Half and Half (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

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.

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

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (June 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385730381
• ISBN-13: 978-0385730389
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,950,508 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

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

5.0 out of 5 stars ashley's book review, November 27, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Half and Half (Paperback)

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.