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A review by amy_mark
Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
3.0
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be a Chinese immigrant in California at the turn of the century, this would be a good story to read. The reader gains insight into the worldview of these immigrants, as well as the many hardships they faced.
I read this book because it was on the "red flag" shelf at our elementary library, waiting to be reviewed by an adult. The age recommendation on the back of the book is age 10 and up. There are a few things that cause me to question if this book should not be moved to the middle school/high school library, such as opium use, gambling, alcohol use, violence, mentions of prostitution, some language, etc. However, these are not glorified in the book; they are presented as things to avoid (even at great cost, such as the man who cut off his right hand after realizing how much gambling cost him, since that was the hand that held the dice).
I read this book because it was on the "red flag" shelf at our elementary library, waiting to be reviewed by an adult. The age recommendation on the back of the book is age 10 and up. There are a few things that cause me to question if this book should not be moved to the middle school/high school library, such as opium use, gambling, alcohol use, violence, mentions of prostitution, some language, etc. However, these are not glorified in the book; they are presented as things to avoid (even at great cost, such as the man who cut off his right hand after realizing how much gambling cost him, since that was the hand that held the dice).