BOOKS

multicultural middle grade fiction
Starfields
Living in the Mayan jungle, Rosalba knows nothing about the 2012 prophesy of the end of the world. Then sophisticated Alicia comes from Mexico City to tell her all about it...
Take Me With You
Susana and Pina grow up in an Italian orphanage Will either find a parent?
The Gold-Threaded Dress (Candlewick 2002)
Oy, a Thai immigrant, has to decide what she will give up to fit in.
Mama Had to Work on Christmas (Viking 2003)
Gloria wakes up on Christmas morning to find that Mama is going to work instead of taking her to Nana's house in Mexico to celebrate.
Silk Umbrellas (Candlewick 2004)
Will Noi be sent to the factory to work, or can she learn to paint umbrellas? Will a young artist be able to pursue her gift?
Moon Runner (Candlewick 2005)
What if your best friend is also your biggest rival?
The Quail Club (Candlewick 2006)
In this sequel to The Gold-Threaded Dress, Oy must choose between friendship and her cultural identity.
The Jade Dragon (Candlewick 2006)
Why won't the new Chinese girl be Ginny's friend?
When Heaven Fell (Candlewick 2007)
Binh's rich Ameican aunt is coming to her Vietnamese village.
Bird Springs (Viking 2007)
Gregory has to leave the Navajo reservation for the big city of Tucson.
The Buddha's Diamonds (Candlewick 2008)
Overnight, Tinh's Vietnamese village is destroyed by a cyclone.
Sahwira: An African Friendship (Candlewick 2009)
Can a white boy and an African boy keep their friendship in a changing world?

HOW I GOT MY IDEA FOR THE JADE DRAGON

When I was teaching first grade, Virginia Loh was a teacher in the same school. One Christmas when we were at a party together, Virginia started to talk about growing up with parents who had immigrated from South East Asia. I told her that her stories were so fascinating, that she should write them down. Pretty soon, I offered to write with her and we had a book going!

Here is Ginny with her special dragon.
IDEAS FOR CLASSROOM DISCUSSION:

*Chinese culture
*what it's like to be an immigrant
*Chinese astrology-- what year are we in and what does the animal signify? What year were you born in?
*friendship
*adoption