Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too! by Maggie P. Chang (Juvenile Graphic Fiction)
This is only the second Ready-to-Read graphic I've read, but it's going to be tough to beat. I love the two pages at the beginning that demonstrate how to read a graphic novel by covering a few basics - thought/word bubbles and how to read the panels. I also like how there's a list of words from Geraldine's world and how to pronounce those words. I especially like the word, biandang, which is the Mandarin Chinese word for "Taiwanese lunch box," and how her lunchbox later comes to life. Geraldine Pu's character is my favorite part of this book. She doesn't let other kids tell her the food she brings for school lunches is gross or smelly. Sure, it gets to her at first, but she's strong and she also loves her Amah's food. So when another kid starts to get picked on for his lunch, Geraldine officially has enough, goes to sit with him, and asks him if she can try his lunch. He asks to try her stinky tofu and together they show the other kids that trying new things is fun! The other kids even look a little curious by the end of the story.
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Juvenile Fiction)
This is a wonderful read for anyone who loves Little House on the Prairie and is looking for a read-alike that offers a completely different perspective. After losing her mother, Hannah and her father move from place to place until they find a spot in Dakota Territory where they hope they can stay. Hanna is half-Chinese and her father is white. They are unable to stay anywhere due to the hatred and racism of other settlers. At times, the hatred is overwhelming. Hanna is a tough character who doesn't give up though. They find an ally in the town's mayor and settle in despite the racism. Hanna wants to be a dressmaker more than anything else, and my favorite moments of the story happened when she was immersed in dressmaking. The details of fabrics, buttons, and building her father's clothing/dressmaking store were beautiful. I didn't particularly love her father because he was not only gruff but didn't stand up for Hanna most times. Thankfully, Hanna is such a strong character and finds allies in her teacher, Miss Walters (who needed some nudging) and Bess (who also needed a little nudging). I appreciated the historical accuracy of the tough interactions and unshakeable racism because I believe it shouldn't be sugar-coated. It also shines a light on the strength, perseverance, and kindness of Hanna's character. I also appreciate how this story brings a bit of balance to The Little House on the Prairie series (which Park discusses at the end in a fascinating Author's Note). My only gripe is that Park didn't make this a series and start earlier in Hanna's life.
Drawn to Stitch (Adult Nonfiction)
So much inspiration to find here! I love the idea of looking for patterns and colors in unexpected places and replicating those patterns through sketching, stamping, stitching and other exciting methods, sometimes using several methods for each piece. It's like pulling the world in close and shining a light on the intricacies of life. It's time I start looking a little more closely at all the macro pictures I've taken over the years!
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