KEEP CALM AND TIME TRAVEL

Lee Jones and Joan Lee are opposites in name and personality, but they are also BFFs.  They do everything together - even without knowing.  The night before their 8th grade trip, their parents both tell them they're getting divorced - right after dinner and just before dessert.  After this horrible news, the next morning, they discover that instead of going to California Dreaming, the BEST amusement park ever, their 8th grade trip will take place at a Fort.  The fort sounds like a horrible field trip until they fall asleep in the fort's lighthouse and wake up in past San Francisco - 1863 to be exact.  On their way to trying to figure out how they got to 1863 and how they're going to get home (or if they even want to live in a world with divorced parents and separate high schools), they befriend another time traveler, Samuel Clemens, who teaches them a thing or two about getting around the Wild West.

Lewis Buzbee's middle-grade novel Bridge of Time is perfect for 6th through 8th graders looking for adventure and excitement with a little SciFi and Historical Fiction thrown in.

READING THE YEAR AWAY

The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng is a sweet book about growing up and growing apart. Fourth grade has brought all kinds of changes for Anna. When her best friend, Laura, starts hanging out with a new group, Anna finds comfort and friendship in the books she finds at the library or her classroom.  Things aren't much better at home- Anna is struggling to learn Chinese at the language classes she has to attend and thinks her mom is embarrassing.

But, Anna finds that she needs more than books to truly make her happy. Throughout the year she finds friends in unexpected places and learns that maybe she hasn't been the greatest friend herself.  Sprinkled with whimsical illustrations and directions on how to sew a lunch bag  play tangrams, and fold a won ton, this is a great story for kids who know the power of a good book.

Grades 3 and up

NO ROOM OF HER OWN

Lucy Wu thought that with her older sister going off to college she would get a room all to herself. NOPE! Her beloved grandmother's long lost sister has been invited to come to visit, all the way from China and of course Lucy will be expected to share her room. Her great aunt doesn't speak English and Lucy's Chinese is... well,you'll see.

Things as you know, in books and in life, never turn out the way you plan them. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang is a journey of family, love and understanding. A beautiful well written book for readers 5th - 8th.

ALVIN HO IS HERE!

What do you do when a girl invites you to a birthday party, a tea party to boot? Well, if you're Alvin Ho, you freak out and worry a lot. What Alvin has been hoping for was to be invited to the boy birthday party and run run around and play. But with no invitation in sight, he decides he'd better prepare himself for Flea's tea party while he's waiting. Like what does RSVP mean? According to Cousin Bucky it means Resume Standing Very Promptly, and she should know since she's had etiquette lessons and she's a girl.

Once again Lenore Look has written a laugh out loud book about the predicaments of Alvin. Alvin Ho Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-Made Catastrophes by Lenore Look is for readers in 3rd-4th grades.

A NECESSARY JOURNEY

Though based on real facts dug up from the National Archives and conversation with his father and other relatives, Laurence Yep spins another vivid story of how his father came to settle permanently in San Francisco. Despite the fact that his father was a U.S. citizen, anyone entering the country from China in the early 1900s was interrogated thoroughly down to the most minute details about their home and family in order to prove they were who they said they were. Although the journey to Gold Mountain (that's what Chinese workers called California) was difficult it was worth it to find work and send money back to their families in the very poor villages of southern China.

The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island by Laurence Yep, a memorable and heartbreaking story of one child's immigration experience. For readers in 4th and older and those looking for a great California story.

A GRAPHIC NOVEL YOU WILL NOT FORGET!

I usually don't read a lot of graphic novels... But all that will probably change because of this awesome book.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang teaches us once again that we as humans are not different from one another after all. The plot of the book is emotionally driven and the characters are very identifiable.

The illustrations are as expressive as the story but yet have a beautiful subtlety. Once you grab this book, you will not want to put down until you have read the very last page.

For grades 7 and up.

LUCKY COLOR

RED MEANS GOOD FORTUNE: A STORY OF SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINATOWN is a small book with a big story. Like so many other immigrant groups, the Chinese-Americans experienced difficulties adapting to this country's new rules and ways of living. The story talks about the financial, social and physical hardships that the Chinese Americans faced during the 1860's in San Francisco. It is written in a way where you are getting lots of information but at the same time do not feel overwhelmed or bored. There are also illustrations in black and white which are a good distraction. The story is by BARBARA DIAMOND GOLDIN and the illustrations are are WENHAI MA.

For grades four and up.

LEARN ENGLISH FROM BASEBALL

With a name like Shirley Temple Wong, something's bound to go wrong! Shirley Temple Wong has just moved from China to New York. She has a hard time getting adapted because she doesn't speak English very well and everyone treats her differently. When she makes friends with the toughest girl in the class by accident, she learns how to play stickball, and becomes a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan. BROOKLYN DODGERS?!?!

IN THE YEAR OF THE BOAR AND JACKIE ROBINSON by Bette Bao Lord is set in 1947, when the Dodgers still played for Brooklyn, and even though it takes place 70 years ago, you'll see that kids are still pretty much the same. An easy to read chapter book for 4th grades and up.