2006, 240 pp.

Rating:

Hurray for Dewey’s graphic novel challenge as I probably never would have read this book or Maus without it.  Maus has been my best read all year, and this one was very good as well.

Told in three separate stories that come together nicely in the end, Yang [...]]]> American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang

2006, 240 pp.

Rating:

Hurray for Dewey’s graphic novel challenge as I probably never would have read this book or Maus without it.  Maus has been my best read all year, and this one was very good as well.

Told in three separate stories that come together nicely in the end, Yang takes us through the challenges of growing up with a Chinese heritage.  This book won the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, and it was very well deserved.  I’d love to have my sons read it, and I would definitely read another one by Yang.

It’s very atmospheric. [...]]]> I read Strangers by Taichi Yamada for the Japanese literature challenge. This was my first book for the challenge, and I don’t recollect ever having read a book translated from the Japanese before. I first heard about it from kimbofo at Reading Matters, who gave it a perfect 5 star rating.

It’s very atmospheric. I found myself thinking about it long after reading the novel, and the story somewhat reminded me of an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Harada lives in a building on a very busy street in Tokyo. However, most of the units in the building have been converted to office space and, consequently, there are only two tenants there after hours. He’s a little spooked by the quietness in the building at night but chalks it up to being recently divorced and unused to being alone.

One night he decides to go to his hometown where he meets a couple who are the spitting image of his long-dead parents. He keeps going back to see them to try to determine who they really are. There are other strange happenings in his life that I won’t spoil for you here.

It’s a short book that can be read in a few hours, and I encourage anyone interested in world literature to read it. The ‘quiet suspense’ of the novel impressed me and made me want to read more by this author.

(1987 [2003 in U.S.], 203 pp.)
Rating:

This book tells Amos’ story from his capture in Africa to his years of being a slave and finally to his final years as a free black man. Amos was the prince of his tribe in Africa, and it is a shock to him [...]]]> Amos Fortune, Free Man
by Elizabeth Yates

1950, 181 pp.
1951 Newbery Award

Rating: 4

This book tells Amos’ story from his capture in Africa to his years of being a slave and finally to his final years as a free black man. Amos was the prince of his tribe in Africa, and it is a shock to him when he is captured for slavery. He is very lucky, though, as his owners treat him very kindly. He serves them well, saves his money, and is able to “buy” his freedom. He also buys his wives’ (he was twice a widower) freedom. Amos is a gentle and kind man who respects both God and others. I highly recommend this story to both children and adults.