Half and Half [Paperback]

Lensey Namioka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2004 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

FIONA CHENG IS half and half: Her father is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. Fiona looks more like her father than her mother, so people always expect her to be more interested in her Chinese half than her Scottish half. Lately even Fiona’s confused about who she really is.

“A realistic, gentle and funny tale.”—Detroit News & Free Press

“Readers will identify with Fiona’s struggle to fit in.”—Publishers Weekly


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Eleven-year-old Fiona Cheng is half and half-her father is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. Being biracial hasn't bothered her, but lately she has been thinking about it quite a bit. It seems that people make assumptions about her based on her appearance. Her grandfather calls her red-haired brother "laddie" and expects him to be the one in the family interested in Scottish culture, and her paternal grandmother always seems surprised that Fiona is not a delicate Chinese girl. When it's time for Seattle's annual Folk Fest, Fiona is faced with a problem. She is expected to perform with her grandfather's Scottish dance group and participate in a talk her father is giving, wearing the costume her paternal grandmother has made for the occasion. Unfortunately, both events are scheduled for the same time. Fiona's solution to her dilemma allows her to please everyone, making her realize that she is 100 percent Fiona, and that is just fine. A humorous novel with an appealing heroine.
Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Her mother is Scottish and her father is Chinese, so Fiona Cheng, 11, doesn't know which box to check on the enrollment form for the folk-dancing festival in Seattle. She doesn't want to check "other," which will make her feel like a weirdo. Why don't they have a box for half and half? There isn't much plot in this short chapter book. The focus is on the identity issues, and the messages are spelled out all the time. But Namioka does make the search for roots a lot of fun, whether she's describing Fiona's disastrous attempt to dye her hair, or her older brother's conflict about wearing a tartan "sissy" skirt for the Scotch Highland dance. Fiona's parents and grandparents add depth to the story, especially when the kids see how Mom and Dad handle their parents' expectations. Children of many backgrounds, mixed or not, will relate to Fiona's drive to fit in and her realizations that everyone has something that is different and that her life isn't always about race. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (November 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440418909
• ISBN-13: 978-0440418900
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.4 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #961,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Half and Half Book Reveiw, November 22, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Half and Half (Hardcover)

Suzanne's Book Report

Half and Half is a wonderful book by Lensey Namioka. This book takes place in Seattle, Washington, where it is the nation coffee capitol. The girl and her family live on 2134 Hillside BLVDE in a house.

This book is about an 11 year old girl named Fiona Cheng who is half and half, half Scottish, half Chinese. She looks more Chinese than Scottish. Her mother is Scottish and she is a mathematician. She is also very thrifty. Even though Seattle is the coffee capitol, she reuses teabags and she gets five cents back every time she reuses her grocery bags at the grocery store. Her father is Chinese and he writes children's books. Her brother Ron is 12 and looks more Scottish than Chinese. Her Chinese grandmother and her Scottish grandparents are coming over at the same time for more than a week.

There is a community Folk Fest going on during her family's visit and her Scottish grandparents participate in Scottish dancing, Fiona is going to be part of it too because the 8th person in the troop quit. Her dad and her Chinese Grandmother have a surprise for her. She is going to dress up as her Father's character during his Book Talk at the folk fest. There is one problem; they are both scheduled at the same time.

My favorite Part of the story is when her Chinese Grandmother (Nainai) serves jellyfish for dinner and her Scottish Grandparents don't like it. Fiona came up with the idea of naming gross foods people eat in different countries. This is a really interesting part because I didn't know how gross some foods are and that some people actually eat, like larvae. Not only is it interesting but it is really funny.

I rate this book 3 and a half stars. This book is not the best book I read. It was actually sort of weird. In the beginning she doesn't want to check a box for other for her race for a folk dance class. The classes have to sort you into race because they get the funding from the government to teach the class. Fiona is not just white and not just Asian. She doesn't want to feel like an outsider and check the box for other or check Asian and White. I don't really get that. It's really weird. Lots of other kids checked other probably. Also she dies her hair red so she can feel like everyone else when she dances at the Folk Fest. She doesn't want to be different. Different is good. Normal is boring. I think that different is better. If everyone was the same the world would be boring.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, July 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Half and Half (Paperback)

Half and Half is about Fiona who feels pressured to choose between her two ethnicitys; Chinese and Scottish. It was a short, touching story. I feel that it could have been taken a lot further, but it was good the way it was.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Half and Half, March 25, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Half and Half (Hardcover)

Fiona Cheng is a girl who is not sure who she really is. She is half Scottish and half Chinese.

When Fiona signs up for a dance team something goes really bad. On the sign up sheet, the form asks what culture she is. Fiona does not know which one to check. When Fiona asks for help from her parents she gets no help.

But when her grandparents from both sides come, it gets even worse. In a month, Fiona's city is holding an annual culture festival. Mr. Cheng (who is Chinese) is doing a book reading with his latest book and wants Fiona to come. Grandfather McMurry (grandfather on mother's side) is doing a dance and wants Fiona to come to it with him.

Fiona manages to solve the problem and everything goes great. I recommend this book to girls between the ages of 8 and 10 and who are confused about themselves. Lensey Namioka even dedicates this book to people who are, of course, HALF AND HALF!

-Hana Peoples