My first children’s book, The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang (age 10 and up), began with an American Girls contest. Today, like many in hyphenated-American families, I want to build bridges between two countries I love and respect. ![]() That’s when I met my husband, and our daughter was born in Hong Kong. Later, I worked in Hong Kong for eight years as a foreign correspondent covering China. My interest in China began after college when I spent two years in Singapore studying Mandarin and teaching English. I’ve collected quite a few and given others away to my many great-nieces and nephews. In the years since then, I have discovered many delightful new books, most about children balancing Asian and American values. I found several, including award winners, and I read them all. That sent me on a hunt for books about Chinese children. I was surprised that I could not find a single one! Confident, I scoured my personal book collection. When she was in third grade, her teacher asked me to recommend a book for young readers about a child in China today. Although I am not Chinese, her dad is, and I wanted her to relate to both sides of the family. When my daughter was growing up, I wanted to make sure she connected to her Chinese heritage. ![]() My book tells of two fictional brothers one adapts rather quickly and the other has a much harder time. While researching the Chinese Educational Mission, I was fascinated to learn that many of the boys loved playing baseball-despite the requirement that they wear their hair in a braid. This one takes place in the 1870s, when China’s government sent 120 boys to New England to study English and technology for fifteen years. ![]() My newest book, The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball (age 10 and up), tells how another Chinese child adapted to life in America. How about you? What books with themes of China have you or your children enjoyed? Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter. We are also giving away 3 copies of The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball. She presents ten middle grade chapter books to learn about Chinese culture. Please welcome author Dori Jones Yang, whose latest book is The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |