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Its all about making connections between classroom instruction and Library Media Center resources! The purpose of this newsletter is to give you, the teacher, support for your upcoming 10th grade Asian Studies Unit. Youll find a listing of books that focus on the lives of Asian American teens and issues commonly faced by kids who have either immigrated to America with their family or are who have been born in America and living in a culture different from that of their parents. We often think of these kids as Third Culture Kids or TCKs and research tells us that they tend to face a set of unique issues when dealing with identity. These books may prove useful as springboards for discussion on the issues of adaptation, tolerance, or immigration and may provide insight for students as they complete project based tasks or for yourself as you plan lessons. Let us know if you would like to have any of these titles pulled for your classroom use.

Fiction Crew, Linda. Children of the River. New York: Delacorte Press, 1989. ISBN 9780440210221

Annotation Sundara is living in Oregon with her aunt and family after fleeing from Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge army four years earlier. She left behind her parents and siblings and has been trying to make a new life for herself in the United States. But at times she is confused and feels guilty. Is she leaving her roots and culture behind as she adapts to life in the US? She is torn between this new way of life and her former life. She wants to honor the memories she has of her parents and her culture and at the same time, fit into her new life in the United States, yet these questions nag at her mind. This book may be just the text needed to spark discussion among teens that are living in cultures different from their parents. The issues Sundara faces are common to all people, and especially those who are nearing adulthood and making difficult life decisions. Sundara longs to be a true part of American culture and yet she grew up somewhere completely different and experienced things that most American kids only hear about on the news or on the movie screen. The appeal of the book comes from the honest voice of Sundara as she assimilates and makes important decisions all the

while trying to respect the culture of her family and move towards an acceptance of who she is a young American woman.

Fiction Lee, Marie G. Necessary Roughness. New York: Trophy, 1996. ISBN 9780064471695

Annotation Sixteen-year-old Chan has grown up in Los Angeles with his Korean family, but now dad has decided to move the family to a rural area in Minnesota, much to Chans displeasure. Hes had it good living in L.A., never been an outsider before, but here in this new town he is part of the only Asian family among a community of blonde haired, blue- eyed people who seem to live in the dark ages. Hes had some challenges growing up in a different culture from his parents, but now to be in a small town where his popularity and confidence are gone proves to be more of a challenge than anyone anticipated. But he finds himself an outlet. He discovers that he is good at football and pushes himself to be the best player his new school has ever seen. But even among his teammate he experiences racist remarks and is alienated. He finds himself taking his anger out on the field, with a permissible amount of violence in the game. But this does not necessarily satisfy Chans long to belong. When more trauma comes along due to the death of his twin sister, he is faced with more questions about his identity and heritage, and he must work through these if he is to be free to be fully himself. This book was among the American Library Associations Best Books for Young Adults in 1998. Its the story of a young man suddenly facing life changes that shake his confidence and understanding of himself and his family to the core. He finds himself a place on the high school football team and uses the rules of the game to exploit the anger he is feeling inside. Its a violent ride! Necessary Roughness provides a different perspective from a male protagonists point of view and may appeal especially to the young men in class. It could be a very useful tool for discussions on tolerance, on understanding and coping with emotions, and for adjusting to lifes challenges. As students delve into Chans thinking and that of his strict father, they may discover deeper understandings into their own experiences or those of peers around them who have faced similar life challenges. * other works by this author that may fit nicely into this topic include: Finding My Voice, and Saying Goodbye. For another book with a male protagonist, consider Girls for Breakfast by David Yoo, though note that it contains sexual innuendo.

Fiction

Headley, Justina Chen. Nothing but the Truth: And a Few White Lies. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2006. ISBN 9780316011280 Annotation This book brings to life the experiences of Patty Ho, an Asian American with Taiwanese and Caucasian DNA. She feels out of place being of mixed race and her unusual freakinsteinish height only adds to her feelings of discomfort. Of course she wants to fit in like the rest of the kids she knows but living within both Western and Taiwanese culture leaves her feeling out of place in both. Then her very strict mother sends her off to a summer math camp at Stanford, in hopes that she will forget about American boys and just study hard. To Pattys delight she does find a place at the camp and learns more about herself than she expected. Through the help of her camp counselor, Asian roommate and a nearby aunt, Patty discovers she is not such an oddball and is encouraged to embrace her unique heritage with pride. Nothing by the Truth takes the common issues of kids living in cultures outside that of their parents on a little different ride by adding the mixed-race component. It may help students who are of mixed race gain a different perspective on life. Living vicariously through Patty, young girls, especially, may be able to address confusions and find support for their own experiences. Often hearing that we are not unusual in our journey can be enough of a catalyst to move us on towards finding a niche where we feel we belong. Patty has the opportunity to identify with the best parts of both cultures and find a sense of joy and contentment in who she is. The book may be an excellent choice for use in a young womens book club either through the library or classroom and open the doors of discussion on issues of tolerance, acceptance, adjustment and personal identity.

Fiction Choi Sook, Nyul. Gathering of Pearls. Boston, Ma: Houghton Miffling, 1994. ISBN 9780618809189

Annotation This is the final installment in the trilogy of young Sookans flight from war-ravaged Korea. Set in 1954. Sookan has arrived in the United States and is enrolled in an all womens catholic college. She faces the dis-ease of an uncertain future without her family by her side and she is determined to adjust and find a place for herself in this new life. Sookan experiences mixed emotions as she begins her school days, both filled with joy and despair. Full of questions and pangs of guilt for having left her family in Seoul, she struggles to fit in and make the best of her new-found opportunity. A quote from the Kirkus review perhaps captures the heart of this story best, "Just as oysters make pearls out of grains of sand, women create something precious from their suffering. Preparing to face life alone, Sookan gathers her

strength--her pearls--and resolves to succeed." As we read Gathering of Pearls we find a common perspective of what it can be like to transition to life in a new culture, though the protagonist in this text has actually escaped from the ravages of war in hopes of finding a better life. She brings with it her own experiences, and does not depend on the stories of her parents or grandparents for understanding. Sookans will to survive is only surpassed by her determination to succeed in this new world. Readers will find contemporary thoughts and ideas coming out of her experiences that may provoke feelings and questions of their own. As the last in a trilogy, it may be reading well spent to go back and look at the first two books to fully grasp the horrors that Sookan has faced and been rescued from, but this book can act on its own in dealing with the challenges faced by even modern day teens who are living in cultures new to them and trying desperately to find a place of comfort. *First two books in the trilogy: Year of Impossible Good-byes, and Echoes of the White Giraffe.

Non-fiction Nam, Vickie. Yell-Oh-Girls: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and Growing Up Asian American. New York: Quill, 2001. ISBN 9780060959449

Annotation A collection of essays, poems, and stories by young Asian American girls talking about the challenges they face in their lives. (Mackin) The voices heard in Yell-Oh Girls come from young American women with diverse backgrounds from many parts of Asia including Korea, China, India, Japan and the Philippines. The stories and poems reveal insights about body image, sexuality, friendship, family issues, culture clashes, and many more with impressive candor. These women range in age from 15 to 22 and each piece of writing is followed by a piece from a mentor writer of acclaim. Together, these women speak out on issues experienced by all women in American society, not simply those of Asian Americans, making this an excellent text for any group of young women to share. This collection has compelling stories of young women torn between cultures and expectations of parents and dreams for something more. A deep longing to find a voice and a place in a society that is their own by birth, but not by culture, often leaves them feeling out of place and alone. As Vickie Nam began this project she was inundated with hundreds of responses from young women all over America, but she selected only 80 of the most moving or inspiring pieces to share in this work. The pairing of these pieces with those of the mentor writers draws together an inspiring collection and gives voice to the strength and courage of Asian American women and really to women of any race. This anthology makes an excellent resource for study as part of a humanities class that includes the real-life experiences of women from Asian

cultures and though likely best received by young women, may also help enlighten young men and encourage them to find their own voices in a similar manner.

Children of the River by Linda Crew Kirkus Reviews, 02/15/1989 /* Starred Review */ In a powerful first novel, a Cambodian teen-ager struggles to embrace an American future while respecting her cultural traditions. It's 1979--four years after fleeing the Khmer Rouge with her uncle's family--and Sundara (17) still doesn't know what happened to her own immediate family. She is haunted by happy childhood memories and by the tragic news on TV and in the written pleas for help that arrive daily from Cambodia; she tries to balance the past with the confident, prosperous way of her new life in Willamette, Oregon. Racked by guilt over the death of an infant cousin during the desperate flight, Sundara refuses to allow herself "mistakes"; but the rules at home and at school are so different that she always feels like an outsider. Though both custom and her strict aunt forbid social contact with young men, her friendship with schoolmate Jonathan McKinnon is too valuable to give up: not just a handsome superachiever, Jonathan finds that Sundara's story awakens not only his concern for her people but also his regard for her. Sundara has splendid inner resources: relentless energy, quick wit, and a profound courage that rarely wavers (admitting to Jonathan that she has not cried in four years, she says, "I start to cry, I think maybe I never stop"; but when she finally does, her expressed grief proves healing not only for her but for the aunt who has acted as an over-stern mother to her). With clarity and ease, Crew tackles difficult ideas like racial prejudice within the Cambodian community or the different ways that recent immigrants respond to clashes between American values and their own. Meanwhile, Sundara's imperfect, poetic English ("Cannot talk is like a prison. Cannot make a new life") sounds authentic, as do the many details that make this moving story so rich, its characters so fully realized. A book to change readers' eyes and hearts. Necessary Roughness by Marie G. Lee Kirkus Review 11/1/1996 Football is the central metaphor for how a Korean family confronts life, death, and assimilation in this gritty and moving novel by Lee (Saying Goodbye, 1994, etc.). Leaving behind a successful grocery store in Los Angeles, the Kims move to Minnesota to rescue the store owned by the father's no-good, drug-dealing brother, Bong. Readers will identify the laconic and pained narrator, Chan, and his twin sister, Young, as different from each other as their former city's cultural diversity is from the relative homogeneity of their new small town. The family encounters prejudice from hostile provincials, as well as a welcome from their open-hearted landlady, Mrs. Knutson. Lee creates a tangible sense of what it means to work hard: The Kims

struggle to make their new store succeed, going without furniture and embracing Minnesota hotdish. Tragedy comes when Young is killed in a car accident; reeling from the loss, Chan confronts the xenophobic bullies on the football team and reaches an understanding with his old-world father. Both points could have been reached without the death of Young, which seems a forced, unnecessary, and easy plot development. Lee's talent for dramatically depicting the pain and tragedy in living, for showing that every day is a battle, is subordinated by the facile scenes surrounding Young's death. Yet even if the lessons are not as precisely realized as those in Lee's previous books, this is still a strong and intelligent novel. (Fiction. 10-14) Gathering of Pearls by Sook Nyul Choi School Library Journal Review: 10/1/1994 Gr 7-12-This novel completes the autobiographical trilogy begun in Year of Impossible Goodbyes (Dell, 1993) and continued in Echoes of the White Giraffe (Houghton, 1993). Here the story begins with Sookan's arrival in White Plains, New York, in 1954 to start college, where she is the only Korean student at a small Catholic school for women. She confronts all the problems of adjustment normal to freshmen, plus the added burdens of absorbing a foreign culture and earning extra money. It is easy to fall in love with this gentle girl. She combines a delicate sweetness with a fierce determination to fulfill her dreams. She works hard to produce her own blend of cultures and values-she delights in the new, and tempers it with the traditional. She also attempts to maintain a correspondence with family members struggling to rebuild their lives in post-war Korea, but they see her as a deserter. Only her mother understands her yearnings and conflicts. The soul-searching quality of Choi's prose is at least as important to this beautiful novel as the plot line. It is not essential to have read the previous books to appreciate this one, but its full impact will be diminished for those unfamiliar with Sookan's experiences growing up in her wartorn homeland. On the other hand, those who responded to the suspense, hardship, and emotional tensions of the first two novels may be disappointed by the quiet, introspective mood of this intimately rendered narrative. However, readers who share in this emotional journey with Sookan will grow along with her in wisdom. Margaret Cole, Oceanside Library, NY Nothing but the Truth: and A Few White Lies by Justina Chen Headley Publisher's Weekly 4/10/2006 Headley makes an impressive debut with this witty, intimate novel about a selfdescribed "bizarrely tall Freakinstein cobbled together from Asian and white DNA," trying to find her niche. Patty Ho, the 14-year-old narrator feels conspicuously out of place whether she is socializing with her white classmates or among her mother's Taiwanese friends. Headley immediately conveys her heroine's sense of humor when she opens with a "Belly-Button Grandmother" who tells Patty's future by probing her belly. When the woman predicts that Patty will marry a white man, Patty's distraught, divorced mother-who would like nothing more than for her daughter to meet a nice Taiwanese boy-sends Patty to math camp at Stanford University. Despite some misgivings, Patty there finds adventure, romance and a level of freedom and acceptance that she has never experienced before. Guided by her outspoken Asian

roommate, a compassionate counselor and an open-minded aunt who lives near the campus, Patty begins to view herself in a new light-not as an oddball, but rather as someone who has inherited the best of two different worlds. Through lively, firstperson narrative punctuated with creative word play, the author encapsulates Patty's ups and downs and traces her heroine's emotional maturation during the course of an eventful summer. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

YELL-Oh Girls edited by Vickie Nam Publisher's Weekly 6/11/2001 Coming of age as an Asian-American girl in the largely white reaches of upstate New York, editor Nam writes that she began to "make sense of the contradictions of being Asian, American, and a girl" through writing, as did many of the young women whose stories, essays, poems and letters she's compiled in this vibrant, much-needed anthology. Though Nam received hundreds of contributions, the collection includes only 80 brief selections (most are under three pages) by budding writers between 15 and 22 years of age, from all over the country. Nam presents the pieces according to theme with helpful background information and analyses of the works, and ends each section with a "Mentor Piece" by an established Asian-American writer on her own coming-of-age (these include essays by Lois-Ann Yamanaka and Helen Zia). The real stars in this collection, however, are girls like high school senior Rona Luo, who waxes lyrical about the "last time I saw my father chow" (cook with a wok). Other essays discuss body image, interracial friendship and dating, adoption, "model minority" stereotypes, Asian-American feminist activism, sexuality, language and white boys' "Asian fetish." Nam regrets that her youth was filled with silence on the subject of being young and Asian-American. Thanks to this fine collection of writings, future generations of Asian-American girls need not feel so isolated. (Aug.) Forecast: Though the book will appeal to young Asian-American women, the writers' focus on the tough work of establishing identity will make it relevant to young women of all ethnic backgrounds. Essential for high school libraries. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Its all about making connections between classroom instruction and Library Media Center resources! In this addition of Middle School Connects you will find a list of books that will facilitate the study of Korean History/Culture. The books are intended to support a seventh grade humanities study dealing with the history and culture of Korea. You will find useful fiction that supports the content area as well as the reading curriculum within the Asian studies component. Each of the books has been selected based on interest/reading level, content and belief that it will provide useful support to your units of study. Take a look at the books and let us know if you would like us to pull them for use in your classes.

Fiction Choi, Sook Nyul. Year of the Impossible Goodbyes. New York: Bantam Boubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1991. ISBN 9780440407591

Annotation Sookan and her family live in northern Korea during the time of the Japanese occupation. They are forced to give up their Korean ways and adopt the life styles and language of the Japanese. Father and older brothers are off in camps and mother works in a sock factory while Sookan, and her little brother attend Japanese schools. As the occupation comes to an end another begins. Russia is now in control and Sookans family realizes that the only way to be truly free is for mom, Sookan and brother to escape to the southern parts of Korea. The story reveals the deepest hearts of this family as they persist in their attempts to escape, becoming separated yet finally making it south to freedom. This book will be a useful tool in bringing to light the determination of the Korean people to be free. It shares the hardships of occupation, the humiliations and degradations that occurred during this time in Koreas history as well as the marvelous will to overcome. Students will be inspired by the motivation of the characters to endure in all situations and may find ways to connect to their own ancestors history. This book is written from the prospective of an adolescent Korean girl and may provide tangible support to Korean students in the study of their own history. It could be used in reading groups that would encourage students to think about and discuss what it would be like to escape the tortures of war or what it may be like to live in a divided country and how families cope with having loved ones living with an uncrossable border between them.

Fiction Park, Linda Sue. Archers Quest. New York: Clarion Books, 2006. ISBN 9780618596317

Annotation Legendary Korean ruler, Chu-Mong, drops in on modern day Kevin in this unique story from Park. In this story, Kevin, a typical 6th grade student living in New York receives an unexpected visit from the past. Chu-Mong has fallen off his tiger and landed far into the future. But he must get back to his own time before the year of the tiger comes to a close or history will be forever changed. As Kevin assists Chu-mong he learns about Koreas ancient history and lore in a fun and fantastic way. This book provides an insightful trip into the very ancient history of Korea. Set in modern day, it whisks the reader back to a time around 30 BC and lets us learn about the culture of the day. This book, by an accomplished writer of historical Korean fiction, will engage middle school readers in an intriguing tale while giving them insight into this ancient culture. It would make an excellent resource to begin investigations of Korean folklore, or ancient Korean characters. Students could investigate a particular historical character, real or fictionalized, and write their own story of this persons life to later share in a story telling session or publish in book format. Archers Quest may especially appeal to adolescent boys who love adventures and action plots with history woven throughout the lot. Other titles which capture Korean history and culture by Ms. Park include: A Single Shard, The See-Saw Girl, When My Name was Keoko, The Kite Fighters, and The Firekeepers Son.

Fiction Holman, Sheri. Sondok: Princess of the Moon And Stars. New York: Scholastic, 2002. ISBN 9780439165860

Annotation Fourteen year old Sondok is keeper of the ancestral jar in which she places notes to her deceased grandmother seeking advice or sharing information about the kingdom. The story dates back to the seventh century when what is now Korea was split into three kingdoms. Sondok becomes the first ruling queen of the Silla Dynasty but in her youth she feels a deep connection with the stars and longs to spend her nights studying the universe, a practice typically forbidden to girls of her time. Historically, Queen Sondok is known for constructing the oldest standing observatory in Asia. It still exits in the southern city of Kyongju, South Korea. The story is written as a diary of this young girl and gives great insight into her intelligence and the roles that women played during this period of history.

This book can be an excellent source for information regarding the early periods in Korean history. It gives a different point of view, that of women, in a time where women where actually allowed to hold positions of power, before the society became strictly patriarchal. It may prove to be a good choice for opening up discussion about the roles of men and women in society from an historical perspective. It could also be a catalyst into research of these roles and how they have or have not changed over time within Korean society. The protagonist is a young teen who lives a regal life in comparison to most females of her time, but who also lives with the conflicts of war, and religion. During this time Sondok wielded great power due to the practice of shamanism which was recognized as a female practice and even today, many Koreans view this as a practice left to women. The book may lead to discussions of three religions or philosophies followed in that time period: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shamanism, and that continue to shape the culture of Korea today. (Another book with a female point of view is The Girl-Son by Anne E. Neuberger. Set in early 20th century Korea, it is the story a girl who longs to be educated in a much changed Korea where girls are not permitted to attend school. It may be a valuable resource to consider when looking at roles in society.)

Fiction Potok. Chaim. I Am the Clay. New York: Fawcett Crest, 1992. ISBN 9780449221389

Annotation I am the Clay offers a deeply moving portrait of the horrors experienced by many Koreans during the last war. The country has been ravaged and people are starving in the cold, looking for any place that will provide shelter from the coming winter. A young boy is left bleeding and dying in a ditch when an elderly couple trying to escape to a safer south, come along. The woman cannot leave the boy there to die and insists on caring for his wounds, even amidst the protests of her more sensible husband. The boy does survive under her tender care and over time becomes like a son to them. Together they suffer the harsh realties of the war and struggle against all odds to survive. This book, while written for an older audience, is a stunning portrayal of the effects of the Korean War on its land and people. If read aloud to the class, or in small guided groups where an adult could dissipate fear and offer support, it could be an excellent catalyst for deeper discussion and understanding. The plight of the people is clearly revealed, leaving the reader filled with compassion and perhaps remorse for the tragedies of any war. It would appeal to an adolescent relating to his or her own grandparents, or great grandparents that may have lived through similar circumstances and adds to the richness of ones understanding of human suffering in the midst of determined hope. It may also be appropriate for a more mature student to read through independently with opportunity to share reflections or insights with others.

Nonfiction Stickler, John. Land of Morning Calm: Korean Culture Then and Now. Fremont, CA: Shens Books, 2003. ISBN 9781885008220

Annotation This text offers insights into Koreas culture from an historical and modern day perspective. Each single or double page spread discusses one aspect of Korean culture, or history. Written for middle school students, it provides relevant information through both text and illustrations. Each topics title is written in English and in Korean characters with the author tying folklore in with factual information about the country. It covers topics including Koreas mythical beginnings, the invention of the Korean alphabet, religious beliefs, celebrations, food, music, dance, clothing, art forms, and family relationships. Many topics include both historical and contemporary data making the book interesting and relevant for young people today. Land of Morning Calm provides insightful cultural and historical information to young people. It contains many colorful pieces of artwork and visual supports for the text. It would be a good accompaniment to other history texts that may be used in the classroom during a study of Korea. Individual students could select a topic from this book to do further research on and then share their expanded knowledge with the class. While written for a middle school audience the visual supports in the book, make it appropriate even for non-English speaking students. With some assistance such a student may be able to connect prior knowledge of the topic and gain new understandings of Korea and its historical culture.

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi School Library Journal 10/1/1991 Gr 5-9-- Ten-year-old Sookan tells of her Korean family's experiences during the Japanese occupation as World War II ends. The Japanese commit cruel, fearprovoking acts against this proud, hopeful family and against the young girls who worked in a sweatshop making socks for the Japanese army. Relief, hope, and anticipation of the return of male family members after the Japanese defeat is short lived as the Russians occupy the country, bringing their language, their customs, and communism to the village. Equally as insensitive to the pride and possessions of the Koreans, they are as bad as the Japanese. Plans are made for Sookan, her mother, and younger brother to escape to South Korea. However, their guide betrays them, causing the children to be separated from their mother, and the two begin a daring and frightening journey to cross the 38th parallel to safety. Through Sookan, the author shares an incredible story of the love and determination of her family, the threatening

circumstances that they endured during occupations by two totalitarian governments, and the risks they took to escape to freedom. Readers will get a double bonus from this book--a good story, well told, and the reaffirmation of our faith in the human spirit against incredible adversities. -- Lydia Champlin, Beachwood City Schools, OH Archers Quest by Linda Sue Park Publisher's Weekly 5/8/2006 Park's (A Single Shard) novel, set in 1999, is part history lesson, part martial arts adventure; it begins with a rather shaky premise but quickly pulls in readers. Twelveyear-old Kevin, a Korean-American math whiz who dislikes social studies ("Names and dates and places from ages ago. Boring, boringer, boringest"), is shocked to discover an arrow-and the archer who took its aim-in his bedroom one afternoon. The intruder identifies himself as "Koh Chu-mong, Skillful Archer," and Kevin nicknames him "Archie." A search on the Internet reveals that Archie was born in 55 B.C. and founded the Koguryo kingdom (now Korea); he explains his chronological detour to Kevin: "I lost my balance, fell off the tiger, and landed here." Kevin raises the same questions that readers may have ("Fell off a tiger? Who was this guy?"). But the logistics soon take a back seat to Kevin's breakneck mission to discover enough details about Archie to return the king to his own place and time. Along the way, popular folktales about this Korean hero come to light, and a credible friendship grows between man and boy. The conclusion wraps hastily, and supporting characters, including a museum curator and Kevin's parents come off sketchily. But the relationship between Kevin and Archie, and their race against the clock (with the Chinese Zodiac and Kevin's math skills both playing a part) to set things right will keep the pages turning. Ages 9-13. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. Sondok: Princess of the Moon And Stars by Sheri Holman School Library Journal 8/1/2002 Set in ancient Silla, part of modern-day South Korea, this diary follows the life of Princess Sondok. Although little is known about the subject's childhood, Holman has written a discerning novel to reflect what life may have been like for the princess who became the first ruling Queen of Silla in A.D. 632. When the book opens, the protagonist has just become guardian of the ancestor jar. She writes notes to her dead grandmother, describing activities in the royal court or asking advice. These are the diary entries. What is known about Queen Sondok's reign is that Buddhism flourished, and that she built the oldest standing astronomical observatory in Asia. Thus, Holman has created an intelligent, spiritual princess with a passion for astronomy. The powerful influence of China and Confucianism in Silla is revealed through the fictitious character of Lin Fang, a Chinese Ambassador who becomes Sondok's teacher. She feels torn between the ancient, feminine practice of shamanism, the contemporary ideas of Buddhism, and the infiltrating authority of Confucianism in her country but she learns to take what is useful from each practice to find a balance for herself and the country she will soon reign. A well-written story that will inspire young readers to learn more about other wise women from Asia.-Be Astengo,

Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. I am the Clay by Chaim Potok Kirkus Review 4/1/1992 At first glance, this acutely moving novel by the author of The Chosen and other stories of punishing spiritual journeys within Orthodox Judaism, may seem a departure. Here, the setting is Korea of the 1950's as two aged peasants and an orphaned boy survive a cruel refugee trek. But the old pair and the boy, like all hapless innocents and victims of catastrophe, search within the shell of self for the answer to a universal pliant: ``Why do the spirits play with us?'' Each will find some warmth in a spark of love. The 11-year-old boy, grandson of a famous poet and scholar, is dying in a ditch beside the old woman and her husband. The woman refuses to leave him and tends his wounds; the old man considers him ``a burden sent by evil spirits,'' but cannot shake the resolve of the ``crazy'' old woman. The journey from Seoul to the refugee camp and the camp itself mean near-fatal starvation, terrible cold, roads and fields of dead and dying. Yet the boy's healing will occur with the change in the journeying as the pair becomes a trio. Because of the boy, the old man's life is saved. Could he have a magic power? And within each are fevered dreams and memories. The woman, racked by fatigue, pleads with the spirits; the old man sees his uncle, the ``great hunter,'' amid images of flying hawks; the boy is tortured by images of a beloved family, hands tied, sightless in a mass grave. Then--surely the boy is magic--the three find that the old man's village has been spared. Now the dangers the boy must face are more subtle, yet deadlier than fierce weather, hardship, or a terrible foe. Potok has created a landscape of horror and beauty that seems charged with spirits--both malevolent and benign--and a human landscape where, against the terror of empty meaninglessness, only connection offers salvation. Land of Morning Calm by John Stickler School Library Journal 12/1/2003 Gr 5-8-Traditional and modern culture is explored in this attractively illustrated picture book for older readers. Beginning with a brief introduction to the history and politics of the country, Stickler then devotes one or two pages to various traditions and beliefs. The subjects are wide ranging, from food and fashion to taekwondo. The layout is balanced and visually pleasing. Chapter headings are written in Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and in English, both in a large elegant script. Each topic is accompanied by colorful, finely rendered watercolor illustrations or a small photograph or two. The writing style is quite sophisticated, with many instances where vocabulary or nuances of meaning may be lost on all but the most proficient readers. Despite this drawback, the book makes an excellent supplement to more general works.-Sue Morgan, Tom Kitayama Elementary School, Union City, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Its all about making connections between classroom instruction and Library Media Center resources! In this addition of Electuary Connects you will find a list of books that will facilitate the study of Immigration. The books are intended to support a fifth grade PYP unit on Immigration and provide a rich collection of thoughts from a variety of voices on the topic. Take a look at the books and let us know if you would like to use them in your class.

Non Fiction Alternative (Graphic Novel) Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. Melbourne: Lotian Books, 2007. ISBN 9780439895293
(used as an alternative with permission from instructor)

Annotation Shaun Tan takes us into the world of an immigrant family who experiences great hardship in their home country and their difficult decision to travel to a new land in hopes of a better life. Leaving his family behind, (with plans for reuniting at a later time) the man begins his long journey across the sea. Much time passes until he finally arrives in this new and strange place only to be met by multitudes of other immigrants all working to assimilate into this new life. In this wordless, graphic novel, Tan invites us to experience the fear, confusion, and apprehension felt by the man and enables us to experience the emotions that flood into his being. He comes across others who have similar stories of hardship and struggle. Over time his understanding deepens and he begins to find his way in this world. Throughout the story we see moving pictures of hope and gain understanding of the struggles that immigrant people face as they press forward in their journey for a better life. This graphic novel is a challenging book that will appeal to visual learners. It has a depth that can only be realized through multiple readings. While it is designed with adolescents/young adults in mind, it can also be very appropriate in a 5th grade classroom in a guided reading setting. The pictures clearly portray the confusion and fear that occurs when people face uncertainty and many students will be able to relate to these feelings. We see the man struggle to comprehend language that is unfamiliar to him and make typical errors, just as would be expected from anyone in that situation. In an ESL setting, this book could be of great value in helping to understand and express the feelings of students who are learning in a new language, or experiencing life in a new culture for the first time. The book would be a wonderful tool to help young people gain insight into the experiences of people who immigrate to any new country. In a writing activity, students could interpret what is being said in the pictures and write captions that the characters may be expressing. It would be

wonderful to display the pages in large format using an overhead projection system so that teacher and students could discuss the images and share thoughts and inspirations as the story is read together. Fiction Woodruff, Elvira. The Memory Coat. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 9780590677172

Annotation This is the story of a family fleeing from their Russian home and coming to America. The passage through Ellis Island is confusing and the family fears that things may go wrong. A young cousin, Grisha, traveling with the family and wearing the tattered coat given by his deceased mother, is marked as unacceptable but through the ingenuity of his cousin, he manages to pass through the inspection and is allow to journey on with the family into America. The text clearly shows the determination of the immigrant family and historical notes add to the understanding of the experience of passing through Ellis Island at the turn of the 20th century. This book is an excellent choice as it clearly shares the unity that immigrant families shared as they struggled to remain together throughout the process of coming to America. I am sure many of our students have no idea how difficult those days were and the difficulties that families endured just to be admitted to America. The inspections and interviews were confusing and many people were not allowed to continue on into the country. Families were torn apart and some people were sent back to their homeland, often to untold hardship. The book can be used to introduce the idea of immigration polices and procedures that most countries have and the purpose of legislation to make immigration fair and available to many. It is appropriate for students to read independently at the 4-5th grade reading level. It may be appealing to this age of reader as the protagonists in the story are of similar age and one of them actually becomes the hero of the story. Fiction Yin. Coolies. New York: Puffin Books, 2001. ISBN 9780142500552

Annotation Grandmother relates the special story of her great-grandfathers experience of coming to America and working on the transcontinental railroad. He and his younger brother endure racism and extreme danger to build the railroad, and receive no credit for their work. The brothers endured with never ending hope of making a better way for themselves and for family left behind in China. This is a moving story shared between grandmother and grandson and highlights the tireless contributions made by the thousands of Chinese men and boys who helped to bring together a vast continent through the east-west railway lines.

This text does an excellent job of introducing the concept of contributions that many immigrant people have made to the making of America. In this case it is the Chinese who have come to be laborers on the rail lines. While the text focuses on two Chinese bothers, there is also mention of Irish immigrants who are building the line from the east. These men endured much hardship but with great integrity and grit they faced each day with earnest in hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families. It is important to spend time in an immigration unit to recognize these contributions and highlight specific ones such as these. This book would make an excellent resource for a literature circle group. It can read in one or two sessions with students taking on various roles to share about the text, perhaps connecting it to some research into contributions made by other people during this time in history or even today.

Fiction Giff, Patricia Reilly. Maggies Door. New York: Yearling, 2003. ISBN 9780440415817

Annotation In this sequel to Nory Ryans Song, we journey with Nory as she makes her way to America in hopes of being reunited with her sister Maggie who escaped the Irish famine in the mid 1800s. Norys parents are among the deceased and her little brother has gone ahead with a friend, Sean Read Mallon and his mother. Nory exhibits great strength and courage as she presses on alone towards a new home. The parallel story of Norys friend, Sean, also travelling to America, gives the reader glimmers into the hearts of both characters at different points in the journey. Both tell a compelling tale of hope in the midst of extreme hardship. This is a chapter book and would require a longer time for reading. It would make for an excellent read aloud by the teacher or a guest reader over the course of the unit. It may be best to have read Nory Ryans Song first but if time is limited, providing discussion of the first novel with introductions to the problem of the famine and the desperate situations that caused these families to leave their homeland will create a helpful bridge to this next text. At that point Maggies Door may prove more effective in developing understanding of the experiences of an immigrant person coming to America. This text could prove useful for understanding reasons people choose or are forced to leave their homelands and may be used in a history class dealing with famines, wars, and other factors affecting immigration. It is written as a narrative and gives us insight into the experiences of both Nory and Sean. Their feelings of despair, fear, confusion and hope are all typical to the books listed here, but this one gives us more time to get to know the characters fully and to empathize with their situations at a deeper level.

Fiction Balgassi, Haemi. Peacebound Trains. New York: Clarion Books, 1996. ISBN 9780618040308

Sumi is missing her mom who is in the American army and so heads to a favorite place to listen for trains and think about the day when her mother will return. Her grandmother comes and shares the story of how she had to leave her husband to escape the war in Korea by riding on the roof of a train with Sumis mother and uncle in tow. Sumi is comforted by her grandmothers story and we are given a moment inside the heart of an immigrant woman who endured great challenges to make a better life for her family. Peacebound Trains is an engaging story and would be very appropriate for a book study in guided reading groups or literature circles. It recounts the first hand experiences of a grandmother who lived through the Korean War and provides some little known history to our students. It is also a great example of the tradition of oral story telling; one generation passing on its history to the younger generation. I could see it being used as a catalyst for students to engage in oral storytelling themselves. Perhaps interviewing an older member of their family for some glimmer into their own history, writing the story, then sharing it in oral fashion with the class. Also, while the text does give us the sense of fear and worry that the characters in the story are feeling, it is less intense and perhaps allows us to empathize with the characters without become overly emotionally involved.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan Publisher's Weekly 7/16/2007 With this haunting, wordless sequence about a lonely emigrant in a bewildering city, Tan (The Lost Thing) finds in the graphic novel format an ideal outlet for his sublime imagination. Via pencil illustrations that resemble sepia photographs or film cels, Tan depicts a man's poignant departure from his wife and daughter. Stark stone houses, treeless streets and rustic kitchen appliances imply past eras-the man leaves home via an outmoded locomotive and steamship-but strange visuals reveal this is not our everyday world. Shadowy dragon tails trawl the sky of the man's homeland, suggesting pogrom or famine, and when he arrives at an Ellis Island-style port (the endpapers depict passport photos of multicultural travelers), his documents are stamped with cryptic symbols. He gets aboard an unmanned hot-air balloon that delivers him to a vast metropolis with unfamiliar customs and bizarre technologies (imagine, perhaps, a Gehry-designed city). Tan offers no written explanations on this foreign space, so readers fully grasp the man's confusion when he lands a job pasting posters, then hangs them upside-down until his employer corrects him. Readers also understand his empathy for other exiles (each with their tragic stories of immigration)

and with a friendly family that invites him to a meal of the local produce, which resembles exotic anemonae. In an oddly charming touch, each person has a distinctive animal companion, reminiscent of Philip Pullman's daemons or Hieronymus Bosch's alchemical creations. The man receives his own creature, a creepy-cute white monster with an egg-shaped torso, huge mouth and waving, eel-like tail; initially repulsed, he slowly warms to its amiable disposition. Just as gradually, his melancholy gives way to optimism and community as, despite setbacks, he benefits from the kindness of strangers. Tan adeptly controls the book's pacing and rhythm by alternating a gridlike layout of small panels, which move the action forward, with stirring single- and double-page spreads that invite awestruck pauses. By flawlessly developing nuances of human feeling and establishing the enigmatic setting, he compassionately describes an immigrant's dilemma. Nearly all readers will be able to relate-either through personal or ancestral experience-to the difficulties of starting over, be it in another country, city, or community. And few will remain unaffected by this timeless stunner. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff Kirkus Review 1/1/1999 Through the experiences of two children, Rachel and her orphaned cousin Grisha, readers learn why Russian-Jewish families fled to America for refuge at the turn of the century, the arduous 14-day journey they faced on the ocean, and the critical physical inspections that occurred at Ellis Island that could determine their futures. For Rachel's family, their moment of peril comes when Grisha, whose eye has been scratched, is marked for deportation with chalk on the back of the ragged jacket that was sewn by his mother. Rachel quickly thinks to turn his jacket inside out and he is examined again, by a kinder doctor, and is allowed to stay with the family. Dooling's dramatic oil paintings reflect the fears and hopes of not only Rachel's family, but of all immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island hoping for freedom from religious persecution and for more prosperous futures. Woodruff (The Orphan of Ellis Island, 1997, etc.) includes information about on her inspiration for this book, the atrocities of life in Russia, and the history of Ellis Island since its opening in 1892. (Picture book. 7-10) Coolies by Yin Kirkus Review 1/1/2001 As a boy and his grandmother celebrate the Ching Ming Festival, a holiday honoring one's ancestors, the grandmother tells the story of her great-grandfather, Shek, who came from China to California in 1865 to work on the transcontinental railroad. Shek and his little brother Wong endured the two-month trip to America and immediately signed up with the Central Pacific Railroad Company to work as laborers. The Chinese workers, known derogatorily as coolies, from a Chinese word meaning bitter labor were paid less than their European counterparts and were often given the most dangerous jobs, those involving explosives, for example, and were forced to work in terrible weather conditions. (The authors note informs the reader that thousands of Chinese laborers died while working on the railroad.) Shek and the other Chinese workers tried to stand up for themselves by staging a strike, but were forced

to back down before any of their demands were met. Even when the railroads completion is celebrated, the importance of the Chinese laborers is ignored. After four years on the railroad, Shek and Wong used their earnings to open a store in San Francisco and eventually brought the rest of their family over to the US. Soentpiets signature glowing watercolors bathe the images with light. The pictures of big scenes, the teeming shipyard, the crowded living quarters on the ship, a campfire surrounded by snow-covered mountains, a busy San Francisco street are striking and grand. The design, each double-page spread laid out with three-fourths of the page as illustration while the one-fourth on the left holds the text in a box, allows for a fuller view of the sweeping scenes. This is an important story, full of drama and emotion and it is here given its proper recognition and tribute in both words and glorious art. Perhaps it will encourage other grandparents to share their family history as well. Masterful. (Picture book. 6-10) Maggies Door by Patricia Reilly Giff School Library Journal 9/1/2003 Gr 4-8-Fans of Nory Ryan's Song (Delacorte, 2000) will not want to miss this sequel. It begins as Nory leaves her home in Ireland a few days behind her friend Sean Red Mallon, his mother, and Nory's four-year-old brother, Patch, to embark on their journey to America. In alternating stories, Nory and Sean relate their distressing experiences as they make their way toward Nory's sister's house in Brooklyn. Both characters face trickery, cruelty, starvation, filthy conditions, and storms at sea, but they are determined to reach their destination. The theme is one of courage and hope for the future. The characters are developed fully, revealing their determination and courage, as well as their fears. Both Nory and Sean grow as individuals as they face each obstacle to their final goal. The mood of anticipation and apprehension is sustained as readers travel with them toward Maggie's door. Giff's descriptive language and detailed descriptions enable children to visualize the countryside and events along the way. Factual information on the potato blight and the resulting emigration is explained in an afterword. A welcome addition to any historical-fiction collection.-Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. Peacebound Trains by Haemi Balgassi Kirkus Review 8/1/1996 A lovely combination picture book/chapter book based, according to the author's note, on family memories about the trauma of leaving a beloved home for fear of an invading army; in this case, there is the added tragedy of civil war, with other fighting brother as South Korea and the Communist North battle over Seoul. Sorrowful because her birthday is three days away and her widowed mother will still be absent, Sumi goes to her favorite spot, where she can watch the trains pass by. Her grandmother comes to comfort her, telling her about the time years ago when she rode in the middle of winter with her young children on the roof of a train that carried her away from her husband and home, forever. It is far more heartbreaking than Sumi's own troubles, and soon she is comforting her grandmother. Balgassi's mother took such a ride; here the incident is woven into a poignant, accessible story, useful not

only for those wishing to explore their Korean roots, but for readers aware of or curious about the dislocations of war. In expressive watercolors, Soentpiet provides an accurate look at Korean culture of the 1950s as well as Sumi's contemporary setting. (pronunciation guide) (Fiction 7-10)

Other titles that fit nicely with this topic include: When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest Landed by Millly Lee Grandfathers Journey by Allen Say One Green Apple by Eve Bunting Good-bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong by Frances and Ginger Park At Ellis Island by Louse Peacock The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco They Sought a New World by William Kurelek The Always Prayer Shawl by Sheldon Oberman