Showing results for "Literacy" in Coming of Age

I rediscovered a bit of myself in Jun-li, and in May-lee Chai's beautifully constructed and perfectly contained world. It's the deftly and subtly rendered intricacies that mark this story, link it to the experience of Asians in America, and linger in the imagination. Julie Shigekuni, author of A Bridge Between Us, In Plain View, and Invisible Gardens When you are eleven years old, is there anything more humiliating, or bound to cause a fight, than shopping with your mother when your body is in full-throttle warp? Yes, there is: picking out the school-required underwear.

Circletown is a strange place, and everyone knows it. People often get lost on well-traveled roads and familiar streets. Maps are useless. Henry is a kid at Circletown Elementary School. Henry is a little strange. He only eats a few things, like milk and white bread. His life changes when his dad suddenly leaves. Henry's mom, Dr. Berniece Baker, needs to work, and gets Henry a babysitter. But Corey Turnbridge is not just any babysitter. She's a top athlete and she fascinates Henry. Henry tags along to her side job at Jet Café.