The Buddha's Diamonds
by Carolyn Marsden
from Candlewick
After a storm engulfs his village, a Vietnamese boy has glimmers of a new calling in this spare middle-grade novel written with authenticity and grace.
Every day, Tinh heads out to sea with his father to catch fish for their family and the market. While he sometimes misses flying kites with other children on the beach, Tinh is proud to work alongside Ba. Then a fierce storm strikes, and Ba entrusts Tinh to secure the family vessel, but the boy panics and runs away. It will take courage and faith to salvage the bamboo boat, win back Ba’s confidence, and return to sea. This graceful tale narrates a young Vietnamese boy’s literal and spiritual coming-of-age.
The Chinese Violin
by Madeleine Thien
from Walrus Books
When Lin Lin and her father immigrate to Canada from China, they bring with them one of their most treasured possessions - a traditional Chinese violin. From the beauty of their new country to the uneasiness of not fitting in, this violin sees them through all their experiences, good and bad. One day, however, a terrible misfortune occurs when the Chinese violin is broken.
Awards
- Our Choice (Awarded by the Canadian Children's Book Centre)
2003 - The Chinese Violin (an Our Choice Starred Selection)
Me and Mr. Mah
by Andrea Spalding
from Orca Book Publishers
Ian finds more than just a new friend - he finally discovers in himself the courage to accept change.
Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories
by Paul Yee
from Groundwood Books
In the title story, two friends seek gold, but the precious metal brings riches to one man and a curse to the other. In "Seawall Sightings," young lovers kept apart by immigration laws have a tragic reunion. In "Reunited," a spoiled teenage boy leaves Hong Kong for North America, only to find that his new life is not the glamorous one he had been expecting.
The stories describe the struggles, dreams, and resilience of people making new lives for themselves in a strange land, while retaining strong links to China and the past. In keeping with authentic Chinese ghost stories, wherever they go, the immigrants are followed by the curse of a friend, the ghost of a faithful spouse, or the spirit of a dead parent.
Her Father's Garden
by James Vollbracht
from Wisdom Publications
A delightful children's book, beautifully illustrated to answer the question: what happens when dreams come true?
In the Company of Whispers
The Chinese Alchemist (Archaeological Mysteries, No. 11)
by Lyn Hamilton
from Wheeler Publishing
Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while tying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box-with an alchemical formula for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara's own survival.
Reunion (Orca Young Reader (Sagebrush))
Tunnels of Treachery (Tunnels of Moose Jaw Adventure)
by Mary Harelkin Bishop
from Coteau Books
In this new thriller in the exciting "Tunnels of Moose Jaw" series from best-selling writer Mary Harelkin Bishop, Andrea Talbot takes an unwilling third trip to the spooky tunnels under Moose Jaw and uncovers the exploitation of Chinese immigrant workers.
Andrea has no desire to go back into the tunnels. But then her friends Kami and Eddie Wong accidentally find themselves there, and she has no choice but to go back in time to rescue them - with the help of her ten-year-old brother Tony. Andrea finds a shocking new problem in the tunnels. Indentured Chinese workers toil in miserable conditions, for pitifully small wages. Smuggled into Canada by unscrupulous operators, they have no choice but to keep working - to save money to pay the infamous Head Tax the Canadian government imposes on Chinese immigrants.
Andrea is outraged at their treatment. Many people are profiting from this ruthless eploitation, none more than the nasty crook in charge of it all, Mean-Eyed Max. In this harsh world. Kami is sent to work in a laundry, Eddie to unload produce in a grocery store. Andrea has to save her friends, but what about the other workers? With the help of her friends and the mysterious Mr. Wong, she and Tony help catch the bad guys and rescue the workers too.
Breakaway
by Paul Yee
from Groundwood Books
It is 1932. The only Chinese boy at his Vancouver school, 18-year-old Kwok-ken Wong is repeatedly stung by the racist remarks hurled his way by both classmates and teachers. Life at home isn't much easier, as his family struggles to make ends meet on a pig farm. Worse, Kwok doesn't get along with his father and is embarrassed by his family's circumstances. Kwok dreams of winning a university soccer scholarship. But he soon finds his way blocked, despite his demonstrated talent for the sport. Eventually, Kwok joins the Chinese community's soccer team and develops a sense of pride in his heritage and people. At the same time, he begins to understand and grow closer to his family, bridging a gap between worlds. Young readers will identify with the boy's struggle to prove himself, transcend adversity, and find a comfortable place in the world.
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