by Bette Bao Lord
E. spent the day reading In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson from start to finish.
In this novel, ten-year-old Bandit Wong comes to Brooklyn in 1947 with a new name (Shirley Temple Wong) and must win the acceptance of her schoolmates while still honoring her Chinese heritage. The year the story takes place, 1947, is the Year of the Boar (E. was born Year of the Boar 1995) but also refers to Jackie Robinson's rookie year. His trailblazing in the major leagues parallels Shirley's efforts to fit in to a new society. The book strikes a balance between the value of assimilation and immersion in American culture while maintaining respect for traditions.
Emma scored 100 percent on a three-page reading comprehension exam about the book at the end of the day.
Here are some words from the book that we defined and discussed at length:
alchemy
ancestor
embarked
feigned
gossamer
sharecropper
rebuke
tic
vestibule
writhe
Illustration by Joki
