Good Luck Gold and Other Poems FROM THE PUBLISHER
This collection of poems will speak directly to the many children in this country who come from Asian-and other-cultures and are often subjected to some form of prejudice. Young readers with more traditional backgrounds will gain new insights about their peers who come from different backgrounds.
FROM THE CRITICS
School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Most of the 42 poems in this collection give readers insight into the experiences of Chinese-American children. Starting with the ``Good Luck Gold'' of charms on a bracelet, they explore feelings about food, language, shopping, the importance of grandparents, and holidays. A number of the selections reflect on serious themes such as racism, the death of loved ones, divorce, and illness, all of which represent universal experiences. A variety of poetic forms are used, including rhymed poetry and free verse, a vivid haiku about a family eating with chopsticks, a dialogue between a Korean-American and another child about being American, and a question-and-answer poem in which a grandmother talks about why she wears jade. Children who live in cities with Chinese-American populations will recognize some of the images described-the ducks hanging in grocery-store windows, dim sum stands, parades with firecrackers and dragons. For others, these pieces provide an introduction to the sights and sounds of Chinese-American neighborhoods.-Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
BookList - Hazel Rochman
Fresh, honest, and not at all reverential, these poems are simple dramatic monologues about growing up Asian American. The lines are short and very easy to read; the voices are strongly personal. The ethnicity is strongly individualized, but whether the subject is food, family, or immigration, Wong moves beyond stereotype. This Asian isn't quiet and good at math ("Me. I like to shout"). The pain of being an outsider and the sting of bigotry are both individual and universal ("Ching chong Chinaman / Those kids over there / are laughing at me"). In a scene in a railroad cafe, where no one will serve a Chinese child and her father, she pulls him by the hand to get out of there. "We're not equal. We're better," she says.
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