Customer Reviews

In The Year Of The Boar And Jackie Robinson (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I read this book I had to read it for school.I am glad I did ! This story takes place in New York City. Shirley Temple Wong is put in American school where eveything is different. She tryes to understand America but it`s hard because she only know`s chinese way`s.This story about and imergant chinese girl trying to make friends and trying to keep true to her chinese backround. I think people of all ages sould enjoy this book.I rate this book 5 stars.Enjoy!!!!

Wow. My sister read this book when she was my age and she said that she didn't like it that much. Well, I am the opposite of her. This book is great!
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is about a girl who comes to America from China in 1948 or 4646 and has to learn English and fit in with American kids. It's fun to read about her struggles with life in Brooklyn, New York.
I had to read this book for school, but do not regret it. And teachers, this book is a great book to read to your class.
So pick up this book and start reading!

(...)

This book starts out in China where a young girl, named Bandit is forced to go to America. She must go because her father wants Bandit and her mother to move to America and make it their home. Bandit is not sad however, because she'll finally get to be together with her father. Bandit takes the name of Shirly Temple Wong and starts her trip to America. At first she struggles but soon, she learns to play baseball and starts making friends.

Something i like about this book is the way it is clear and understandable and also a little funny. Many people would be able to relate to some of her embarressing moments. I think the book is very understandable because there are no big words and the sentences are kept simple. I could just read through the entire book without going back to make sure i read some paragraph right."One sunny afternoon, Shirly leaned out the third story window of P. S 8 slapping the chalk from the class erasers." This quote is one of the good ones. It is clear and the author keeps it simple with enough detail to satisfy the reader.

One part that was funny, and i could relate to was when shirly got lost on her way back from the store."What a fool she was! Nothing but a fool. Utterly ashamed, she hid her face in her arms." This quote from the book describes Shirly after she is lost and gives up. I remember many times when i was young and would get lost alot and start getting scared.

My favorite part of the book was when Shirly is told to go home. She thinks that the kids hate her and want her to go home, but really they meant to get her to run to home base. It is funny how some things can be misconcieving and how people may think very differently from others.

I was required to read this book for school. And I am very glad that I did. It is very humorous and made me laugh out loud while I was reading it. It is about a Chinese girl named Bandit in China but Shirley Temple Wong in America who is traveling to America with her Mother to live with her father. She lives in New York City and has to go to an English shool. She finds that she has to learn English before she can have friends. She ends up becoming fried=nds with the toughest girl in school and falls in love with baseball. I hope you will read this outrageously funny book and take some time to laugh.

I am currently using this book as part of our guided reading program here in an inner-city school in San Antonio, Texas. Though the book is well-written, my class of students were concerned that Chinese-Americans would be offended by this book. Some of the things they discussed in class was why the main character was named "Bandit." To them, this name connotates a bad person or a thief. Also, they expressed concerned that prior to her going to America, her family insisted on her picking an American name - Shirley Temple. One of my students asked why she didn't pick a traditional Chinese name. To them, it appeared that the family was abandoning their Chinese customs in favor of America's customs. Despite that fact that my students have raised some interesting and thought-provoking questions, the book does challenge the reader to compare and contrast Chinese and American customs. In addition, this is an excellent book to have a dialogue on racial and cultural tolerance here in America.

Ten year old Bandit Wong comes to Brooklyn in 1947 having been officially dubbed Shirley Temple
Wong, at her own request, by her family patriarch before leaving Shanghai. Now she has to win the
acceptance of her schoolmates, while still honoring her Chinese heritage. This dichotomy is reflected
in the title of the book, as it is the Year of the Boar on the Chinese calendar, but in Brooklyn, it is
Jackie Robinson's rookie year. Over the course of the baseball season Shirley becomes a devoted fan
of the game and of Robinson, and his trail blazing integration of the game becomes a metaphor for
Shirley's efforts to fit in to a new society.

The book is delightful, with a brave and likable heroine who will appeal to anyone, but particularly
girls, and the baseball theme should intrigue boys. It should foster in all kids a further interest in
Jackie Robinson, a genuine American hero. Best of all, it offers a moving depiction of the immigrant
experience and strikes just the right balance between the value of assimilation and immersion in
American culture, while maintaining respect for one's native traditions.

Lord's America really is a land of opportunity, but one which places obligations on those who wish to
reap them. In turn, the example of Jackie Robinson stands as a reminder that to fulfill its promise,
America must afford these opportunities to all those who are willing to shoulder these responsibilities,
regardless of race, creed, or color (or gender).

GRADE : B+

The book In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is a particularly good book for young readers. It is not only entertaining but informative as well. Young readers and adults alike can relate to some of the akward experiences that follow Shirley throughout her first year at her new school. In this book the author Bette Bao Lord uses her own experiences as a young immigrant to explore a child's need and concern to gain a sense of belonging in a "New World". Through Shirley Temple Wong's experiences in Brooklyn New York, we gain an insight into the difficulties an immigrant must endure in order to learn and adapt to a new culture. Throughout the book there are numerous examples that depict Shirley's journey as she tries to belong. "Day by day, week by week, little by little Shirley shrank until she was no more...why else did the class, which had welcomed her so warmly at first ignore her so now?" (Page 51) Shirley, being only a child does not know what is American culture, only that she wants to be a part of it. After unsuccessfully trying to copy what the school children do, she concentrates her attention on baseball. By gaining knowledge on the sport, she becomes a part of her school community. Baseball and the hero Jackie Robinson help Shirley learn about American culture and to gain new friends. Baseball also contributes to her gaining a sense of belonging in America without losing her Chinese culture.

I like In the year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson because I think it's a good book for boys and girls and because it's funny too. I think it's a good book for boys because some of it is about baseball and I think it's a good book for girls because the main character is a girl who loves baseball. It's funny because it has alot of parts were Shirley [the main character]has trouble with American customs and misunderstands. For example, the principal winks at her and she thinks it's an American greeting, and she can't wink so she just blinks both her eyes. She does this to the teacher and the teacher sends home a note telling her parents to get her eyes checked because she keeps blinking.
She came from China with her mother to live with her father in New York. At recess her friends invite her to play a game called stickball [it's kind of like baseball] and she's really good so her friends call her Jackie Robinson and then in school she asks who the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson is and the teacher tells her and then Shirley becomes a big fan of Jackie Robinson and listens to him play baseball on the radio. I think it has a really good ending.

On the other side of the world from Brooklyn, New York there lives a little girl known as Bandit. After living in China for 8 years, Bandit's clan gets a mysterious letter from Father, announcing that Bandit, her mother and he will go to Mei guo, meaning beautiful country, which is America. Her new American name is Shirley Temple Wong. That's how Bette Bao Lord begins her book about Shirley. As far as I know, that's pretty much what the author experienced herself. This is a great book about cultural changes, making friends and `America's Favorite Past time', Baseball.

As I already mentioned above, a kind, but a little bit shy, girl called Shirley comes to America without the knowledge of a single English word. Shortly after that she attends an All American school. Even though she knows a bit English after a few months, she still doesn't have any friends. Then, on one nice day, when she played Baseball for the first time in her life she makes a spectacular Home Run. The next day Jackie Robinson isn't only the Dodger's hero, but also Shirley's.

After you read this book, you will probably know more about China, then when you first touched this book. Many of the changes that Shirley has to make are described funny, some even hilarious. You, no matter how old, or what gender you are, you should definitely read this book.

The book is about a girl who goes to New York. She was born in China so she has to make new friends,and get used to the American tradition. So one day she decided to play baseball, after that she loved the game. She started to make new friends after she hit a home run. When she went up to bat everyone would cheer her on and it made her feel like part of the group. When Jackie Robinson was invited to their school she was greatly honored to present him with the key to their school. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is a very good book. Even though African-Americans weren't allowed to play in the baseball league, Jackie Robinson made it into the league and hit a bunch of home runs and became one of the leagues favorite players. I would recommend this book for people ages 9 and above.