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Half and Half
FIONA CHENG IS half and half: Her father is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. Fiona looks more like her father than her mother, so people always expect her to be more interested in her Chinese half than her Scottish half. Lately even Fiona’s confused about who she really is.
“A realistic, gentle and funny tale.”— Detroit News & Free Press
“Readers will identify with Fiona’s struggle to fit in.”— Publishers Weekly
“A realistic, gentle and funny tale.”— Detroit News & Free Press
“Readers will identify with Fiona’s struggle to fit in.”— Publishers Weekly
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
17 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Lensey Namioka
43 books69 followersNamioka was born in Beijing, the daughter of linguist Yuenren Chao and physician Buwei Yang Chao. The family moved often in China. In 1937, the Chaos were living in Nanjing, and fled westward in the face of the Japanese Invasion. They eventually made their way to Hawaii, then Cambridge, Massachusetts. Namioka attended grade school in Cambridge and excelled at mathematics.
Namioka attended University of California, Berkeley, where her father was a professor of Asian Studies. Here she met and married Isaac Namioka, a fellow graduate student in mathematics. The Namiokas moved to Ithaca, New York, where Isaac Namioka taught at Cornell University, and Lensey Namioka taught at Wells College.
In 1959, the Namiokas' first daughter Aki was born, followed by a second daughter Michi, who was born in 1961. The family moved to Seattle in 1963, when Isaac Namioka accepted a position at the University of Washington.
In the 1970s, on a visit to Japan, Namioka visited Namioka Castle. The experience inspired her to learn more about the samurai. This study culminated in The Samurai and the Long-nosed Devils, which was published in 1976. Namioka expanded this book into a whole series of books about samurai. Namioka also wrote a series of books about a Chinese American family named Yang, and several books about young women and girls facing difficult choices.
Lensey Namioka is the only person known to have the first name "Lensey." Her name has an especially unusual property for a Chinese person born in China: there are no Chinese characters to represent it. Lensey's father, Yuenren Chao, was cataloguing all of the phonemes used in Chinese. He noted that there were two syllables which were possible in the Chinese language, but which were used in no Chinese words. These syllables could be written in English as "len" and "sey." His third daughter was born soon after, and he named her "Lensey."
Namioka attended University of California, Berkeley, where her father was a professor of Asian Studies. Here she met and married Isaac Namioka, a fellow graduate student in mathematics. The Namiokas moved to Ithaca, New York, where Isaac Namioka taught at Cornell University, and Lensey Namioka taught at Wells College.
In 1959, the Namiokas' first daughter Aki was born, followed by a second daughter Michi, who was born in 1961. The family moved to Seattle in 1963, when Isaac Namioka accepted a position at the University of Washington.
In the 1970s, on a visit to Japan, Namioka visited Namioka Castle. The experience inspired her to learn more about the samurai. This study culminated in The Samurai and the Long-nosed Devils, which was published in 1976. Namioka expanded this book into a whole series of books about samurai. Namioka also wrote a series of books about a Chinese American family named Yang, and several books about young women and girls facing difficult choices.
Lensey Namioka is the only person known to have the first name "Lensey." Her name has an especially unusual property for a Chinese person born in China: there are no Chinese characters to represent it. Lensey's father, Yuenren Chao, was cataloguing all of the phonemes used in Chinese. He noted that there were two syllables which were possible in the Chinese language, but which were used in no Chinese words. These syllables could be written in English as "len" and "sey." His third daughter was born soon after, and he named her "Lensey."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
June 8, 2017
I am purposely seeking out children's books about mixed race kids, and with so few options out there, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, I just had too many misgivings while reading it.
First, it jumps right in and is very explicit about the main character Fiona feeling conflicted about whether she considers herself "Caucasian" or "Asian" or "Other". There's no nuance, no character set-up, just straight-up race exploration. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, except that I think it makes the book less appealing to people in general, and it feels like it's targeting an audience of young people conflicted about their cultural identities, or people seeking multiracial reading options (which, to be honest, is exactly how I found the book).
It may be that, as a Chinese-American myself, I was too sensitive about the way Chinese-ness was represented. I think in the end, the book balanced the Chinese and Scottish sides of Fiona, but in the beginning, it seemed like the book was down on the Chinese side. The most blatant example was when Fiona's Scottish grandfather jokingly called Fiona's brother Ron "Fu Manchu". I'm sorry, but that's racist, and a pretty infuriating thing to read in a children's book, as if it's a totally acceptable thing to do. The book just barely manages to get across that being called "Fu Manchu" isn't exactly complimentary, but Ron reacted by laughing, and the grandfather wasn't called out on its inappropriateness.
I also disliked the way filial piety was introduced in the book. Filial piety is a huge part of Chinese culture, a Confucian virtue of respect, humility, and consideration towards one's parents. In the book, Fiona's father shows filial piety towards his mother, yet his behavior is portrayed as pouty and superficial, and is even described as "acting like a child." It came across more like a ridiculous aspect of Chinese culture, rather than an honorable one.
A major component of the story is about how Fiona is learning traditional Scottish dance. The book makes it clear that Scottish folk dancing is traditionally performed by boys, and Fiona's Scottish grandfather has his heart set on Fiona's brother Ron - who even looks more Scottish - joining his Scottish dance troupe. At one point, Fiona - who looks more Chinese - laments that there are no traditional Chinese folk dances for her to learn. Her father tells her that Western ballroom dancing is what is popular in China. As a former member of a traditional Chinese folk dance troupe comprised entirely of Chinese-American girls, I took exception to the idea that there was no Chinese folk dancing for Fiona to learn!
In the end, Fiona does come to terms with her half-Scottish, half-Chinese identity. It may be worth a read if you're an elementary-school aged kid who actually feels conflicted about being mixed race, but otherwise, it didn't much appeal to me.
First, it jumps right in and is very explicit about the main character Fiona feeling conflicted about whether she considers herself "Caucasian" or "Asian" or "Other". There's no nuance, no character set-up, just straight-up race exploration. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, except that I think it makes the book less appealing to people in general, and it feels like it's targeting an audience of young people conflicted about their cultural identities, or people seeking multiracial reading options (which, to be honest, is exactly how I found the book).
It may be that, as a Chinese-American myself, I was too sensitive about the way Chinese-ness was represented. I think in the end, the book balanced the Chinese and Scottish sides of Fiona, but in the beginning, it seemed like the book was down on the Chinese side. The most blatant example was when Fiona's Scottish grandfather jokingly called Fiona's brother Ron "Fu Manchu". I'm sorry, but that's racist, and a pretty infuriating thing to read in a children's book, as if it's a totally acceptable thing to do. The book just barely manages to get across that being called "Fu Manchu" isn't exactly complimentary, but Ron reacted by laughing, and the grandfather wasn't called out on its inappropriateness.
I also disliked the way filial piety was introduced in the book. Filial piety is a huge part of Chinese culture, a Confucian virtue of respect, humility, and consideration towards one's parents. In the book, Fiona's father shows filial piety towards his mother, yet his behavior is portrayed as pouty and superficial, and is even described as "acting like a child." It came across more like a ridiculous aspect of Chinese culture, rather than an honorable one.
A major component of the story is about how Fiona is learning traditional Scottish dance. The book makes it clear that Scottish folk dancing is traditionally performed by boys, and Fiona's Scottish grandfather has his heart set on Fiona's brother Ron - who even looks more Scottish - joining his Scottish dance troupe. At one point, Fiona - who looks more Chinese - laments that there are no traditional Chinese folk dances for her to learn. Her father tells her that Western ballroom dancing is what is popular in China. As a former member of a traditional Chinese folk dance troupe comprised entirely of Chinese-American girls, I took exception to the idea that there was no Chinese folk dancing for Fiona to learn!
In the end, Fiona does come to terms with her half-Scottish, half-Chinese identity. It may be worth a read if you're an elementary-school aged kid who actually feels conflicted about being mixed race, but otherwise, it didn't much appeal to me.
September 29, 2017
Nice story, writing was good enough--I think I was just hoping for something more nuanced. But it is juvenile literature--so maybe I was expecting too much. I would recommend it, though, some really good lessons for kids about heritage and belonging, fitting in and not fitting in.
February 4, 2020
Half and half
By: Lensey Namioka
This book talks about Fiona Cheng finding her identity since she is half Scottish and Chinese. This book talks about how she considers herself as 65% Chinese and 35% Scottish, Fiona proudly shows both of her sides. There was a time when she had to choose her race in a survey, she had to make a difficult choice if she chose asian or white. But she made the choice of choosing chinese. The reason I chose this book because I never really enjoyed a book that had an asian person that I could relate to, I could relate to her even though she is half Scottish because in the book it said she “identifies” as Chinese. I really appreciate how the author shows both of her very different family cultures. One aspect I didn’t really like was how the author didn’t add that her father didn’t know any authentic Chinese dance but had a Scottish dance.
By: Lensey Namioka
This book talks about Fiona Cheng finding her identity since she is half Scottish and Chinese. This book talks about how she considers herself as 65% Chinese and 35% Scottish, Fiona proudly shows both of her sides. There was a time when she had to choose her race in a survey, she had to make a difficult choice if she chose asian or white. But she made the choice of choosing chinese. The reason I chose this book because I never really enjoyed a book that had an asian person that I could relate to, I could relate to her even though she is half Scottish because in the book it said she “identifies” as Chinese. I really appreciate how the author shows both of her very different family cultures. One aspect I didn’t really like was how the author didn’t add that her father didn’t know any authentic Chinese dance but had a Scottish dance.
October 5, 2024
Such a sweet children’s book about those who get to be from different cultures and how they have to figure out what that means for themselves.
September 10, 2024
I really like it. First of all because it's an absolutely rare find. So hard to have a book about and/or with a TCK/CK character represented with their normal daily struggles of identity, acceptance, performance, belonging, etc..
I'm 45 years old and I totally related to this teen girl's feelings and thoughts, because, they did not only were present then, when I was a teen, but they'll never stop being part of who I am. And that's ok.
Simple, very simple when it comes to literary quality. But very relevant for this kind of crowd.
I'm 45 years old and I totally related to this teen girl's feelings and thoughts, because, they did not only were present then, when I was a teen, but they'll never stop being part of who I am. And that's ok.
Simple, very simple when it comes to literary quality. But very relevant for this kind of crowd.
January 29, 2011
Half and Half is a very cute story that can really hit home for children who are from multiple cultures. The narrator, Fiona, is half Chinese and half Scottish. Physically, she considers herself to be 65% Chinese and 35% Scottish. Fiona is proud to represent two very different cultures. However, on the day that she has to choose a box to represent her racial background on a form, Fiona discovers that she has a difficult choice to make between being Asian, White, or simply, Other. Her problems grow when her Chinese grandmother and Scottish grandparents arrive for Seattle's annual Folk Fest. Although Fiona loves to practice her Scottish dancing, she is also expected to support her children's book illustrator dad during his presentation of a new book featuring a Chinese girl based on Fiona. Not wanting to disappoint anyone in her family, Fiona has to find a way to make everyone happy, while at the same time finding a way to be satisfied with her multi-racial background.
I thought this was a very charming book, yet very important as well. Fiona struggles throughout the book to embrace both of her cultures and discover who she really is. The clash between grandparents from two very different walks of life with different ways of living, from the food they eat to the way they speak and communicate with their children and grandchildren is very eye-opening and somewhat humorous. I think author Namioka does a great job at creating a strong, proud, old-fashioned Scottish grandfather and a traditional Chinese grandmother. My favorite part of the book was when Fiona's Chinese grandmother makes jellyfish for dinner. The Scottish grandparents are truly grossed out, but when Fiona suggests that everyone go around the table and name off different "gross" cultural foods, the atmosphere completely changes and everyone at least tries the meal.
Despite the fact that Fiona struggles with her cultural identity, I somewhat envy her situation. It is a truly great experience to grow up with a family that is so interested in their history and is willing to share their customs with their grandchildren. I myself have never learned any such customs from relatives, and I wish that I to have pride in my heritage just as Fiona does.
I thought this was a very charming book, yet very important as well. Fiona struggles throughout the book to embrace both of her cultures and discover who she really is. The clash between grandparents from two very different walks of life with different ways of living, from the food they eat to the way they speak and communicate with their children and grandchildren is very eye-opening and somewhat humorous. I think author Namioka does a great job at creating a strong, proud, old-fashioned Scottish grandfather and a traditional Chinese grandmother. My favorite part of the book was when Fiona's Chinese grandmother makes jellyfish for dinner. The Scottish grandparents are truly grossed out, but when Fiona suggests that everyone go around the table and name off different "gross" cultural foods, the atmosphere completely changes and everyone at least tries the meal.
Despite the fact that Fiona struggles with her cultural identity, I somewhat envy her situation. It is a truly great experience to grow up with a family that is so interested in their history and is willing to share their customs with their grandchildren. I myself have never learned any such customs from relatives, and I wish that I to have pride in my heritage just as Fiona does.
March 12, 2015
easy, fun read about being biracial set in Seattle...that's always fun (Seattle setting). it's a global challenge reading book for my daughter...so read it in one sitting. good but not excellent...but great to have something out there (mostly younger readers) to consider that's not just homogeneous teen lit.
April 10, 2021
I really wanted to like this book, but the writing was just horrible. There is zero character development, the dialogue is wooden and the meaning of the book is shoved in your face constantly with zero subtlety or poeticism. It feels like you’re reading the undeveloped writing of a 10-15 year old.
Besides all that- there are some stereotypes at play here, and it relies on a lot of gendered stances. At one point the brother comes to blows with a classmate because the classmate implies that we wears skirts. Like, really? And that just happens and nothing comes of it. He doesn’t regret it, the parents don’t mention it- it never comes up again..
I have many complaints. This book was written in 2003- kids books have come a long way. Our conversations about intersectionality and being mixed race have come a long way. I think this one can fade away into the background.
Besides all that- there are some stereotypes at play here, and it relies on a lot of gendered stances. At one point the brother comes to blows with a classmate because the classmate implies that we wears skirts. Like, really? And that just happens and nothing comes of it. He doesn’t regret it, the parents don’t mention it- it never comes up again..
I have many complaints. This book was written in 2003- kids books have come a long way. Our conversations about intersectionality and being mixed race have come a long way. I think this one can fade away into the background.
November 18, 2017
Fiona is an eleven year old girls who is 50% Chinese and 50% Scottish. While she looks more Chinese than Scottish, she identifies more with her Scottish background. She begins to think of ways to make herself look more Scottish without losing her Chinese half. This is a book about finding your true self despite what others may think.
I chose this book because it seemed like a topic that everyone may encounter at one time or another. This book is realistic fiction and would be suitable for children in 3rd grade and beyond.
It would be a great addition to the classroom and could be used for discussions about heritage, traditions, and about being true to yourself.
I chose this book because it seemed like a topic that everyone may encounter at one time or another. This book is realistic fiction and would be suitable for children in 3rd grade and beyond.
It would be a great addition to the classroom and could be used for discussions about heritage, traditions, and about being true to yourself.
March 20, 2019
This book seemed a bit lacking in depth and character development - even for a children's book. The dialogue seemed cliched and predictable. But the topic - dealing with a mixed heritage - is certainly a good subject and one many kids could relate to.
October 7, 2021
Always find it hard to rate children's books. Is it meant to be this cheesy? Is that what a kids book is like? I can see it would be good for explaining and opening up discussion for biracial kids, and it was interesting to see what the stereotypes of Scots are in America.
May 5, 2017
Enjoyable, quick read about a young girl who is half-Chinese and half-Scottish and the pull of the different cultures, especially when both sets of grandparents come to visit.
July 17, 2017
It's nice to have a kids book about being half.
November 24, 2017
fiona struggles with who she really is. it takes some time and perspective, but she finally realises the truth.
February 22, 2019
Loved this book!!! Partly because I am Scottish lol!!! I would recommend this book to any kid (or adult) who is struggling with their mixed cultural identity, great great read!!!
October 26, 2024
I felt like this was an information dump from a conflicted child. This was not a fun story. I was bored.
January 2, 2019
I remember seeing this book as a kid in my elementary school library and staring at the cover wide-eyed, excited that there was a book about someone like me!!! I never finished it. Now I can explain why.
The most distinguishing feature of the main character, Fiona, is that she's half-Chinese, half-Irish. And that's not a good thing for any story, even for one exploring race. Even as a half-Asian kid, I was skeptical that someone could, literally, be so one half one culture and the other half the other culture, because my own experience has never been so split-down-the-middle.
The story itself is mainly focused around Fiona's grandparents from both sides and how they both seem to jockey for their grandchildren's attentions, the crux of the drama centered around Fiona ultimately having to make a "choice." I still really love the cover and what it first signified to me years ago. But I've realized experiences are usually never so completely compartmentalized.
The most distinguishing feature of the main character, Fiona, is that she's half-Chinese, half-Irish. And that's not a good thing for any story, even for one exploring race. Even as a half-Asian kid, I was skeptical that someone could, literally, be so one half one culture and the other half the other culture, because my own experience has never been so split-down-the-middle.
The story itself is mainly focused around Fiona's grandparents from both sides and how they both seem to jockey for their grandchildren's attentions, the crux of the drama centered around Fiona ultimately having to make a "choice." I still really love the cover and what it first signified to me years ago. But I've realized experiences are usually never so completely compartmentalized.
July 18, 2017
This was a cute and quick read. I originally picked it up when I was looking into books with biracial characters, and the themes of self-acceptance and racial perceptions were very straightforward throughout the plot.
Fiona is half Chinese and half Scottish, and those cultures come into conflict when grandparents from both sides come to visit for a festival. When Fiona has to choose between participating in a Scottish dance or her Chinese father's book talk, she sort of has to "choose" between her cultures. Her festival situation is paralleled by her uneasiness about being "half and half" - not one race or the other, but both.
The ending is sort of predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. I did empathize with a few of the Fiona's dilemmas, such as marking race down on forms, and others having perceptions based on how you look. I think that for this age range, the idea that you have to accept yourself, rather than merely giving in to other's preconceptions, even if they are your parents', is very important. The ending with cinches the main theme of the book, since people should not be forced to "deny" a part of themselves.
Fiona is half Chinese and half Scottish, and those cultures come into conflict when grandparents from both sides come to visit for a festival. When Fiona has to choose between participating in a Scottish dance or her Chinese father's book talk, she sort of has to "choose" between her cultures. Her festival situation is paralleled by her uneasiness about being "half and half" - not one race or the other, but both.
The ending is sort of predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. I did empathize with a few of the Fiona's dilemmas, such as marking race down on forms, and others having perceptions based on how you look. I think that for this age range, the idea that you have to accept yourself, rather than merely giving in to other's preconceptions, even if they are your parents', is very important. The ending with cinches the main theme of the book, since people should not be forced to "deny" a part of themselves.
April 14, 2015
That ever elusive thing we search for... Perspective. This book has it in spades, not dressed-up, not painted all cutesy-like, but just simply there. A child's perspective on growing up in a racially and culturally mixed family. The title "Half and Half" doesn't quite capture the message of the book, because half Chinese, half Scottish Fiona Cheng isn't exactly half of each of her parents. She's a strange mixture of both of them, but not something she can define mathematically. I especially appreciated the struggle she went through of having to make decisions about which members of her extended family to please. The glimpses of culture clashes were all-too-familiar, and I loved the sprinkling of Chinese throughout the book. A very sweet story about a tough topic. As much as I'm not racially mixed at all, being largely German-American, I do have a mix of cultures within me and I resonated with parts of Fiona's struggle.
This book is written for kids and I recommend it for perspective's sake.
This book is written for kids and I recommend it for perspective's sake.
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October 30, 2014Summary:Half and Half is written by Lensey Namioka. This book is about a little girl that is of mixed ethnicity. Fiona Cheng is half Chinese and half Scottish. When looking at Fiona she looks more Chinese then Scottish, so her peers have a prejudged notion about what culture/ethnicity she is more interested or identifies with more. Because of how she looks she is expected to be more interested in Chinese culture in comparison to her Scottish side. Due to the prejudgments and expectations Fiona begins to question who she, herself is.
This story is a great way of introducing multicultural ethnicity and is shows what struggles these types of people face. It shows that even through the struggles of identity is does not matter what group you identify yourself with you are who you are and that is what makes you special.
Genre: General Fiction
Developmental Appropriateness: 3-5
Quality:
This story is a great way of introducing multicultural ethnicity and is shows what struggles these types of people face. It shows that even through the struggles of identity is does not matter what group you identify yourself with you are who you are and that is what makes you special.
Genre: General Fiction
Developmental Appropriateness: 3-5
Quality:
Read
February 4, 2016Fiona Cheng's father is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. When she registers for a folk-dancing class she is stumped over how to classify herself on the registration form: white? Asian? other? Meanwhile the big Folk Fest approaches. Fiona's Scottish grandfather will be directing a Scottish dance performance at the Fest, her brother Ron will be in a kung-fu demonstration and her father, a children's book illustrator will also be presenting. Fiona loves Scottish dancing and she is tapped to sub as as performer. But a program conflict arises: Her father has written a book where the character was inspired by Fiona and he hoped to present her at his lecture...the same time as the dance show. How can Fiona be in two places at the same time? How much of her is Chinese and how much Scottish? Fiona realizes she doesn't need to choose. She is who she is: half and half.
June 4, 2013
Half and Half, by Lensey Namloka, is about a young girl named Fiona Cheng. She is half and half. Her mother is Scottish and her father is Chinese. Fiona looks more like her father than her mother, so people always expect her to be more interested in her Chinese half than her Scottish half. When her grandparents from both sides come to town for a folk festival, Fiona wants to perform with her Scottish grandfather's folk dancing troupe. But whoever saw a Chinese girl dancing a Highland reel? Fiona starts to think of ways to make herself look more Scottish than Chinese. She doesn't want her family to think she's trying to hide her Chinese side. Everyone expects different things from her, but she thinks that doing something unexpectedly is the only answer.
May 2, 2021
A sweet tale about a young girl torn between the two very different cultures of her biracial heritage. She might "look" like one culture on the outside, but she is as equally passionate about the traditions of both cultures on the inside. To make compound the conflict within her, Fiona's brother is quite the opposite, both in looks and cultural preferences. How, oh how, can they settle the differences between them and discover who they each are?
For children coming from diverse backgrounds (in which they feel like half of their heart belongs in one culture, and the other half belongs to another), this is a great read that helps them (and all of us) see that it is completely possible to belong to more than one culture at the same time.
For children coming from diverse backgrounds (in which they feel like half of their heart belongs in one culture, and the other half belongs to another), this is a great read that helps them (and all of us) see that it is completely possible to belong to more than one culture at the same time.
January 26, 2016
Cute and straightforward book about a mixed-race girl. I appreciated that there is even a book like this out there on the market. It addresses some of the struggles a kid may experience as a mixed-race person-being judged by how you look, competing cultures, identity. It's pretty simplistic, but I think it's relatable to a elementary-aged student, and gave me things to think as my own kids grow up as mixed race. As a representation of the cultures though, I think it did not portray Chinese culture as well as it could have. I don't have a basis for evaluating the Scottish culture presented.
November 23, 2011
Fiona has immigrant grandparents on both sides of her family--Chinese on her dad's side and Scottish on her mom's. When her Chinese grandma and her Scottish grandparents come visit, a scheduling conflict forces her to choose.
Meanwhile, there is her brother, who prefers kung fu over Scottish dancing and wearing a kilt. It would have been interesting to see the book from his point of view.
I thought the resolutation was a little, "Duh, why didn't they think of that in the first place!" But still it is a really good book that explores races issues.
Meanwhile, there is her brother, who prefers kung fu over Scottish dancing and wearing a kilt. It would have been interesting to see the book from his point of view.
I thought the resolutation was a little, "Duh, why didn't they think of that in the first place!" But still it is a really good book that explores races issues.
August 17, 2015
This book goes pretty well with the "Year of the Dog" and "Year of the Rat" books, as it's all about culture. If you liked those, you might like this too. If the book has one problem, it's that it's too short and we don't get to see a lot of the struggles of being half-Chinese and half-Scottish, but that's not a huge complaint. It's a small, pleasant book with few surprises but some interesting tidbits about culture.
August 18, 2013
Eh. This title was mentioned in one of the "teacher texts" I read this summer. I kind of ordered it on a whim, without doing much checking on it. Turns out it's DEFINITELY a late-elementary text. GREAT message, good plot (for the age group), not really going to be a hot commodity with my high schoolers. Oh well. I guess the lesson is to thoroughly investigate books before you buy them (darn Amazon.com and its one-click buying!!!!)!
March 10, 2011
I read it a long time ago while relaxing in the children's section of my public library. It intrigued me because of the cover, and the premise.
While sometimes too simplistic, it is a children's book. I can see children getting new perspectives from it. Not relating to one specific culture, or hanging between two/several is hard.
While sometimes too simplistic, it is a children's book. I can see children getting new perspectives from it. Not relating to one specific culture, or hanging between two/several is hard.
September 3, 2016
Sweet story about two siblings whose mom is Scottish and whose dad is Chinese. The boy looks Scottish and the girl looks Chinese, and they are treated differently because of that. When she wants to dance in a Scottish dance troupe and he wants to compete in Kung Fu, they bump up against people's set expectations, including those of their family and themselves.
January 6, 2010
This author is coming to my school in April, and I think her book will appeal to the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. It explores one girl's feelings about being half Irish and half Chinese and the difficulties she faces trying to reconcile the two. A sweet story with a good lesson for this age group.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews