The Star Fisher
Yep, Laurence, THE STAR FISHER, 1991, New York: Penguin Group, ISBN 0140360034.
Plot summary
Moving is difficult for most Americans but it proved to be even more challenging for Joan Lee and her family. Mr. Yep presents a warm chapter book about the struggles of an American Chinese family to adapt to a their new home. They were the only Chinese family in Clarksburg, West Virginia. It was a scary time but not everyone was afraid. Emily, the youngest, was not afraid of the new rude peopele. "As Emily had passed, she had stepped on Mister Snuff's foot, on purpose. "Unh?" Emily asked innocently." Joan prevented Mister Snuff from hitting Emily.
Later that evening when Emily refused to go to sleep, Joan told her a story. Joan told her a story of a magical kingfisher who was held captive in human form by a man who later became her husband. The couple had a daughter who helped her mother return to their magical family. Joan often related the story to her life story as she coped with her new home.
Mrs. Lee was stubborn and Mr. Lee was proud so it took time before they became friends with their neighbor and landlady, Miss Lucy. Mrs. Lee's stubborn will to present a pie at the Church pie supper was a turning point in the town accepting the Lee's into their community. With a little prodding from Miss Lucy, the town folks brought their laundry to Mr. Lee and his family's lives improved.
Critical Analysis
West Virginia in 1927 didn't have many Chinese families and the people in Clarksburg weren't welcoming the Lee's. The Lee family met with prejudice as they came off the train. Emily,the youngest child, wasn't afraid. The reader is connected right away with her courage. She stepped on Mr. Snuff's foot on purpose and later told him that he couldn't spell.
Mr. Yep opens his story with waves of emotions. You move from adventure, to prejudice, to humor and end up angry. I, the reader, and the characters are angry. You can feel the injustice. Mr. Yep writes from his personal experiences and conveys his emotional connection within his story. It fits the popular trend of the American Korean finding his/her identity. I liked the unusual twist to have the English in italics to denote when characters were speaking in English.
The small town setting helped to make the story real. You can be invisible in a large town but stand out in a small town. Mr. Yep presented his character of Mr. Lee as intelligent and a lover of poetry. Several cultural markers were presented: the tradition of her mother given in marriage at the age of 15 years, Mr. Lee's education as a scholar in poetry, and a slang phrase, "the land of the Golden Mountain, Mama used the fancy name for America."
Two of the best sentences in this story are, "It's funny how there are levels and levels of prejudice in the world. The red-faced man hated us for being Chinese, but he would hate someone like Bernice as well for being the child of theatrical folks--just as Mama would herself."
Joan's relationship with her mother combined parts of life in China with adapting to life in America. Children of immigrant parents often have to translate, do family business, more chores and they feel a loss of part of their youthful life.
The vivid descriptions of the kingfishers and their flight in the moonlight, the teaching of the pie baking, and the area around Bernice's house kept the reader interested. I would have liked to see some illustrations.
Mr. Yep won the Christopher Award for this book. It was interesting but I would have liked to see more involvement of the father and Emily. Emily started off funny and outspoken and just faded to the background. I would have liked to see more of Mr. Lee's poetry. It's a great book for building patience and parent-daughter relationships. I'd also change the title.
Reviews
Christopher Award
School Library Journal--The Star Fisher offers tantalizing glimpses of interesting characters, but abruptly shifts focus from a family story with the younger sister as a strong character to a relationship between mother and daughter. Basically, there is too much depth and complexity here to be confined to one book.
Horn Book--It is disturbing but never depressing, poignant but not melancholy, for the principal characters — particularly Mama, who almost steals the show — are individuals with a strong sense of their own worth, facing difficulties with humor, determination, and pride. As in his earlier Dragonwings (Harper), the author uses italics when recording conversations in English, a device that distinguishes the differences in narrative tone without becoming intrusive. Indeed, nothing seems intrusive in this finely crafted novel: the message is a strong one but it is integrated into the development of plot and personalities. Thus, the book is a pleasure to read, entertaining its audience even as it educates their hearts.
Connections
You could use this book for creative writing. Change the ending! Make a history lesson to see what immigrants settled in West Virginia during 1927 to 1930.
Similar Resources
I agree with these resources by Scholastic. They are good connections with teenage relations.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnby Mark Twain Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenage misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious.
Witches and Witch-Huntsby Milton Meltzer This high-interest book, designed to help young readers make important moral choices, presents a fascinating explanation of witch-hunts as a model for persecutory behavior, in which accusations of witchcraft indicate underlying social and economic tensions and conflicts.
Hidden Rootsby Joseph Bruchac Acclaimed author Joseph Bruchac makes his Scholastic Press debut with a powerful story of family and identity.
Music for Alice
Say, Allen. MUSIC FOR ALICE. 2004. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0618311181.
Plot Summary
Based on the true life story of Alice Sumida, Mr. Say presents a beautiful picture book for older children and adults. The story is told in first person by Alice. She spoke of her love for dance, her marriage, war, living as prisoners and their flower farm. Alice and her husband, Mark, who were Japanese, didn't let their harsh treatment keep them from succeeding in life.
It's a remarkable story of the life of a couple who persevered through hardships to fulfill their dreams. Alice, though late in life, found time to finally enjoy her love of dancing.
Critical Analysis
The illustrations in MUSIC FOR ALICE have brilliant details. The first picture on page 5 of young Alice with her short hair blowing in the wind and the fields as the background capture an amazing glimpse back in time. Her facial features were real and special for her ethnic group. It was sad to see all the tags or war tags on the individuals on page 7. They had to wear them as they were shipped to the assembly center and on off to Oregon. This is a special reality that Japanese in America at that time had to experience.
The story moves along with the pictures. The characters' features mature and the settings change during the different stages of their lives.
Mark and Alice were dedicated to make their business successful. They made the sacrifice to stay in the desert. Mark's nephew did not want to live in the desert. So there is a comparison of old traditional values of hard work and sacrifice and the youthful idea of "I don't want to give that much." It's traditional roots in culture verses American mainstream culture.
The art served its purpose to depict how Japanese were treated during World War II and how Alice and Mark were able to live successful live in spite of their hardships. The characters are the connection with Japanese and the various backgrounds are of American landscapes. The reader is capable of the realization of desert land after hard work can be used for farm land. The removal of the stones and growing crops that they can't eat to refurbish the soil. It's all real which makes the story an organic whole.
Reviews
School Library Journal--The detailed portraits and soft colors of the farm give way to drab hues and figures with nondescript features and wide-brimmed hats that hide their eyes and their identities-symbolic of the plight of Japanese Americans during the war. The final pictures of a now elderly Alice depict the spirit and dignity that her life story suggests. Although the book has much to recommend it, it may have more limited appeal than some of Say's earlier works. It is not as personal as Grandfather's Journey (1993) or Tea with Milk (1999, both Houghton). Many young readers may lack the perspective to relate to a tale that spans decades and deals with such complex themes. Still, with proper introduction, this offering will be appreciated by sensitive and sophisticated youngsters
Book List--From the close-up jacket portrait of an elderly Japanese American woman to the final view of her ballroom dancing before a black-tie audience, this picture book, based on a true-life story, will appeal more to adults than kids, though some young readers will respond to the history and the understated, first-person account of trouble and courage.
Connections
You can use this book as a lead into a history lesson on World War II or our present day relationship with Japan. A science lesson on rotating crops to fertilizer the soil could follow the reading of this story. Older children could also be taught a lesson on perseverance through difficult situations.
Similar Books
UNDER THE CHERRY BLOSSOM THREE: AN OLD JAPANESE by Allen Say
HOME OF THE BRAVE by Allen Say
Bibliography
THE FIREKEEPER’S SON
Park, Linda Sue. THE FIREKEEPER’S SON. 2004. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618133372.
Plot Summary
The setting is in Korea in the early 19th century. A brilliant book jacket with Sang-hee and the fire intrigue the reader to pick up this book. Sang-hee’s father is responsible for lighting the first fire on the mountaintop which triggers the lighting of numerous fires that signal the palace that all is well. No soldiers come from the palace when there’s peace.
All goes well until Sang-hee’s father hurts his leg and Sang-hee has to light the fire. Sang-hee wants to see the soldiers and thinks about not lighting the fire but fulfills the task. Ms Park includes historical notes and information on why she adapted certain parts of the traditional information.
Critical Analysis
Ms. Park explains in her author’s note that the Sang-hee family is fictional but the bonfires were real. This historical picture book provided an opportunity to learn of a tradition from Korea’s past. Ms Park lives in the New York, however, she has not written this book as a Korean American story.
The book jacket has an up close picture of a young boy staring at the fire. The features change and I found the picture of Sang-hee on page 8 lacking facial features of Koreans that I have seen in friends. He resembled a female in this illustration. His chin and eyes do not appear correct to my limited knowledge. The village and his father’s clothing resemble those I’v seen in history books, on TV and the Internet. The wide screen view of the village and mountains are beautiful.
The story was before World War II when there was only one Korea. Descriptions of the many mountains and how the palace valued Korea for being a peaceful country are cultural markers.
Sang-hee’s face looks more traditional on page 17 and 18. The traditional fire pot and firewood arrangement on page 24 are authentic markers.
Shang-hee’s father injures his ankle and Sang-lee has to take over the task of lighting the evening fire. He knew how to light the fire but he also wanted to see the soldiers from the palace. “San-he wished he could see soldiers. Just once! I could say I dropped the pot. And spilled all the coals. That it was an accident.” I like the the coal looked as if it were talking, “Light the fire, light the fire, and a time of peace a time of peace.” Sang-hee made the correct decision. He was then surprised to learn that his father also wanted to see the soldiers when he was young. “His father hobbled as they walked, and leaned on Sang-lee’s shoulder. “When I was a boy, I too wished the soldiers would come.”
The tradition had been passed down and Sang-hee was told that he was part of the king’s guard. “The village will be pleased to hear that another trustworthy firekeeper has been born to our family.” It’s a strong traditional cultural marker the history of passing along a family career or family tradition. I enjoyed this story and encourage its use in our libraries.
Reviews
School Library Journal--Park's command of place, characterization, and language is as capable and compelling in this picture book as it is in her novels. Children will be intrigued by this early form of wireless communication, caught up in the riveting dilemma, and satisfied by the resolution.
Booklist--Park,who won a Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard (2001), tells a picture-book story set in Korea in the early 1800s about a young boy in a remote village who suddenly finds himself serving his country. Downing's handsome, watercolor-and-pastel double-page pictures personalize the history, showing realistic close-ups of the child, who plays soldiers and dreams of the excitement of battle. In contrast are the panoramic views far across the country as the boy tends the flame that preserves peace from mountain to mountain.
Connections
Parents and teachers can use this book to discuss ways of communication. You could discuss what jobs student's fathers, uncles, grandfathers, ect. had that were similar.
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