Laurence Yep

This is an early middle grade fantasy novel and it doesn't do anything particularly new or shiny on the surface -- there's a dragon and a girl and they meet and have to try to understand one another, etc. But the way the story treats these familiar figures, and its openness about the emotional circumstances that bring the two together, make the book something fresh and, indeed, charming. This is a little story about a girl and a dragon, both of whom think the other is her new pet, both of show more whom have lost someone dear, and both of whom have some grief to work through. Ultimately, the story is very frank about how we feel when we lose those nearest our hearts -- and the final scene is a wonder. The young target audience will no doubt enjoy the adventure and antics as our main characters get into all kinds of magical nonsense together, but parents might note that this is a book that does more than entertain; I think that, in its own gentle way, this book actually could help children who have experienced recent loss. That it can do so without losing its charm and entertainment value is a testament to its quality. show less

Inspired by coworkers, I'm revisiting juvenile lit from my childhood (and even though it's not May, I am Asian American 12 out of 12 months so every month is AAPI heritage month for me, I suppose).

I remembered the bones of this story: Robin and her grandmother are volunteered by a waiter to pretend to be a lonely cook's family because his own are assumed dead in China. Rereading 15 years later, I noticed things I overlooked when I first read this: for example, the distinction Hong Kong born show more Grandmother notes between her youth and cook Wolf's southern Chinese (Toisan) background, further highlighted when they go to a movie in Chinatown (Jackie Chan's The Young Master!) in Cantonese, but with Chinese subtitles so speakers of other dialects can follow along. Grandmother is in her 60s, which startles me because my parents are currently in theirs, but I'd be hard-pressed to describe either as elderly (though, Grandmother probably uses canes because of her bound feet). The taxi driver mentions being in the US for 58 years and coming over at age 8, which would've been in a tenuous time between the complete ban on immigration in 1924 and/or the repeal of Exclusion in 1943 (which then still limited immigration at 105 Chinese per year). Functionally, these harsh immigration laws delayed the arrival of women, creating bachelor societies in early Chinese America.

Laurence Yep books always resonate with me, probably because I am also a descendant of the Toisanese diaspora, and think often about the balance of being a hyphenated American and the struggles my ancestors went through so I could be here. Wolf sending back money and losing contact with his family during China's political upheavals in the twentieth century reminds me of my maternal side. Robin's mom argues, "When you married me, you also married my family- we're a package deal" to Robin's [Caucasian] dad, a sentiment expressed to me to be cognizant of in serious relationships.

The Cook's Family is a timely reread, as ICE raids for undocumented immigrants are ramping up the weekend I read this (July 13, 2019). In the third act, Wolf's real daughter shows up at the restaurant, an angry, loud foil to Robin's assumptions that an ideal Chinese daughter be quiet and acquiescent. The real Snow Flower is undocumented, desperately traveling in one of those packed containers to come to America and find her lost father and owing a great debt to snakeheads for it. The waiter reveals he didn't give them the full story because he didn't trust strangers who might accidentally talk to the wrong person and attract the attention of immigration officials, and Grandmother agrees, "If someone's here illegally, you shouldn't talk about it to anyone." In this, I also recognize a reticence on relatives' part to discuss how some of my ancestors came to America, even though all relevant parties are long dead. It's not like a corpse can be deported, but there's an instinctive shutdown or evasion of discussion, probably built up from habit.

My quibble is minor: Robin describes herself as brown haired and green eyed, a mixed race Chinese American. While lovely, the cover does not reflect this- the later book [b:Angelfish|1495474|Angelfish|Laurence Yep|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1184256963l/1495474._SY75_.jpg|1486810] has a more accurate depiction. Still, as a voracious adolescent reader, it was nice to see faces like mine on the covers of stuff I read, rather than having to imagine myself as the side character in someone else's story. As mentioned earlier, Yep's work strongly resonates with me because we have similar backgrounds, but I can't think of many other '90s authors who also filled that space (versus say, looking at teen historical fiction set in Tudor England and finding a half dozen authors). I'm envious of today's teens with the feast of #ownvoices YA lit available (which y'know, adults can still read!) and am SO GLAD that kids today have a variety of options to see themselves in. show less

I've always loved Fantasy. From the time I could first read chapter books I was drawn in by the worlds that were build for me by these amazing authors. However, sometimes it is hard to get into a book because the world is so vast and the amount of characters is overwhelming. As a reader, I find it easier to invest in a fictional world when there is a handhold for me that relates to the world around me. Cue Laurence Yep's City of Fire.

Yep builds a fantastic world around the real events of the show more 1940's. This time period allows our adventurers the use of planes and boats as their main transportation, which is much more exciting in my opinion! Certain events in our history have been altered, such as the fact that Hawaii is still an independent country. Also, and here is the kicker, mythical creatures walk among humans as equals. Pretty amazing right? Or is your head hurting? Well either way trust me, it's worth the slight confusion at the beginning because once I was pulled into the world there was no turning back. The world is so vivid, so well written, that I can guarantee you'll be pulled in as well.

Bring on the characters shall we? We meet Scirye, the fiery young girl with a vendetta against her sister's killer. She is tired of being treated as a little girl and ready to prove herself. Then we are presented with Leech and Koko, two street urchins with secrets buried within them. Mysterious and hilarious, they are quite the duo! Finally we meet Bayang, a dragon who is disguised as an elderly lady and is the key to the whole journey. These four characters are so fantastic together! Their banter with one another is classic, and throughout their interactions there are so many lessons learned about friendship, understanding and forgiveness. There is a character for every reader to attach to and fall in love with.

I could write a whole novel about my appreciation for this book, but I'll end here. The long and short of it is simply this: City of Fire is a fantastic journey complete with realistic and magical elements. Although this written for the younger reader, I see a lot for us young adult and adult readers to love. If you're ready to be transported to a new world, let Laurence Yep take you there! This book gets the highest recommendation possible from me, and I can only hope that you agree. show less

What an unexpected surprise! I had picked up a copy of A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans on a whim at #alamw15, having not one clue as to what it was about. Yesterday, I was looking for something to read, and picked this up just to check it out and ended up reading it in the one sitting. The story follows Miss Drake, a curmudgeonly dragon who has taken on a new "pet" in the form of Winnie, the grand-niece of her previous pet, Amelia (or Fluffy as Miss Drake liked to call show more her). Winnie is strong willed and very sure herself and at first Miss Drake finds this very discouraging and realizes she's going to have to be very assertive in training her new pet. (Of course, the question actually becomes, exactly who is the pet here?)

Miss Drake, on a shopping excursion for some new tea and biscuits, also buys Winnie a new sketchbook that may be more that it appears to be, and when Winnie starts to sketch all the marvelous, magical creatures she is discovering, the sketchbook releases a magic all its own and the sketches come to life! It is up to Miss Drake and Winnie to find the sketchlings before they are discovered by both the magical and nonmagical worlds.

Putting this all down, A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans sounds like a typical middle grade adventure story, but what took me completely by surprise was that the story is just as much about love, loss, and the importance of family as it is about anything else. Amidst all the magic and missteps and adventures in the story is a growing underlying theme of the importance that both friends and family can have in a person's life, where friends become family and family become friends. The conclusion is one of the most touching endings to a book that I have read in a very long time, and made me think fondly of those that I have loved and lost in my life. The connections between Miss Drake and Amelie, Winnie and her father, and eventually Miss Drake and Winnie are made so incredibly real in such a short book. Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder have crafted a beautiful and fun-filled story, and Marie GrandPré's accompanying illustrations are perfect. I would recommend this to anyone with or without a young person in their life; anyone will be able to enjoy this whimsical tale about the strength and love of families. Highly recommended.

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans is published by Crown Books for Young Readers and will be available March 10, 2015. show less