Overview
Christmas season is in full swing, and eleven-year-old Peiling Wang can't take another minute of it. She feels completely left out! Her family is from Taiwan, and even though they have been living in America since she was small, they have never once celebrated the biggest holiday of the year. But with encouragement from her groovy uncle, Peiling musters up the courage to ask her parents the big question: Can we celebrate Christmas this year? With such high hopes (and maybe some unrealistic expectations!) it is especially disappointing when things don't turn out quite the way Peiling planned. But there is always a silver lining, and Peiling finds it.
Synopsis
Christmas season is in full swing, and eleven-year-old Peiling Wang can't take another minute of it. She feels completely left out! Her family is from Taiwan, and even though they have been living in America since she was small, they have never once celebrated the biggest holiday of the year. But with encouragement from her groovy uncle, Peiling musters up the courage to ask her parents the big question: Can we celebrate Christmas this year? With such high hopes (and maybe some unrealistic expectations!) it is especially disappointing when things don't turn out quite the way Peiling planned. But there is always a silver lining, and Peiling finds it.
Children's Literature
Fifth grader, Peiling, wished she could skip the first day of school after Christmas vacation. Everyone would be talking about their presents, and she did not like being different. With some gentle nudging from her Uncle Samson, Peiling asks her Taiwanese parents if they can celebrate Christmas this year. After a heated discussion, they agree. Peiling wants a perfect Christmas. She envisions a tree, relatives eating a turkey and singing Christmas carols together. Then her classmate Laura would no longer be able to make comments about her Chinese food and customs. The reality is far from her dreams, but there are other events that more than make up for it. Peiling gets a starring role in the class play. Her teacher, Ms. Rosenweig, makes a strong attempt to create a more inclusive, multicultural class project that requires Peiling and the creativity of her friend, Grace, to make it a success. Most importantly, Peiling learns that family customs and traditions are important. Chen has created a lively cast of believable characters. Her story of an immigrant child caught between her parents' upbringing and her life in the United States is thoughtfully told. This is a warm family story, a strong school and friendship story, and an enlightening immigrant story that should not be relegated to the "Christmas story shelf." It would be a good classroom read aloud for the beginning of fifth grade. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Fifth grader, Peiling, wished she could skip the first day of school after Christmas vacation. Everyone would be talking about their presents, and she did not like being different. With some gentle nudging from her Uncle Samson, Peiling asks her Taiwanese parents if they can celebrate Christmas this year. After a heated discussion, they agree. Peiling wants a perfect Christmas. She envisions a tree, relatives eating a turkey and singing Christmas carols together. Then her classmate Laura would no longer be able to make comments about her Chinese food and customs. The reality is far from her dreams, but there are other events that more than make up for it. Peiling gets a starring role in the class play. Her teacher, Ms. Rosenweig, makes a strong attempt to create a more inclusive, multicultural class project that requires Peiling and the creativity of her friend, Grace, to make it a success. Most importantly, Peiling learns that family customs and traditions are important. Chen has created a lively cast of believable characters. Her story of an immigrant child caught between her parents' upbringing and her life in the United States is thoughtfully told. This is a warm family story, a strong school and friendship story, and an enlightening immigrant story that should not be relegated to the "Christmas story shelf." It would be a good classroom read aloud for the beginning of fifth grade. Reviewer: Sharon SalluzzoSchool Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old Peiling Wang has mixed feelings about Christmas. Her family is from Taiwan and doesn't celebrate the holiday, she's sick of all the presents and trappings-but she also secretly yearns to participate in the festivities. Initially, her parents have a hard time understanding, but her sympathetic uncle and mother finally convince her father to agree. They even invite Peiling's Jewish teacher to join their celebration. For Peiling, the day is a disaster. Misunderstandings abound, but things work out in the end. While the teacher seems like a stock figure, the other supporting characters are interesting, especially Peiling's parents, who try so hard to give their daughter the experience she dreams of while remaining true to their own values, and schoolroom rival, Laura, who hides her insecurities under a mantle of know-it-all overachievement. Peiling learns that reality seldom resembles what you see in the media and that it's okay to stand up for what you want-lessons that are good to learn at any time of the year.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
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