LITTLE CRICKET
by Jackie Brown
Similar to Pegi Dietz Shea’s Tangled Threads (2003), Brown’s work describes a Laotian Hmong family’s journey and adjustment to life in the US in the 1970s. The family, consisting of 12-year-old Kia Vang, the “Little Cricket” of the title, her older brother, and elderly grandfather, leave their Thai refugee camp for Minnesota. The subject is handled well, if simplistically, and the rich Hmong culture is treated respectfully. Kia, a relatable character, adapts to American life most readily, though not without difficulty. A skilled gardener, she achieves happiness and some financial success by planting a plot of her own and selling vegetables at the farmers’ market. She finds acceptance and makes friends with two neighbors, one of whom is an outsider like herself. The story’s ending suggests a satisfying melding of old and new. Winner of the newly renamed Paul Zindel First Novel Award. (author’s note, pronunciation guide, bibliography) (Fiction. 10-12)