Good Luck Gold and Other Poems

by Janet S. Wong

Poems deal with the joys and sorrows of growing up Chinese American, and the prejudice which Chinese Americans sometimes face

Genres: Poetry, Cultural, Asian American

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1994

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

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1994 by Margaret K. McElderry
Interest Level: 5th Grade+

This set of poems is a great use of poetry to explore Asian culture, family, and identity. The poems are not in any set order and largely do not follow a specific theme. The poems are extremely authentic and follow many of Wong's personal experiences. I think that this set of poems really exposes many facets of the Asian-American cultural experience and how that influences family, the search for identity, and connection to others. Overall, a great collection of poems that give a different perspective on being an Asian-American.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vary special!

[Kris Dersch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really beautiful. I think there are a lot first and second generation kids from many cultures, particularly Asian cultures, who will resonate with these, but I'd give them to any kid because they feel very human and very much how a kid thinks and feels in an adult world. I think I would probably recommend this for 4th grade and up...nothing inappropriate here, but I feel like a 10 year old up through a teenager would get the most out of the writing. I particularly liked the author's note about how she came to write these kinds of poems. Lovely book.

[Caitlin]

Good Luck Gold is a powerful book, an unstinting exploration of racism and xenophobia, a celebration of the warmth and depth of familial bonds. In between she looks at the difficulties of family life, at loss and death, at life and its complexities. My full review is available here: https://essentiallyanerd.wordpress.co...

[Alek Pasko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these poems, great job Janet! Definitely need this in my classroom going forward. I love reading about the lives of different people in this type of format, because the shorter paragraphs gives me time to reflect and think about what its like being in their shoes. Also, it is an entertaining read.

[Franca Park · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll give it a 2 for vulnerability but I just don’t like her writing 😫

[Caitlyn Robinson]

Good Luck Gold and Other Poems is poetry and verse written by an Asian-American author, Janet Wong. Her poems focus on her thoughts and also traditions influenced by Asian culture. For instance, she discusses her "birthday" or as her grandfather calls it, "bird day"; she describes how her family celebrates by making lots of food, as compared to the traditional American birthday celebration of "balloons", "piñatas" and "streamers." Wong uses a simple writing style that allows for easy comprehension and enjoyment for children. Because Wong is Asian-American, her experiences she writes about are accurate and more likely non-stereotypical or biased. Overall, the poems in this book provide opportunities for discussion around topics such as family roles, like in her poem "Lessons", in which Wong describes her duties at home in comparison to the "lessons" that her friends enjoy. Good Luck Gold and Other Poems is a great resource for young readers to enhance their understanding about immigration or to allow them the opportunity to identify with similarities in their own life.

[Nicolewinter2011 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publisher:Margaret K. McElderry Books
Year: 1994
Interest Level: 3- high school
Reading Level: 3-4

From jacket: Janet Wong's poems reflect her experience growing up as a multicultural Asian-American child in Los Angeles.

I'm not sure what Wong's cultural background is, but I would assume that her poetry reflects an authentic experience in that it's her own. There are similar characteristics between different Asian cultures and probably many others would be able to related to her experiences in these poems. Some show her joy, while others address racism. My favorite poem is written with 2 perspectives, called "Speak Up." It's an interaction between two school-age children, presumably. One is telling the other to speak Korean, but the other girl is trying to explain that she doesn't know Korean. It is a good way to introduce assumptions and stereotypes about other cultures. It can also lead to a good discussion about what does it mean to be "American?" Is there a certain "look" for an "American?"

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love Janet Wong in person, but when I read her poetry without her, I just don't get as involved as I do when she reads it. I felt some of the anguish of discrimination in the poems, but I feel more when Janet reads. i laugh at her humor, and I appreciate the food stories when I read them, but all of these poems mean more when Janet reads them.

[Kelli Dana]

This book is a wonderful book of poems. This book is great because the author writes about her struggles of growing up a Chinese american. I think its a wonderful book for ESOL students to relate to. It also is a good book to read when teaching poetry to ESOL students because it's something they can relate to.

[Ariel Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interest Level:8-10
Lexile Measure:590L

Good Luck Gold and Other Poems is a beautiful little collection of cultural based poetry that gives us insight into what it is like for an first generation immigrant in America. A great way to not only introduce poetry and it's varying forms but also to teach empathy, understanding, culture, history, and equality.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely poems about growing up and cultures. Great connection to Brown Girl Dreaming.