Yang

I liked this book a lot more then I thought I would. When I first started reading it I was like what is this? The three different stories confused me a little bit, and I thought the one with the cousin was a little racist...Then the end came and it all made sense. I understood that the main character struggled wit accepting himself and his heritage, and the cousin was the "burden" of being Chinese. It was a good novel and I really enjoyed it.

I think this book would be useful to read with students because it deals with other cultures, and also adolescence always struggle with accepting themselves, and others. I would probably use the cousin to help point out racial stereo types, and how to react in a situation when dealing with people from another culture. I was in a class recently where one of my peers is from Mexico and he talked about the differences in education, and writing and how he had to adjust to a whole new culture. He also talked about the Middle Eastern exchange students and how in their country, boys and girls learn in different rooms and how covered up their women are. Then they come here, and they are in a classroom with girls and may even have a female teacher. They have to adjust to our women walking around as what they ( and even some Americans) would see as scantily clad. This book would be a good book to help cover cultural boundaries and open discussion to the differences in different cultures.

This book is also an easy read, and I would suggest it to students who may be struggling with reading. They way it is laid out could help those students with their comprehension. Though students may be confused at the beginning of the novel, like I was, but if they power through they will understand what is happening at the end of the book.