Ruby Lu, Brave and True

Ruby Lu, Brave and True. by Lenore Look. illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. (2004). 112p. New York: Atheneum Books.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:
Ruby Lu is an eight-year-old Chinese American girl growing up with her mother, father and baby brother, Oscar. Ruby loves reflective tape, doing magic, and playing with Oscar. She doesn't love her mean neighbor, Christina; going to Chinese school; or the impending arrival of her Chinese cousin, Flying Duck, but Ruby handles each dilemma with exuberant panache. Each chapter in this book, the first in a series, reads like a separate short story.

Opinion:
Ruby Lu is like the Chinese American equivalent of Judy Moody. I appreciated her individuality, but I didn't love the book. The language felt disjointed at times, and an unfortunate chapter in which Ruby drives herself to school (virtually without consequence) marred the book for me.

Ideas:
Working in a majority Chinese American community, I'm always on the lookout for books which feature Asian American characters. 

Mississippi Bridge

Mississippi Bridge. Mildred D. Taylor. (1990). 62p. New York: Penguin Group.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:

Told from the point of view of young Jeremy Simms, a shy and fair white boy growing up during the Depression, Taylor's novella Mississippi Bridge addresses the bitter racism of the American South. Jeremy, who rejects his father's unabashed racism, yet cannot escape the social structure of institutionalized racism in Mississippi, recounts the events of a fateful day in a small Southern town. The story takes place within and around a small general store where the local bus route stops. Just as the bus is full and ready to leave, a white family arrives late, and the bus driver forces several black passengers off of the bus to make room for them. It's an ugly scene, and one that leaves Jeremy disturbed. As the bus leaves and Jeremy tries to process what has happened, he learns that the bus has crashed off of a bridge, killing all the passengers in a terrible accident. This is a mature and haunting story which invites further discussion.

Opinion:

This story is visceral and almost painful to read, but it's important for tweens to understand this ugly part of American history.

Ideas:
This book would work best in a classroom setting, and would be an excellent choice to accompany a history lesson on segregation. 

The Star Maker

The Star Maker. by Lawrence Yep. (2011). 100p. New York: HarperCollins.  

Awards and Honors: none 
 
Review: 

As the youngest child growing up a large Chinese American family in San Francisco's Chinatown, eight-year-old Artie is too often the brunt of his older cousins' teasing. During a family get-together, he makes a hasty promise to his cousins to buy firecrackers for them all during the next Chinese New Year. Artie's uncle Chester, himself a black sheep in the family, sympathizes with him and offers to help him out. But when tough times fall upon Uncle Chester, Artie begins to worry that they will both break the promises that they made. The novel explores the relationship between Artie and Chester, as they both navigate the concepts of responsibility, accountability and integrity.  

Opinion:

The Star Maker is an excellent novel for young readers who are beginning to transition into more challenging material. It is nuanced and realistic, yet short and accessible. Multicultural books, while usually well-intentioned, often fall into the trap of exoticizing other cultures, but one of the strengths of this novel is that it offers a nice look into some of the traditions that are celebrated by families during the Lunar New Year, yet avoids exoticizing Chinese culture.   

Ideas:
This book lends itself perfectly to library displays for Chinese New Year.

Any Small Goodness

Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio. by Tony Johnston. (2001). 128p. New York: Scholastic Press.  

Awards and Honors: NCTE Notable Children's Book, CLA John and Patricia Beatty Award Winner

Review: 

Arturo and his tight-knit family live in East L.A.- a sometimes tough, sometimes violent, and sometimes beautiful place. His parents are loving and kind and encourage him to see the beauty in "any small goodness". Even though life can be hard, kindness and good deeds are everywhere if you choose to acknowledge them. Each chapter tells the story of a "small kindness" in Arturo's neighborhood. His grandmother, little sister and older brother are each strong and compelling characters; and his teachers, coaches, neighbors and school librarian act as role-models in the story. Spanish words and phrases are liberally sprinkled throughout the book, which includes a glossary for non-Spanish speakers. 

Opinion:

Although I had some qualms with the book's representation of Los Angeles, I feel that the overall message was quite lovely. The book's representation of a loving family was refreshing and heart-warming.