Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

Accompanying the review of the Newberry Medal-winning book, we would also review a book that graced with the Newberry Honor in 1976, Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. It’s a story of a boy named Moon Shadow who, at eight years old, sailed from the Middle Kingdom (China) to the Land of Golden Mountain (United States) to meet the father he'd never seen but heard about from his mother. Settled in San Fransisco, Moon Shadow befriended with fellow Tang people (Chinese men) called The Company whom his father worked for, and got to know there were friendly Chinamen as well as wicked Chinamen among them. Later he and his father moved out of Chinatown, and lived with very nice demonesses (white people), Miss Whitlaw and her niece Robin, who welcomed them to their town. His father, Windrider, was very interested in flying after reading an article about the famous Wright brothers to the extent he built small-scale glider models. Though airplane was a modern invention, part of his motivation was the traditional belief in his own previous dragon existence. This belief of dragon reincarnation in his former life had greatly influenced Moon Shadow ever since he told him. As the time went by, Robin and Moon Shadow became companions, and Miss Whitlaw learned the truth about dragons that she believed to be terrible before while teaching Moon Shadow how to read and write. With the help of his new acquaintances friends, Moon Shadow learned that despite the stereotype and prejudice he believed towards the demons (the Americans), most were actually friendly and not willing to beat him up every chance they got. In the end, a seemingly impossible dream was accomplished, and feuding friends overcame their differences for the chance to see "Dragonwings" flied. Overall, this is a fine and touching historical fantasy fiction. The author was objective in plotting the story and setting the conflicts among the characters. Even though the Chinese were constantly set upon by the white majority, yet there were good Chinese and bad Chinese just as there were good Whites and bad Whites. And although the novel was originally published in 1975, the existing problems of racial prejudice, hate, drug abuse, violence, self-worth, trust, and friendship that are vital to students growing up everywhere today, were all addressed very well in this book. Just to note, despite of the fact that this book has won one of the most prestigious awards in children's literature, some might think there is too much profanity in this book for children, such as the mention of prostitution, opium addiction, murder, physical abuse, or maybe Nick Carter detective novels.

reviewed by Begy

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt [SOLD]

Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man" is a spellbinding lyrical ode to the craft of teaching. It is a rollicking, delightful trek across nearly thirty years in New York City public school classrooms that will surely please his devout legion of fans, and perhaps win some new admirers too. You will find much of the same plain, yet rather poetic, prose and rich dark humor that defines his first book, along with his undiminished, seemingly timeless, skill as a mesmerizing raconteur.

All McCourt wanted to do was teach, which wasn't easy in the jumbled bureaucracy of the New York City school system. Pretty soon he realized the system wasn't run by teachers but by sterile functionaries. "I was uncomfortable with the bureaucrats, the higher-ups, who had escaped classrooms only to turn and bother the occupants of those classrooms, teachers and students. I never wanted to fill out their forms, follow their guidelines, administer their examinations, tolerate their snooping, adjust myself to their programs and courses of study.”

As McCourt matured in his job, he found ingenious ways to motivate the kids: have them write "excuse notes" from Adam and Eve to God; use parts of a pen to define parts of a sentence; use cookbook recipes to get the students to think creatively. A particularly warming and enlightening lesson concerns a class of black girls at Seward Park High School who felt slighted when they were not invited to see a performance of Hamlet, and how they taught McCourt never to have diminished expectations about any of his students

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri [SOLD]

The Namesake is the story of Gogol Ganguli a child of Bengali immigrants to America who hates his first name and doesn’t know what it means. Neither does anyone else. It is later explained that his father named him after a nineteenth century Russian poet. The entire book is based on Gogol’s various failed attempts to change his name.
Like her character Gogol, Jhumpa herself is a child of Indian immigrants to America. She was born to Bengali parents in London from where her parents went to Rhode Island even before she was old enough to sit up.
Her characters are semi-real, based on people she knew and the people she met while visiting India but the situations are invented giving her stories a universal appeal.
The Interpretor of Maladies was based on her own experiences. Being an immigrant herself, she realised the importance of family bonds which tied people to their homelands. Even her new book The Namesake is somewhat based on her own experiences. In a world where she looked different and was labeled an outsider, Lahiri felt as if she did not belong. India with its vibrant colours and versatility gave life to her starving existence and as a child, she loved visiting the country that stimulated her very being.
The last holds true for her latest novel because each situation is elaborated cogently with rhythmic sentences, drugging the readers with a style that makes them eager for more. The story lulls readers with its smoothness, and the Western audience is taken in by the Indian setting.
Lahiri chronicles her characters' lives with both objectivity and compassion, being a writer of uncommon elegance and poise. Her new book though thin in appearance hides a highly polished package.
A dazzling storyteller, Lahiri has an eye for a nuance and an ear for irony. Which explains the ease with which she has taken her seat among the best story writers of the world.

Reviewed by Riswan Lintang-RL

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt [SOLD]

The author begins his memoir with the voice of a narrator: describing people, events, etc. The writing is incredibly honest. It flows from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, page to page. McCourt puts himself right back into the mind of his younger self, and seems to be talking and thinking just as he would from ages 4 through a young man.

He speaks of his family. His father that couldn't keep his wages in his pocket on pay day, and could not make it home without stopping for a pint (or two) along the way. Yet a man who seemed to understand his young sons, and always had what seemed sage advice and a great love for his children. His mother's suffering, with the loss of children dyeing, trying to make do for her family by begging, and did whatever it took to keep her children warm and fed. He writes quite honestly, about his schooling, his relatives,the many illnesses he and the family went through, his taking to petty thefts to keep from starving, discovering his sexuality, the jobs he had to do, and his great desire to go back to America, where he was born.

The stories are sad, and will tug at your heartstrings, but the humor he uses in describing the sometimes dehumanizing events (having to empty and clean disgusting chamber pots among them) make this a stand out read instead of a woe-is-me theme.The characters jump off the page, you can hear them speak with their thick Irish accents, or in some cases New York. He writes of all the doors that were closed in his face, when he needed help, but you can feel the tenacity with which he continued to move his life forward.

If you're looking for a touching yet nice-to-read book, Angela's Ashes is something you're looking for.