The Year of the Fortune Cookie!

Title: The Year of the Fortune Cookie (Anna Wang Series)

Author: Andrea Cheng

Summary: This is the third book in the Anna Wang series, where Anna and her friends start middle school. Laura is going to a different school now, so Anna feels a bit lost with only 1 of her friends with her, but now Anna is making different friends and everyone is having a pretty good time. However, it is also around this time that Anna begins to question whether she really likes being Chinese and she begins to feel a bit insecure. Anna's old teacher is going to China to adopt a baby just like Anna's family did for Kaylee! Anna is given the chance to go with them to China to help them, and she accepts the offer. However, on the plane ride there, she begins to wonder if it was the best idea to accept, since she won't be with her family for the Christmas season, and she starts to feel homesick. It's getting better though, when Anna meets a new friend in China - a waitress in the hotel, and things get even better when Anna gets her wish to go and see the orphanage that Kaylee was adopted from, and to give cute crochet hats for each of the orphanage babies.

Anna then realizes that in the end, things are alright.

Comments: I really liked this story! I love when authors make age-appropriate books for middle schoolers (it is an easy read, but Anna is a 6th grader). The book also teaches you Chinese and is pretty educational! Anna is a relatable character that most kids are sure to love! (I know I do!)

Complaints: I sort of feel like it was a bit unrealistic that Anna got to explore the town and go to the park and down to the hotel lobby without any adult supervision, especially in a big city, but otherwise, the book was really good!

Rating: 5 stars!

The Year of the Baby

Title: The Year of the Baby (the Anna Wang Series)

Author: Andrea Chang

Summary: This book features all of the characters from The Year of the Book (I reviewed that one too!) - it's a sequel. Anna's family has adopted a baby girl from China (by the time the book starts, the baby is already home - they do not go to China in this book). However, Baby Kaylee won't eat and the doctors are starting to worry about her health. For their school science project, Anna and her friends see if she will eat when different songs are sung to her or when no songs at all our sung to her. Their science experiment is smart, and their results are quite interesting.

 

Comments: The whole book is a great, wholesome read that any child read about. Anna's love for her sister is so sweet, and Kaylee is just sweet in general. Anna is a great character that most people can relate to in many different ways. Anna is also a great role model for kids of today, and it's fun to watch her do such interesting and smart things with her friends in this uniquely written book!

 

Complaints: None! I feel like this book was a bit longer than Year of the Book, and my complaint for that book was it being too short, so this book is perfect!

Rating: 5 stars

The Year of the Book!

Title: The Year of the Book

Author: Andrea Cheng

Summary: Anna Wang, a fourth grader, loses her only friend, Laura, to two girls named Allison and Lucy. Anna is lonely, and life is sort of hard. Her mother is still learning to speak English, she is struggling in Chinese school, has to go along with her mother to her job as a maid, and she misses Laura. Anna reads lots of books, and is one of the biggest readers ever, she also likes to sew drawstring bags and hats. Finally, Laura, who's parents are going through a really tough divorce comes to stay with the Wangs', Laura and Anna start to become friends again, and Allison and Lucy turn on Laura. Anna is happy by the end of the book and she finally gets her friend back, but still loves reading more than anything.

Comments: This was a really good book, but my only complaint is that it was too short - it took me 25 minutes to read, but it is a great quick, easy, fun, and interesting read. on the back of the book, it shows how to make a drawstring bag - I am definitely going to try it! :)

Rating: 5 stars!