Sylvia Liu

If nothing else, I would've picked up this book just based on the cover. The story, however, blew me away. It's an excellent middle grade sci-fi thriller, and Hana is sure to capture the hearts of readers young and old alike. Set in the somewhat near future (30 years), technology has advanced that anyone with a special implant is connected through a network known as the multiweb. But advanced technology hasn't made things into a utopia - unchecked climate change, mysterious illnesses, and the effects of being constantly connected all come into play. The world and all the scenes are wonderfully described, and it really feels like you're watching the whole story unfold in front of you, action scenes included. The characters are well-developed, and the story engaging enough that you really don't want to stop reading once you start. Perfect for any young sci-fi or thriller lover!… (more)

Mei Mei and her Gong Gong (grandfather) share their knowledge with one another in this sweet picture-book from author Sylvia Liu and illustrator Christina Forshay. After Gong Gong teaches his granddaughter some of the tai chi he practices, she in turn teaches him some of the yoga poses she has been learning in class. Whatever activity they are engaged in, whatever pose they are striking, their love for one another shines through...

I enjoyed A Morning With Grandpa, and thank the friend who brought it to my attention. The story is engaging, and captures the differences in personality and age between grandfather and granddaughter, as Mei Mei cavorts through her tai chi lesson, and Gong Gong creaks through this his yoga session. I greatly appreciated the fact that the story compares and contrasts two culturally distinct traditions of body movement - the author's afterword gives more information about both - subtly demonstrating that cultural exchange is a good thing. This lesson is more important now than ever, with cultural vandals and essentialists determined to separate people with concepts like "cultural appropriation." The accompanying artwork from Forshay was colorful and cute, capturing Mei Mei and Gong Gong's changing expressions quite well.

All in all, this is well worth the time of any picture-book readers looking for stories about the loving bond between grandparents and children, featuring Asian-American families, or promoting the idea of cultural exchange.… (more)