Honeysuckle House [Hardcover]

Andrea Cheng (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Alienation, longing, prejudice, and cultural difference is touched on in this immigrant story told in the voices of two ten-year-old girls. Sarah and Tina are fourth graders. The most important thing in the world to Sarah - American-born Chinese - is the recent departure of her best friend, Victoria. She misses her terribly. Tina has just recently moved to Cincinnati from Shanghai, and is trying to make sense of a whole new world - pretty much clueless to all the things Sarah is hip to. The two girls are paired together in school, as if Asian appearance were proof of parallel lives and experience. ("I don't speak Chinese," Sarah keeps having to explain.) It's the daily, common stuff of childhood intrigue that finally manages to connect their stories and forge a friendship. A whole constellation of adult concerns swirl around them - green card worries, assimilation, absent fathers, family tensions - but Andrea Cheng remains true to the heart and voice and vision of two ten-year-old girls, in a story which blends tears and games, drama and play.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–The honeysuckle house (a spot under a large honeysuckle bush) is where fourth-grader Sarah, a Chinese-American girl, plays with her friend Victoria until the girl suddenly moves away. Sarah's story is juxtaposed with her classmate Ting's, a new immigrant from China. Told in first person in alternating chapters, the narratives balance well between large issues (like Ting's parents' employment and legal problems and Victoria's abrupt departure) and more intimate ones (people assume that Sarah can speak Chinese, and Ting has to adjust to all of the new smells in America). With a smoothly drawn and interesting plot, strong characters, and graceful writing, the story has more immediacy than much realistic contemporary fiction. There are some truly memorable scenes, such as when Ting and Sarah explore Victoria's deserted house, and when Ting breaks a vase in the house where her mother cleans. With a strong social conscience behind it as well, this absorbing novel has a lot going for it.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Born in Cincinnati, Sarah, 10, is Chinese American, but she doesn't speak Chinese and doesn't want to. She's furious when the teacher expects her to take care of the new kid, Ting, who has just arrived from Shanghai. Ting, who does know a little English, wishes she were back home, far from people who mock her accent and appearance. Told in the girls' alternating voices, this novel is certainly a friendship story, but it moves beyond the usual immigration-assimilation scenario to show the cultural differences across generations and inside families. Ting's dad, desperate for his green card, hates needing Ting's help ("Just because you know English, do you think you know more than your father?"), and the parents' tensions are always on the edge of each girl's personal conflict. Although there's no neat resolution, the girls do become friends, and Sarah enjoys learning some Chinese, even as she chops off her long, straight black hair. Many readers, and not only new immigrants, will recognize the truth about how hard it is to fit in. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hand Print (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886910995
• ISBN-13: 978-1886910997
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,477,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reluctant friendship forms as the two find close ties, July 9, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honeysuckle House (Hardcover)

Ten-year-old Sarah misses her best friend terribly, but finds herself paired with a new girl in school who has just arrived from China. Sarah resents the pairing with another Asian student - and finds their common cultural roots still don't make up for the fact she's been raised in America and Tina is a newcomer. A reluctant friendship forms as the two find close ties to bind them in Honeysuckle House's inviting story of friendship.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good multi-cultural reading for young middle-schoolers, December 23, 2011

By 

Jessica Hazlewood (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Honeysuckle House (Hardcover)

My daughter was required to read this prior to entering 5th grade as part of her summer homework. This book was assigned to prepare them for a multi-cultural unit they began the year with. We bought it and took it on vacation with us. She reported that she enjoyed this book (didn't feel like homework). This book is about transitions middle-schoolers may encounter, and introduced my daughter to the challenges young immigrants may face. I was very happy this book was assigned, and it allowed my daughter and I to have some conversations about different cultures. Reading this as we were traveling was an added bonus.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, August 29, 2011

By 

Diana - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Honeysuckle House (Paperback)

Honeysuckle House is a beautifully written book of friendship and family, loss and loneliness, cultural identity and self-acceptance. Cheng tells the story of Sarah, an American girl with Chinese ancestry, and Ting, the new girl who's just immigrated from China,in alternating first person. Every word rings true, creating a realistic and intimate relationship with both characters. The book is subtle but emotionally powerful, too. Highly recommended!