bookshelf

THE SECRET OF THE JADE BANGLE

Name: THE SECRET OF THE JADE BANGLE
Author: Linda Trinh
ISBN: 978-1-77321-715-4

From the Nguyen Kids series , Vol. 1

by Linda Trinh ; illustrated by Clayton Nguyen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022

A solid chapter book laced with themes of cultural confidence and family.

bookshelf

When 9-year-old Vietnamese Canadian Anne inherits her grandma’s jade bangle, she begins a journey of cultural exploration.

It’s the new moon, and the Nguyen family is preparing altar offerings for the recently deceased Grandma Nội. “Three ceramic bowls of jasmine rice, three cups of black tea, barbeque pork, kale salad, lasagna, apples, and oranges” line the altar. But after Anne puts on the bracelet that night, Grandma Nội appears, revealing that she and the other family spirits wish to feast on food from the homeland. She never had the chance to pass on her culinary knowledge to Anne’s father, but now she has chosen Anne to learn her recipes. Anne is not sure she can live up to this responsibility, but cooking with Grandma Nội makes her feel safe. These days, assurance is something she’s looking for—her White ballet instructor’s racial microaggressions leave her feeling uncertain. Trinh addresses racism, allyship, and friendship in this series starter. Short chapters keep the narrative moving, capturing the emotional beats of a young person grappling with the complexity of traditions, differing cultural identities among generations, and the weight of expectations as a child in an immigrant family. Grandma Nội and Anne's parents, separately, open up to Anne about their own experiences with racism, which empowers her to voice her feelings. Expressive black-and-white illustrations bring to life this Vietnamese Canadian family’s story.

A solid chapter book laced with themes of cultural confidence and family. (character biographies, author’s note) (Fiction. 6-9)

Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-77321-715-4

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Annick Press

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MYSTERY OF THE PAINTED FAN
by Linda Trinh ; illustrated by Clayton Nguyen

bookshelf

LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

bookshelf

How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

bookshelf

GROWING HOME

by Beth Ferry ; illustrated by Eric Fan & Terry Fan ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2025

Charming.

bookshelf

An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.

Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.

Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)