Janet S. Wong

A young girl's family business is open all year round, even on the Fourth of July. She tries to get her immigrant parents to understand that no one will want Chinese food on this patriotic American holiday ...

This book was one of those 'melting pot' looks at America, for better or for worse. The child narrator is initially disappointed in what feels like her parents' obliviousness to what's around them and failure to assimilate. But she comes to learn that they are right and where there's show more food, people will follow. I do appreciate how this does show reality for some families -- a blending of two different cultures to make something new and not the defined 'standard' for a particular moment.

The illustrations show the child looking so unhappy in the early parts that I was really hoping for a 'glow up' in which she turns that frown upside down, but even by the end when she's happier, her face still looks pretty neutral. show less

A young girl - believing that the 4th of July is a time when people eat American foods like apple pie - tries to convince her parents that no one will be interested in the Chinese food they sell in their store. Despite her gloomy predictions - which seem, at first, to be borne out by the events of the day - they calmly carry on preparing the chow mein and sweet-and-sour pork. Do her immigrant parents know something she, despite being born in America, doesn't...?

Janet S. Wong, the child of show more Korean and Chinese immigrants herself, delivers an engaging story in Apple Pie 4th of July, one that addresses everything from the immigrant experience during the holidays, to the importance of food in shaping our identity. Although I think it will be of particular interest to immigrant and first-generation children, it is also just a fun holiday story that can be enjoyed by all young readers looking for 4th of July tales. The accompanying illustrations by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, which (according to the colophon) use a "variety of printmaking techniques," are bright and appealing, with a particular emphasis on red, white and blue. show less

I really enjoyed this book and the character development that the main character goes through. It is the 4th of July, and her family owns a convenience store that sells things from chips, ice, matches, etc., and Chinese food. But, the main character believes no one will eat Chinese food on the 4th because it isn't American. By the end of the book she realizes that not everything has to be super traditional in order for a holiday to go the way it is 'supposed' to be celebrated, and that show more different cultures can interact to make it unique. show less

I really liked this book. The book was focused around a Chinese family on the 4th of July, and I enjoyed that it gave children a different perspective on the holiday. It helped children think about broader perspectives of simple things like holidays and everyday life. It showed the perspective of a Chinese-American family who owned a convenience store that also sold Chinese food. The young girl was confused as to why no Americans wanted Chinese food on Independence Day. Her parents talked to show more her about how fireworks were from China and that they would watch the fireworks after they closed the store. I think it would be good for students to be able to see how people of other cultures spend this American holiday and get a greater perspective on the world. Another quality aspect of this story was the illustrations. There were many pictures of the Chinese food, the Chinese-American family, and the firework show. The illustrations really added to the story and were fascinating to look at while reading the story. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations of the family on the roof of the store watching the fireworks; it showed the image that the family was not as different from everybody else. The pictures really enhanced the story. The message being sent from this book was that while all culture celebrate differently and are vastly diverse. It is important for children to understand this message of diversity and differences in culture as they grow up in a world of many different types of people. This story was great in many ways. show less