Janet Wong

When a very young Alex loses a chess game to "moldy old" Uncle Hooya, he stops playing. But when Alex is injured playing football in the third grade, he joins the chess club where he faces Uncle Hooya's nephew — and his own fears. Alex's story is told in free verse to capture both his worry and joy.

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A young girl worries that no one will buy the Chinese foods made by her family, especially on the fourth of July — the most American of holidays. Bold colors and shapes convey the child's changing emotions and loving family in this very warm and realistic story.

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Easy-to-understand poems explore what it's like to grow up Asian in America. Readers will see themselves in the everyday activities of the poet who dispels typical notions of how Asians behave and how they excel. Perhaps, too, readers will realize the hurt that words can cause in several sophisticated and quite personal poems.

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A father and his son play hide and seek while counting down to the time when their cookies are ready to come out of the oven. Their lively game is told through energetic language and boldly colored prints.

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Original poems combine with stunning illustrations reminiscent of folk art, to explore superstitions and superstitious beliefs from black cats to knocking on wood — and lots more. An author's note with a bit of information about superstitions concludes this engaging book.

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Why collect other people's junk? What is the singularly most important rule when dumpster diving? Learn these and other secrets of rifling through rubbish with Steve (an adult neighbor) and his young team of helpers in this lively, humorous, ecologically friendly, and slightly gross look at a trashy topic.

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Based on the author's experience, a child visits the village in Korea where her mother lived before immigrating to America. The simplicity of the text provides rich details of everyday life in the small Korean village, enhanced by realistic illustrations.

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Celebrate the New Year, although not the "regular one when we watch the Rose Parade and football games." Rather, join the narrator, a young boy of Korean-Chinese background, as he describes how he and his friends mark the occasion. An author's note provides insight into her background and this festive occasion.

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Simple, evocative poetry suggest the meanings which inspire various yoga stances, movements, and more. The short poems coupled with handsome illustrations encourage imagination as together they show how a movement or pose can suggest something quite different.

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It's what every child who hates to write dreads most: the assignment that says they MUST do so. But it's not so bad when young people use their own experiences. A light, affirming text in free verse and interspersed with full-color illustrations may motivate even a reticent writer.

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