In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord

★★★★★

A wonderful story and beautifully written. Though obviously a children's book, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson does not use heavy-handed tactics to get points across. Bette Bao Lord describes Chinese customs and Shirley's reactions to American ways with subtlety and gravitas. The ending was perfect and poignant, and it moved me to tears.

Every Chinese-American should read this book to get a sense of where they and their ancestors came from. Every American should read this book to better understand the immigrant perspective. Shirley's path from frightened newcomer to proud American is as exciting as it is confusing as she learns to navigate and acclimate to a strange new world while also holding on to what makes her Chinese.

I am sure that Isabelle (at 5 years old) would enjoy the illustrations by Marc Simont, and I am also fairly confident that she would appreciate Shirley's story. There are a few incidents of childhood bullying that I might have to edit if I were to read this book aloud to her now, but in any case, I am really looking forward to sharing In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson with her, and with Sebastien when he's older.