Customer Reviews

Half and Half

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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

Eleven year old Fiona is half Chinese and half Scottish. She is more connected with her Chinese roots, but also considers herself Scottish. When all of her grandparents come to visit, she finds herself torn between pleasing her Scottish grandparents and her Chinese grandmother. With Seattle's annual Folk Fest looming, Fiona must decide if she will dance in the Scottish exhibit, or dress as a Chinese girl for a talk her father is giving. Fiona's desire to please everyone and her worries about fitting in are very relatable. Overall, I think children would highly enjoy this book.

I read a nutmeg book titled Half and Half by Lensey Namioka. It is a great book. They lived in Seattle, Washington.

The main characters in this story were Fiona cheng, Ron (brother) Amanda (friend) mom and dad grandpa and grandmother MacMurray, Nainai (other grandmother).

The main problem of the book is Fiona's dad is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. Fiona doesn't know which one to choose without hurting her parent's feelings.

My favorite part of the book was when Fiona died her hair orange just to fit in with the other girls. This was my favorite part because when she got home no one got mad at her. My parents would get really mad at me.

I really liked this book because it was very descriptive and you can learn about other people's culture. I would recommend it to other people because I think other people would like the book too.

by Katelyn
L.A #3

I read a terrific book that was called Half and Half by Lensey Namioka. It's a fiction book that is set in Seattle Washington in the present.

The main characters in the story were Fiona Cheng, Amanda, Ron, Mother, Father, Nainai, grandpa, Grandma, Mac Murray. Fiona is a girl that wants to do folk dancing at the festival. Ron is Fiona's brother. Their father writes children books. What their father likes to write about the most is fairytale dragon books. Amanda is Ron and Fiona's friend.

The main problem of the book occurs when she wants to change her appearance because she is half Chinese and half Scottish. She wants to change her appearance because she looks more Chinese then Scottish. She wants to look more Scottish because she wants to sign up for folk dancing. She doesn't want people to make fun of her because she looks more Chinese than Scottish. But she doesn't want her Chinese half of the family to think that she is trying to hide her Chinese half.

My favorite part of the book was when she went to go sign up for folk dancing at the Community Center and she did not know what box to check off because she is half Chinese and half Scottish and they didn't have a box that said, "half Chinese or half Scottish." This was my favorite part because I like problems in stories and that was a problem in this story.

I really liked this book because it was a fiction book and I like fiction books because then you could tell about anything. It dose not have to be true you could write about anything that you want to right about. There is no reason why I would not recommend this book because it is a terrific book to read.


There was nothing that I did not like about this book because this book was a very good book. I enjoyed reading this book.

Lindsay Sharp
L.A. #3

I read a wonderful book titled Half and Half by Lensey Namioka. It is a fiction book set in the Seattle Washington.


The main characters in this story were Fiona Cheng, Amanda, Ron, mother, father, Nainai, grandpa, and grandma Mac Murray. Fiona cheng and Ron are bother and sister. They both like to do very active activities like running, and Irish step dancing. There father likes to write write kids fairytales books about cowardly dragons.

The main problem of the book occurs when she feels like she doesn't fit with her Irish family and she want to change her appearance because she looks more Asian and not Irish and she wants to sigh up for folk dancing at the recreation center. But when she gets the form and she has to pick a race will she pick Irish or Asian?

My favorite part of the book was when Fiona wanted Amanda, and Melissa to die her head red because she will look more like a Irish step dancer more with red hair.

This was my favorite part because it was really funny when Ron got home from school he was so surprised to see his little Asian sister with red hair. And so were the family too they couldn't be leave it im so surprised that' they didn't ground her.

I really love this book because I think its talks about how other people are different and how difficult it is to be half and half!

I would recommend it to my family, friends, and, my aunt sharal because they would love this book because my hole entire family is half African American and Indian.

I read a great book called Half and Half by Lensey Namioka it is realistic fiction set in the present in Seattle Washington.
The main characters in this book were Fiona Cheng, her brother Ron, her parents and her grand parents. Ron and Fiona are half Scottish and half Chinese. Their mother is Scottish and their father is Chinese. Fiona looks more Chinese and her brother Ron looks more Scottish. The grandfather on the Father's side died.
The problem occurs when both grandparents from both sides come to visit at the same time. Her Chinese grandmother wants her to be more Chinese by making her a beautiful silk dress. But her Scottish Grandparents want her to do the Scottish Dance. She wants to do both, but which one will she pick?
My favorite part of this book is When Fiona dies her hair red to look more Scottish. This was my favorite part because when she dies her hair, it comes out orange.
I really liked this book because Fiona has to make a choice, or does she? I would recommend this book to anyone how likes suspense because this book is full of suspense.

I read a great book called Half and Half by Lensey Namoika. It is a realistic fiction book set in Seattle, Washington.
The main characters in this story were Fiona Cheng, her brother Ron Cheng, Amanda Tanaka, and the rest of Fiona's and Ron's family. Fiona is half Chinese (her father), half Scottish (her mother). But Fiona always had looked more Chinese rather than Scottish, and everybody thinks that she'll be more interested in her Chinese half. Lately, Fiona really doesn't know who she is. When her grandparents, both Chinese and Scottish come to a folk festival in town, things get even worse. Fiona wants to perform her Scottish grandfather's fold dancing troupe, but who's ever seen a Chinese girl dancing a Scottish reel? Fiona's Chinese grandmother also wants her to dress as the heroin in her father's books, and she made a beautiful silk outfit for her! She doesn't want to hide her Chinese half, but she doesn't want to act like she is all Chinese with no Scottish blood in her. Everyone is expecting her to do different things from her. What can she do?
My favorite part of the book was when Melissa, Amanda's sister dyes Fiona's hair Jell-o orange! This was my favorite part because it was funny, and I have no idea what an orange-haired person would look like!
I rate this book 3 stars. I liked this book because it had some humor, and a mix of two. Although it was descriptive and gives you something to think about, I would not recommend it to people who like books that are more complicated because I don't think that the story is very good because it's too simple, and no offense, but the characters don't act like they're very smart. Still, though, for "simple book lovers," I bet that you will like this book.

I'm biracial, and a teacher of elementary children, many of whom are multi-racial or adopted children whose parents are of a different ethnicity. I was so hopeful when I bought this book, but the main character's voice is so unbelievable. No child of this character's age has the insights or identity development to say and do the things she does. I wish it had been the book I was hoping for. Very disaapointing.