Bibliography: Wong, Joyce lee. 2005. SEEING EMILY. New York, NY: ABRAMS Books. ISBN: 9780810957572. Review: Written in elegant free verse, Seeing Emily is a typical tale of a not so typical 16 year old girl. Emily is a high school student dealing with all the troubles that being a teenager entails, but must also handle the struggle that comes with being a Chinese-American. In Wong's debut novel, readers accompany the lovely Emily on her journey of first love, disappointments, revelations, and self-discovery. During her journey of self-discovery she deals with the responsibilities of school, working in her family's restaurant, and a new boyfriend. Emily also struggles with her identity as Chinese and American. She longs to please her parents who have traditional Chinese values and with the ways of the land she has always called her home. It is not until Emily visits Taiwan with a family friend that Emily comes to the realization that she does not have to be one or the other, she can be both Chinese and American, and completely herself. Excerpt: "Speaking the Language" "...Mama and Baba say I used to speak beautiful Chinese, my accent clear and the tones perfect. But then when I started kindergarten, I remember how the other kids laughed at the way I couldn't understand any English at all. Mama says it wasn't long before I spoke English exactly like my classmates. But she said I refused to speak Chinese anymore. Even at home with just Baba and Mama and no one else to hear, they spoke Chinese to me and I answered them in English. Introducing the Poem: Seeing Emily is definitely a novel aimed for high schoolers and readers who enjoy the verse novel format will love this novel. Seeing Emily will definitely appeal to first generation Americans, but will also appeal to those that feel like outsiders. Seeing Emily is a great novel to introduce to those new to poetry or those that dislike the more challenging formats due to it's relateable story and fun format.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Seeing Emily
Bibliography: Wong, Joyce lee. 2005. SEEING EMILY. New York, NY: ABRAMS Books. ISBN: 9780810957572. Review: Written in elegant free verse, Seeing Emily is a typical tale of a not so typical 16 year old girl. Emily is a high school student dealing with all the troubles that being a teenager entails, but must also handle the struggle that comes with being a Chinese-American. In Wong's debut novel, readers accompany the lovely Emily on her journey of first love, disappointments, revelations, and self-discovery. During her journey of self-discovery she deals with the responsibilities of school, working in her family's restaurant, and a new boyfriend. Emily also struggles with her identity as Chinese and American. She longs to please her parents who have traditional Chinese values and with the ways of the land she has always called her home. It is not until Emily visits Taiwan with a family friend that Emily comes to the realization that she does not have to be one or the other, she can be both Chinese and American, and completely herself. Excerpt: "Speaking the Language" "...Mama and Baba say I used to speak beautiful Chinese, my accent clear and the tones perfect. But then when I started kindergarten, I remember how the other kids laughed at the way I couldn't understand any English at all. Mama says it wasn't long before I spoke English exactly like my classmates. But she said I refused to speak Chinese anymore. Even at home with just Baba and Mama and no one else to hear, they spoke Chinese to me and I answered them in English. Introducing the Poem: Seeing Emily is definitely a novel aimed for high schoolers and readers who enjoy the verse novel format will love this novel. Seeing Emily will definitely appeal to first generation Americans, but will also appeal to those that feel like outsiders. Seeing Emily is a great novel to introduce to those new to poetry or those that dislike the more challenging formats due to it's relateable story and fun format.
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