Chinese Cinderella

Mah, Adeline Yen. Chinese Cinderella. Laurel Leaf, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0440228653.

Plot
Adeline is the youngest of five children in a wealthy family in China during the 1940's. Her father has married again after Adeline's mother has just passed away. Since she is the youngest and a girl, Adeline is not considered worth much by society and her family. Her parents constantly neglect or forget about her while she endures being the victim of her older sibling's tricks. The readers follow Adeline as she strives to look for sources of comfort in this hostile environment.

Critical Evaluation
The narrative of this story is simple. Teens will appreciate the clarity of the writing and will be able to focus more on the story of the book. The story is depressing, however Adeline does show resolve in finding her own worth and rise above the trials she experiences.

Reader's Annotation
After Adeline's mother gave birth to her she passed away. Since then Adeline has been considered as bad luck and has been treated as such by her whole family. However, despite the bad treatment Adeline is determined to make something of herself and works hard to find a way out.

About the Author
Adeline Yen Mah was born in Tianjin China. At the age of fourteen she won a writing contest which helped convince her father to let her go to England to study. She later graduated from medical school as a physician and started her own successful practice in California.

She wrote her first book based after her experiences after her stepmother's death. This book, Falling Leaves became a hit and Mah quickly gave up medicine to pursue writing full time. She is married and has two children.

Genre
Nonfiction

Curriculum
Autobiography
Chinese culture
Coming of Age

Book Talking Ideas
Do you think a lot of our actions and perspectives are shaped by superstitions?
What helped Adeline find comfort and a sense of worth?
Why would you think Adeline's stepmother would segregate the family?

Reading Level/Interest Age
12+

Challenge Issues
Accounts of neglect and abuse are included in the text.

Challenge Answer
Mah writes what really happened in her life. Also, readers are able to see the negative impact of abuse and neglect of children.

Why Included in Selection
It is a well written autobiography that gives insight to another culture.

Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America

Dumas, Firoozeh Jazayeri. Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0812968378.

Plot
Firoozeh was born in Iran and moved to Southern California with her family at the age of seven. Her extended family soon followed them to America and everyone has been here ever since. The reader follows Firzooeh as she grows up getting used to the cultural differences between her birthplace and her new home. Her quirky family also adjust in their own way, her father especially is filled to the brim with optimism and loves America no matter how much anti-Iranian and anti-Muslim sediment is thrown in his way.

Critical Evaluation
Dumas is an excellent writer with a clear and simple narrative. She knows how to have just the right amount of words to tell a story without getting bogged down with details. Her father is the comic relief of the story and his pure love of the American dream despite the troubles and sometimes racial tensions he faces is inspiring. This is a funny, heartwarming book that deals with racial issues. Dumas is a talented writer being able to get just the right balance of every emotion and theme in her autobiography.

Reader's Annotation
Firoozeh Dumas is a typical girl who was born in Iran and moved to America when she was seven. She and her family go on a funny as well as crazy cultural ride as they try to adjust living in America and deal with racial issues from both the U.S. and Iran.

About the Author
Firoozeh Dumas was born in Abadan Iran. Ever since she was young she wrote essays and later submitted them for scholarships in order to attend UC Berkeley. Her family continued to move between California and Iran until they finally settled in Newport Beach, California.

She has written two books including Funny in Farsi. She was also the first Middle Eastern woman to be nominated for the Thurber Prize for American Humor for her work. She is married with children and often tours the country to give book talks.

Genre
Nonfiction

Curriculum
Racism
Iranian American
The immigrant experience
Autobiography

Book Talking Ideas
Why do you think her father is able to have an unwavering love for America despite all the racism he experiences?
What do you think helped Firoozeh the most in adapting to America?
Does this book change the way you view Iranian Americans? Or Muslims?

Reading Level/Interest Age
Teens and Adults

Challenge Issues
The book deals with acts of racism

Challenge Answer
Unfortunately racism exists and Firoozeh does a good job in keeping an accurate and balanced perspective on racial issues.

Why Included in Selection
This was a great and funny book. Also, it deals with racial issues without being depressing.

Spies of Mississippi

Bowers, Rick. Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement. National Geographic Children's Books, 2010

Plot
This book covers how the state government of one state signed into being a spy network whose sole purpose was to undermine the civil rights movement and maintain segregation. The government officials, spies and insiders that were involved in the movement are exposed along with some of their plans and propaganda that they tried to spread in the community. The book also contains copies of actual documents that support the existence of the network and their influence.

Critical Evaluation
Some nonfiction books have the problem of getting too involved in the data of the covered event and overcrowd the narrative with minute details. However, Bowers does a good job of making the narrative clear and flow well so that readers do not feel stressed by the amount of information. The information about the network is very interesting and gets the reader curious about US history.

Reader's Annotation
There were struggles during the civil rights movement, but few know about a spy network that was written into state law. This network worked with the sole purpose of making sure that segregation was maintained...forever.

About the Author
Rick Bowers resides in Washington D.C. In addition to writing books, he is also a journalist, songwriter and heads several projects for AARP. He is also the executive director of the Leadership Commission on Civil Rights.

Genre
Nonfiction

Curriculum
Civil Rights Movement
Segregation
Government accountability

Book Talking Ideas
Propaganda is looked down on so much in America, yet it has existed in this country as well. How does it change your perspective in what you read or hear about from the media?
Why do you think people were able to create such a network?
Do you think it was worth it for these civil right activists to give up so much to go to Mississippi and protest?

Reading Level/Interest Age
12+

Challenge Issue
Deals with murders, propaganda, racism, hate crimes, and abuse of the law.

Challenge Answer
This book talks about what really happened in the history of the U.S. No matter how ugly the past is, it is best to learn about it and make sure it does not happen again.

Why Included in Selection
It is a well written book about an interesting part of U.S. History.

Model: A memoir

Diamond, Cheryl. Model: A Memoir. Simon Pulse, 2008. ISBN-13: 978-1-41695-904-5.

Plot
Cheryl Diamond is a fourteen year old girl from a small town who has moved to New York to live by herself. She is chasing a demanding, competitive and unpredictable dream, to become a model. Follow her as she meets the crazy, the unpredictable as well as the great who have fallen victim to the profession. This is a only crazy ride that is actually true.

Critical Evaluation
The narrative is clear and simple. It is an easy read for young readers. The story can sometimes seem choppy at some parts. The way the events are written can sometimes appear rushed so the flow of the plot can sometimes feel uneven. Despite these problems, the story is interesting and it provides an interesting insight to the hectic world of modeling.

Reader's Annotation
Cheryl Diamond is a model at just fourteen. Although it seems like a glorious profession, it is also hectic and sometimes unpredictable. Will Cheryl survive this profession or will she fall victim to it like so many others?

About the Author
Cheryl Diamond first moved to New York when she was just fourteen. She was quickly signed up to an agency and has been modeling since. At sixteen she started writing her memoir in between shoots. She had her book published in 2008.

Currently Diamond is modeling in New York. She has modeled for L'Oreal, Clairol and Armani.

Genre
Non Fiction

Curriculum
Model

Book Talking Ideas
How do you think Cheryl is able to stay true to herself through all her experiences?
Why do you think there are so many big personalities in modeling?
Does this book change the ways you see advertisements?

Reading Level/ Interest Level
12+

Challenge Issues
None

Why Included in Selection
It was an intriguing non fiction work about a career that seems so interesting and crazy.