What a great book - The Jade Dragon by Carolyn Marsden and Virginia Shin-Mui Loh is ranking right up there in my book. I loved it - it's a wonderful story of two second grade girls - one who is from an American-Chinese family living in the U.S. and another - an adopted Chinese girl. Ginny, the american-chinese, desparately WANTS to be friends with another Chinese girl but Stephanie, the adopted girl, is not proud of her Chinese heritage and only reluctantly pursues the friendship. It is heartwarming as you watch the two girls struggle with friendship issues, but even more than that, I love how both girls come to feel a fondness for their Chinese heritage in different ways. As an adoptive mom, I thought it was eye-opening. I buy my little one Chinese dolls, Chinese books, Chinese music, etc. so that she keeps some of that heritage. But Stephanie, the adopted girl in the story, wants nothing to do with that Chinese heritage - just made me think.......I still won't stop buying those things - I want them to be there if she chooses them, and deep down, I hope she does - that is a part of who she is! I think younger girls will love this - AND maybe adoptive moms too!!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Jade Dragon
What a great book - The Jade Dragon by Carolyn Marsden and Virginia Shin-Mui Loh is ranking right up there in my book. I loved it - it's a wonderful story of two second grade girls - one who is from an American-Chinese family living in the U.S. and another - an adopted Chinese girl. Ginny, the american-chinese, desparately WANTS to be friends with another Chinese girl but Stephanie, the adopted girl, is not proud of her Chinese heritage and only reluctantly pursues the friendship. It is heartwarming as you watch the two girls struggle with friendship issues, but even more than that, I love how both girls come to feel a fondness for their Chinese heritage in different ways. As an adoptive mom, I thought it was eye-opening. I buy my little one Chinese dolls, Chinese books, Chinese music, etc. so that she keeps some of that heritage. But Stephanie, the adopted girl in the story, wants nothing to do with that Chinese heritage - just made me think.......I still won't stop buying those things - I want them to be there if she chooses them, and deep down, I hope she does - that is a part of who she is! I think younger girls will love this - AND maybe adoptive moms too!!
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3 comments:
Can't wait until my daughter (and soon to be daughter) are older so I can read this to them!
Stephanie
www.thewrittenword.wordpress.com
Hi Becky. Thanks for coming by my book list site. Great review. Your site is set up very nicely!
This book sounds so cute! I love Chinese everything. My dad served a 2 year mission for our church in the 1960's and so I grew up with a love for the Chinese people and their beautiful culture and traditions.
I love the paintings from the Huxian Province in China. They are so bright and beautiful and show the love the Chinese people have for children.. I have purchased 3 different Huxian Folk Paintings. My favorite is of a group of children going to school with bright and colorful umberellas. If you want to see them, go to Ebay and search using the name of the province... Huxian ... I think you would really love these beautiful paintings. :)
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