The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee [in Christian Science Monitor]
Luddite me made a surprisingly funny joke to two techies after reading Jennifer 8. Lee's delightful The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food. "McDonald's is to Microsoft as Chinese restaurants are...
If literary awards are any measure of prowess, then native Chinese speaker Ha Jin has most certainly mastered the English language. As a writer of poems, short stories, and fiction, he has been showered...
Originally published in six volumes in the author's native France, the full English compilation is a remarkable feat of creativity. Rendered in heavy-inked black-and-white panels that seem to physically convey the overwhelming burdens of a difficult...
As I write, I'm into the ninth of 16 hours that make up the audio version of Michael Pollan's
A spectacular book-without-words that traces one family’s immigration story with brilliant imagination. In an unnamed troubled land, a man leaves his wife and young daughter behind in search of freedom in a new country. His adjustments...
A lovingly illustrated poem, which was originally submitted anonymously by an adoptive mother to the
When Aneesa, a young Muslim girl, wakes up on the first morning of Eid with just her grandmother, she greatly misses her parents, who are on a pilgrimage to Mecca. At the prayer hall, Aneesa meets...
Get ready to weep: Dog’s many lives are beautifully recounted in this gorgeous title about life cycles and reincarnation, based on the Buddhist belief of samsara (also found in Hinduism, Sikhism, and other religions).
Born again and...
Here's a delightful new spin on how adoptive parents and children are bound together. Using the age-old Chinese belief that a red thread binds people together in love, Lin has created a touching fable about a...
Because he must help his father, Armando does not have time to attend Señor David’s school, made of a single blue tarp spread on the ground. When his parents realize that education is Armando’s only way...
Mrs. Ruler finds fun and inventive ways to encourage her kindergarten students to eventually perform 100 random acts of kindness. Is there a better lesson?
Review:
An inspiring, poignant biography – just perfect for kids! – of the legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku, who was also the fastest swimmer in the world for 16 years! In spite of his championships, Kahanamoku still faced...
Bing’s new pet, baby rat Ralph, proves to be a handful as he must learn to mind his own business and rein in his curiosity, not to mention his uncontrollable gnawing. Of course, his smarts and...
The poignant shortcomings of soulful slacker Ben Tanaka are artfully presented in this striking volume. And, of course, Ben isn’t the only one with shortcomings. When his live-in relationship in Oakland falls apart and his girlfriend...
Who knew the “godfather of manga” could be this dark? When a mysterious poison gas kills the inhabitants of a Japanese island that was once home to a foreign military base, two survivors are inextricably linked...
Four fabulous volumes (the fourth just out) about a mismatched clan that makes up the fantastically talented Kurosagi (“black crane”) Corpse Delivery Service. Five unemployed Buddhist university students band together to help corpses find eternal peace,...
Two young urchins, Black and White, run the streets of Treasure Town, a decaying urban playground of violence and destruction. Because they have superhuman abilities, even the local police and the yakuza (Japan’s criminal underworld) can’t...
Looking into the brave new world, more likely than not, the next generations of America’s best and brightest will be working for Indian and Chinese multinational companies. Read why … and be prepared. Bonus: Fascinating and...
A delightful, joyful pair of titles about a young Muslim boy, Mat, growing up in a rural village (kampung) in 1960s Malaysia and his everyday joy of discovery and plain fun. Town Boy continues with...
The perfect companion piece to Fast Food Nation, with even gorier details of death and destruction, as well as the most enlightening look at where, when, and how our food gets processed in our overindustrialized food...