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)
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.
Caged Eagles
by Eric Walters
from Orca Book Publishers
Racism and injustice toward Japanese Canadians embue this sequel to War of the Eagles.
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.
In the Company of Whispers
The Water Of Possibility (In the Same Boat Series, 1)
by Hiromi Goto
from Coteau Books
One day Sayuri and her little brother Keiji explore the dark root cellar and are transported from Ganola AB to Middle World, a woodland full of figures from Japanese folklore.
Emma's Story
by Deborah Hodge
from Tundra Books
When Emma sets out to make a cookie family with her Grandma, the happy afternoon suddenly turns sad. The cookies are meant to look like her family, but hers is the only one with licorice hair and eyes. She doesn’t look like the others; does that mean she doesn’t belong?
In gentle text, Deborah Hodge tells the story of one small girl’s adoption: the hopes and prayers of her Canadian parents, their trip to the other side of the world, their meeting with the new baby, and the very long ride home to the new family waiting for Emma
Thousands of baby girls from China have been adopted by North American families. Although this lovely book tells the story of one such little girl, it is about much more than the logistics of adoption. It is about the many ways in which we can come together to form a family.
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.
The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito
by Sheila Garrigue
from Aladdin
During WWII, Sara is evacuated to live with her aunt and uncle in Vancouver. She becomes special friends with their gardener, Mr. Ito. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, Japanese-Canadians are interned, but Sara's relationship with the Itos continues. "A gentle, haunting tale. . . . The message here is one of respect for diverse traditions, of hope, of reconciliation."--School Library Journal.
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