Parachute kids

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Parachute kids

Title :

Parachute kids / Betty C. Tang.

Title:

Parachute kids

Author:

Tang, Betty C.

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

281 pages : color illustrations ; 21 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9781338832686

9781338832693

Production / Publication Information:

New York : Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, 2023.

Summary:

After their two-week family tour of Los Angeles, ten-year-old Feng Li Lin and her older brother and sister learn they will remain in California while their parents return to Taiwan, forcing them to navigate a new school, a new language, bullies, racism, and the pressures of running a household.

Target audience note:

Ages 8-12

Language:

English

Genre:

Graphic novels.

Comics (Graphic works)

Subject Term:

Taiwanese Americans -- Juvenile fiction.

Taiwanese Americans -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Families -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Noncitizens -- Juvenile fiction.

Noncitizens -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Siblings -- Juvenile fiction.

Siblings -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Separation (Psychology) -- Juvenile fiction.

Separation (Psychology) -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Graphic novels.

Taiwanese -- Fiction.

Family life -- Fiction.

Noncitizens -- Fiction.

Siblings -- Fiction.

Separation -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	J GRAPHIC PARACHUTE	32114002770692	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	J GRAPHIC PARACHUTE	32114002773647	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	J GRAPHIC TANG	31330009313770	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	YA GRAPHIC/TANG	33934004621950	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	YA GRAPHIC/TANG	33934004665213	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	J TAN GRAPHIC NOVEL	32115002202321	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	J TANG GRAPHIC	32116003977069	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Carlisle - Gleason Public Library	J/GRAPHIC TANG	32117002172413	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	J/GRAPHIC/PARACHUTE	31480011665749	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dracut - Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library	J/COMIX/TANG	31482003029199	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dunstable Free Public Library	JFIC TAN GRAPHIC	32118001099623	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Essex - T.O.H.P. Burnham Free Library	J GN TAN	32119000457671	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	JGN TANG	32120001433513	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	JGN TAN	37003701968852	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	JGN TAN	37003702013559	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	J COMIX TANG	32121000956900	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	J TAN/GRAPHIC	30470002102258	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	J/COMIX/TANG	31479007612384	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	JG TANG	32122003029711	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	YA GN TANG	32122003070673	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	J FIC TAN GRAPHIC NOVEL	31549005011837	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	J GRAPHIC TAN	31481005747733	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	J GRAPHIC PARACHUTE	32124002140747	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	J-PB GRAPHIC TAN	31548003485068	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	J GRAPHIC TAN	31548003489383	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	J PB TAN/ GRAPHIC	32126001894612	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newbury Town Library	J TAN GN	32127001358947	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	J TANG / GRAPHIC	32128004171741	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	J TANG / GRAPHIC	32128004171733	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	J TAN - GRAPHIC NOVEL	31478003802486	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	J GRAPHIC TAN	31550002609649	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rockport Public Library	J GRAPHIC TANG	32129002581949	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rowley Public Library	J GN TAN	32130001065694	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	J GRAPHIC NOVEL PARACHUTE	32132003424515	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tyngsborough Public Library	J/GRAPHIC/TANG/PB	32137002214866	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... West Newbury - G.A.R. Memorial Library	J GRAPHIC TAN	32135001596689	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	MG F TANG (GRAPHIC)	31990005253419	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	KIDS GRAPHIC PARACHUTE	32136003614942	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

An extraordinary story about living on your own as an undocumented immigrant.

Ten-year-old Feng Li Lin is so excited for her family's first trip to the United States! But after an action-packed two weeks, she and her siblings learn that they will remain indefinitely in California while first their father and then their mother returns to Taiwan.

Suddenly Feng Li and her siblings are thrust into an alien world where the fear of being discovered by immigration become a daily reality.

Parachute Kids digs deep into the hardships and psychological challenges of being left to fend for yourself in an unfamiliar place, while celebrating the comical moments and the incredible courage it takes to make a life on your own. Betty C. Tang is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of the Jacky Ha-Haseries of graphic novels by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4 Up--In 1981, Feng-Li, 10, travels to California from Taiwan with her family for what she thinks is a vacation, but her parents planned for the siblings to stay in "the land of opportunity." They adopt American names for school, and Feng-Li (now Ann) holds fast to her "tomorrow will be better" fortune cookie paper, despite her struggles with English. When both parents have to return to Taiwan, the undocumented siblings are on their own, with older sister Jia-Xi (Jessie) in charge, and middle son Ke-G ng (Jason) resentful. Feng-Li plays peacemaker between her two siblings, but the three face frightening obstacles before their family is reunited. Feng-Li wonders, "How has everything gone so wrong? Aren't we here for the American dream? So far it has been nothing but a nightmare." But when her sister falls into depression, the plucky girl swings into action, inspiring her siblings to pull together, and the ending is hopeful. There are sometimes six or seven panels on a page, but the action and the characters' emotions are easy to follow; red text in yellow speech balloons denote when they are speaking Chinese, black text in white balloons signifies English. A subplot indicates that Ke-G ng is gay, something his mother wants him to suppress, and his new friends reject him for. An author's note explains that she herself was a "parachute kid," and that the story is a mix of fiction, memory, and anecdotes. VERDICT At once common and unique, this is a compelling story of immigration and family bonds; highly recommended.--Jenny Arch

Publisher's Weekly Review

Three siblings living undocumented in America must learn to adapt and fend for themselves when expired visas force their parents to return to Taiwan in Tang's uplifting graphic novel debut. Ten-year-old Feng-Li Lin is ecstatic for her family vacation to America, but excitement becomes shock when her parents reveal that the kids will be staying in California under the care of family friends. The siblings enroll in new schools, struggle to learn English, and bristle at 1980s American culture and conventions surrounding fashion and food, all while contending with racist bullying. Feng-Li's older sister Jia-xi, 16, manages the household while expediting her studies for upcoming SATs; 14-year-old brother Ke-gaˉng, who's navigating private realizations about his sexuality, falls in with an unruly crowd; and Feng-Li just wants her siblings to stop bickering, and to fit in at school. Across crisp, boldly colored panels, the creator addresses heavy topics such as bullying, queer identity, and racism. Inspired by her own experience as a "parachute kid," defined in an author's note as children brought to live with friends or relatives in foreign countries, Tang balances humor and heart with the difficult realities of what parachute kids may face. Ages 9--12. (Apr.)

Horn Book Review

For many immigrant families, the American dream is a journey paved with countless obstacles; this struggle plays out in the lives of three Taiwanese siblings in Tang's graphic novel. The story begins in 1981 when the Lin family, undocumented immigrants from Taiwan, arrives in Los Angeles, allegedly for a vacation. But soon ten-year-old Feng-Li (who adopts the American name Ann) and her older brother Ke-Gang (Jason) and sister Jia-Xi (Jessie) find out that the move is permanent, and their father is not staying with them; a month later they learn they will need to fend for themselves -- their mother must return to China after her visa is not renewed. They work to adapt to American culture: Feng-Li strives to make friends in school; Ke-Gang searches for his identity while joining a clique of Chinese American teens that pressures him into smoking, skipping class, shoplifting, and worse; Jia-Xi studies for the SATs and looks for a job but falls prey to an insidious scam. Vibrant colors and expressively drawn faces capture the dynamic ups and downs in their lives. Intense dilemmas punctuated by humorous moments dramatize the challenges faced by each character. Tang weaves themes of family, racial stereotyping, cultural adaptation, sacrifice, peer pressure, sexuality, bullying, and survival into a poignant and triumphant story of perseverance and resilience, presenting a remarkably honest depiction of an Asian American immigrant experience. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A family from Taiwan pursues the American dream. It is February 1981, when the Lin family lands in Los Angeles for the first time. Their monthlong vacation becomes a journey of circumstantial immigration when the three children find out they are staying--enrolling in local schools for political safety and a better future with more opportunities. When Mama's tourist visa extension is denied, she leaves 10-year-old Feng-Ling, or Ann; 14-year-old Ke-Gāng, or Jason; and 16-year-old Jia-Xi, or Jessie, to live on their own--with some support and supervision from family friends who immigrated earlier. With an endearing artistic style and colors that pop, this graphic novel explores how such a process, for better or worse, alters relationships and family dynamics. While learning English, navigating social interactions, and confronting racism, the siblings face additional challenges that deliver tough life lessons: Studious Jia-Xi falls for a scam with devastating consequences, Ke-Gāng's struggles with his identity lead to a serious accident, and Feng-Ling follows bad influences and does something she regrets. By the time Baba and Mama rejoin them, however, the siblings can serve up a decent meal and show off their savings from summer jobs. The development of the characters and their relationships is convincing and balanced, and the siblings' respective experiences are relatable for anyone who has tried to fit in somewhere. This empathic story centers a less widely recognized community and thoughtfully presents a distinct facet of immigration. Emotionally moving and beautifully executed. (author's note) (Graphic fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.