Angel Child, Dragon Child
Written By: Michele Maria Surat
Illustrated By: Vo-Dinh Mai
Summary:
This is the story of a little girl, Ut, and her family. They are from Vietnam, and traveled to America together. Ut has a hard time adjusting to her new life here, especially because her family did not have enough money to bring her mother home with her. When she has trouble with a red-haired boy, Raymond, she has to constantly remember the words of her mother and try to be an "Angel Child." When she and Raymond get into a fight and the principal makes them sit in a room together, making Raymond write down the story of Ut's travel to America, the two of them find that they can be friends. Raymond comes up with the idea that they should have a Vietnamese fair to raise money to bring Ut's mother to America, and after much time has passed, the family is reunited.
Application:
Many children can relate to this book because it is about a girl in elementary school, who is experiencing problems with a classmate. Students can put themselves in Ut's shoes and think about how it would feel to be completely out of their own culture. Students can take time to learn about the differences between the Vietnamese way of life and why that way of life was so different from the American way of life when Ut came to America. This book offers insight into the Vietnam culture through vocabulary, pictures, talk of clothing, and talk of customs. It would provide great discussion surrounding Vietnam.
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