, but as the day goes on, she sees people begin to line up to buy their food, despite it being the American holiday. She goes from looking out the window and feeling excluded, to sitting outside with her parents to watch the fireworks, while eating apple pie.

This story teaches the importance of hard work and perseverance. While also educating readers about some of the emotions immigrants or children on immigrants may feel regarding American holidays or events, cultural differences, and generational misunderstandings.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a girl whose family is from China and own a market that sells Chinese food. The market is open everyday except for Christmas, even the fourth of July. The main character is bored all day and doubting her parents because she thinks that no one will want to eat Chinese food on the fourth pf July. At the beginning of the day not a lot of people show up but in the evening time many people start to come to the store and get food. At the end of the book the girl is happy and her and her family watch the fireworks while eating apple pie. (Assignment 5)
This book teaches a lot about the value of hard work and perseverance. This book also shows the richness in sharing your culture and experiencing the culture of others.

[Brianna Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young Chinese-American girl is at a conflicting place between her American and her Chinese heritage. Throughout the story, she tries to convince her parents that Americans wouldn't eat Chinese food during their holiday, even though the way Americans celebrate with fireworks; which originated in China. The girl spends the day sulking in the shop, and tries to deny American customers, convinced that they feel the same way she does. By the end of the story, the family's sales boom, and they end the night like the rest of the country; eating apple pie watching the fireworks. This is one of my new favorite children books because it opens the door for children to be accepting of all of their cultural backgrounds.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apple Pie 4th of July is written by Janet S. Wong who won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 2021. This story takes place on the 4th of July in a Chinese restaurant owned by a little girls family. The young girl tries to explain that Americans do not want Chinese food on the 4th of July, but in the evening many customers line up and wait for their food. The strengths of this book the struggle story as well as the artwork, the illustrations look like they were cut out of construction paper. This is an interesting art style that is not seen in a lot of popular children's books. In addition to that, this could be a great art activity for students to do where they make a picture out of construction paper.

[Zachary Rhodanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by Janet S. Wong, who has received the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. This book tells the story of a young Chinese American girl who tries to tell her parents that they should not sell Chinese food during the Fourth of July, as it is an American holiday. The little girl is surprised to see many customers coming in on the Fourth of July to buy Chinese food, realizing that Chinese culture is greatly loved by many Americans. The simple illustrations show what the little girl is thinking all throughout the book, taking the reader along for her thought process. This is a great book for teaching students about Chinese culture and what being American is really about, which is being united.

[Alexa Millhorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was cute. I think this would be a good book for children to experience different cultures compared to their own. This book can show children to be supportive of all cultures no matter the day/holiday. I believe that sometimes, we as humans can get wrapped up in our own cultures/beliefs, but it is important to remember that there may be others that do not celebrate particular holidays because they are of a different culture. Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge other cultures holidays/celebrations even if it is not your own. I think this book does a good job at teaching students that it is okay to not celebrate the same things, but it is still important to recognize the unique differences of every culture.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story. It is about a little girl who thinks Americans do not eat Chinese Food on the Fourth of July, and doesnt seem to get why her parents are making chow mein and sweet and sour pork instead of apple pie. This story is age appropriate and relatable for children. It portrays a different culture, but not much variety is presented within. The illustrations are nice and the story does have a plot. In the end, she realizes that Americans do eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July. The author is part of the group represented and there are no negative stereotypes presented. This is a cute book to read when discussing multiculturalism.

[Kelsey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a young Chinese American girl who doesn't understand why her family is selling Chinese food at their store on the fourth of July. She wishes they would act more American. Later that day so many people come and buy Chow Mien and sweet and sour pork. She is surprised people are eating Chinese on the fourth of July. When they close the store they enjoy some apple pie while watching the fireworks. This book shows how other cultures such as the Chinese culture becomes embedded in American culture which shows we are all one and we all should accept everyones cultures which is a great lesson to teach students.

[Ashley Bartholomew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is appropriate for primary grades. It is about a girl whose parents own a store. The parents make their Chinese food and the girl keeps telling them that people do not eat that type of food on the Fourth of July. Around dinner time she was shocked to see lines of people eating their food at the store. I could use this book in my classroom for a read aloud. This book is beneficial because it shows that one culture values another culture. A dangerous thing about this book is that is sort of portray's foreigners as not knowing about the new culture they are in but then at the end, this is shown to be not true.

[Zachary Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apple Pie 4th of July is the story of a frustrated child of a store owning couple who are fervently making Chinese food on the 4th of July. While the main character toils about not being included in the 4th of July parade, her parents ask her to work on making Chinese food, which at first does not have any takers. After some time, the customers pile in for the food and keep the family busy until the store closes. This is an excellent example of cross-cultural reference for children who may be English language learners looking for relatable stories. The simple illustrations give way to a story about crossed cultures and a heartwarming acceptance of self.

[Jessica Emra]

This book is appropriate for primary grades. It is about a girl whose parents own a store. The parents make their Chinese food and the girl keeps telling them that people do not eat that type of food on the Fourth of July. Around dinner time she was shocked to see lines of people eating their food at the store. I could use this book in my classroom for a read aloud. This book is beneficial because it shows that one culture values another culture. A dangerous thing about this book is that is sort of portray's foreigners as not knowing about the new culture they are in but then at the end, this is shown to be not true.

[Megan Hosinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Grade Level: K-2
This is a really good book! I like how it shows how people can have different traditions for the same holiday. I think it is great that the story is from the perspective of a young American girl, as I think this makes the story relatable for kids. The illustrations are really good for this book, and they add a lot to the story and make it fun to read. I love how the story ends with everyone enjoying some Chinese food and apple pie on the 4th of July. Great book!

[Opetoritse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cheeky story about the seemingly conflicting identities of a first generation Chinese-American girl stuck in her family's store on the 4th of July. Our protagonist feels like cooking Chinese food is the last thing anyone should be doing on the most American of all holidays, but finds her idea of what Americans do and don't do challenged as the day goes by. Wong's simple first-person prose conveys angsty musing that will be familiar to many immigrant children, and Chodos-Irvine's sharp construction-paper illustrations create a playful and stylishly detailed flair.

[Poonam Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about different cultures celebrating the fourth of July. I can relate to this book. I remember eating Indian food on the fourth of July. However, without guidance, I feel like this book could give readers the wrong idea about people not born in the U.S. People who are from other countries are still Americans, this book (the main character) almost made it seem like the parents are not. I do like how American and Chinese cultures are intertwined and the bond over food was beautiful.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wong's clever tale of a young girl trapped at her family's Chinese restaurant on the Fourth of July wondering who will need Chinese food on this apple pie American holiday. She quickly learns that the lines between what is American and what is not is quite blurry. Award winning illustrator provides the bright pictures supporting the story. A good reminder of how "American" culture is defined by the contributions of many others.