Immigration

Author Guest Post: “Empathy and Gratitude Through Immigration Stories” by Nazanin Agange Ford, Author of My America Blooms

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“Empathy and Gratitude Through Immigration Stories”

I’ll come right out and say it: the world has me worried.

From tragic ICE events, to the ongoing conflicts around the globe, to heat domes, and measles outbreaks, I am worried about a lot of things that I feel helpless to affect. And, if a fairly reasonable, generally non-panicking adult (me) is worried, what are our kids feeling?

Anxious?
Confused?
Maybe a little less kind than usual?

Did that last one surprise you?

Let me explain. When I have a lot on my “worry” plate, I don’t have as much room to think about others. For me, this creates an isolating narrative, which transforms the worries into frustration and anger. I think this is true for others, too.

The best way I know to tackle this spiral is with gratitude and empathy. These are small mindset pivots I can make to create space for problem-solving, dialogue, understanding, and hopefully respect. Our kids need that infusion of gratitude and empathy to operate in this uniquely challenging world, too.

All stories hold the power to inspire gratitude and empathy. In particular immigrant stories, which are also timely right now, offer eye-opening perspectives, even for those of us who are immigrants. These stories can provide a bridge toward understanding and appreciating every member of our community a little better.

When I wrote My America Blooms, I hoped it would help more people understand the challenges of starting a new life in a new place, and I wanted those who have experienced it to know they weren’t alone—that they could share their story, too. But I also wanted to share my gratitude for all the kindnesses and opportunities people offered my family.

Here are eight great immigrant story picture books I recommend for spreading gratitude and empathy.

We Came to America - by Faith Ringgold (Paperback)

We Came to America by Faith Ringold (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016) – a boldly illustrated, simple and poetic text that pays tribute to “every American who came before us” and honors the children who will carry the “message of diversity into our nation’s future.”

    • Activity: Using colors and inspiration from Ringold’s illustrations, have children recreate their favorite page.
    • Discuss: Is the picture you chose about your own ancestors? Did you learn something new about other Americans?

Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation: Danticat, Edwidge, Staub, Leslie: 9780525428091: Amazon.com: Books

Mama’s Nightingale, A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Leslie Staub (Dial Books, 2015) – a family is separated because of the mother’s immigration status and the child “discovers that her words can change the world” and reunite her family.

    • Activity: Have children write a short letter about something they want to see changed.
    • Discuss: How did writing a letter help make people aware of the mother’s situation? What would you feel if someone you knew was experiencing something like this?

Amazon.com: Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States: 9780316571753: LaRocca, Rajani, Voun Lee, Huy: Books

Some of Us, A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2025) – describes the path to becoming US citizens in a poetic way with beautiful images depicting the diversity of immigrants.

The Welcome Chair | Book by Rosemary Wells, Jerry Pinkney | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Paula Wiseman Books, 2021) – follows the journey of a chair through generations and various families of immigrants. There is a heartwarming story of belonging with each new owner.

    • Activity: Have children tell the story of the welcome chair’s next home. They can write and/or illustrate their story, or share it aloud.
    • Activity: Create a “welcome” space in by writing welcome in as many languages as you can collect.
    • Discuss: What does it mean to be welcoming? How does it feel when you are welcomed?

Rostam's Picture-Day Pusteen by Ryan Bani Tahmaseb: 9781623543815 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Rostam’s Picture-Day Pusteen by Ryan Bani Tahmasek, illustrated by Fateme Mokhles (Charlesbridge, 2024) – Rostam is worried about wearing his father’s traditional pusteen for picture-day. When he braves sharing about his Persian culture, his classmates are excited to learn more and try on the pusteen.

    • Activity: Using paper bags cut to fit like vests, have children draw and decorate their own pusteens with symbolic colors, patterns, and materials.
    • Discuss: Do you have any traditional clothes or clothes that have been passed down? Have you ever worried about standing out and feeling out of place?

Gibberish: Vo, Young: 9781646141104: Amazon.com: Books

Gibberish by Young Vo (Levine Querido, 2022) – Everything Dat hears in his new country sounds like gibberish, until a new friend helps him start to make sense of the strange sounds.

    • Activity: Make up new words or share words from a different language for items around the room. Make signs and put them on the items. Have gibberish day where you use the alternate words when talking about the items.
    • Discuss: How do Young Vo’s illustrations show how the world changes for the main character as he begins to understand his classmate’s words?

Wishes by Muon Thi Van | The Scholastic Parent Store

Wishes by Mu’o’n Thi Văn, illustrations by Victo Ngai (Orchard Books, 2021) – spare, lyrical text shares several wishes, while illustrations depict a family leaving their home, becoming refugees, and eventually arriving in a new country.

    • Activity: Make a list of wishes, either the children’s own (“I wish”) or inanimate objects like the story does. These can be shared or kept private in a personal wish jar. Children can share wishes to create decorations, like mobile(s) hung from the ceiling or a constellation of wishes on a wall.
    • Discuss: What do the things that we wish for tell us about each other? Do most people have the same wishes? Are wishes important? Why or why not?

New - by Niña Mata (Hardcover)

New by Niña Mata (Harper, 2025) – an uplifting story of a child starting school in a new country and making a friend.

    • Activity: Make a poster of things everyone can do to help someone new feel welcome.
    • Discuss: Share stories of when each of you were new somewhere. How did it feel to be new? What helped you feel comfortable? What made you feel uncomfortable?

My America Blooms
Author: Nazanin Agange Ford
Illustrator: Fateme Mokhles
Published June 30th, 2026 by Beaming Books

View Discussion and Activity Suggestions for Educators and Parents for My America Blooms HERE

About the Book: Inspired by the author’s experience of immigrating to the U.S. from Iran, My America Blooms shares a story of hope.

My America Blooms is a story about a young girl who is uprooted from her home in Iran. When she and her family are forced to flee Tehran, she brings a pocket of golnar petals from her beloved garden. In America, she begins to tend a new garden as she creates a new life as an immigrant. America brings friendships, community experiences, and stability, planting the seeds of hope. But every garden has its thorns–the girl must dig deep within herself to cultivate the promises of her new home.

This hopeful story embodies the American dream in all its complexity. Fateme Mokhles’ evocative, impressionistic art depicts the immigrant experience through the eyes of a child, while Nazanin Agange Ford’s moving words remind all readers that they belong.

About the Author: Nazanin Agange Ford was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to the United States at a young age. She grew up in Southern California and now lives in Nevada with her husband, two daughters, and an Aussie Labradoodle. Her writing explores her Persian heritage and the adventure of growing up. Naz is a former teacher and journalist. She is a member of Inked Voices, the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and the American Library Association.

About the Illustrator: Fateme Mokhles is an illustrator and interdisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in storytelling. Born in Iran and now based in California, she often draws inspiration from her heritage and lived experiences. Fateme is also the illustrator of Rustam’s Picture-Day Pusteen. Her illustrations bring a sense of belonging and depth to children’s literature, inspiring imagination and connection.

Thank you, Nazanin, for sharing these books that we can bring to our spaces to spread empathy and gratitude!

Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho

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Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

 

Dear readers,

Let me introduce you to The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho, a heartfelt graphic novel about the dangers of escaping North Korea. The story follows two kids on their journey to leave the country for a better life. You come along with them each step of the way, witnessing the horrible things North Koreans have to go through just to get to freedom. This story is told in beautiful illustrations that capture the emotions of the reader as well. I loved looking through the eyes of someone escaping communism, in a search for a better life, and feel that it is eye opening to read this. The Other Side of Tomorrow was a really grounding book that really makes you grateful for all you have, while also sharing others’ important stories and experiences.

Goodreads Summary

Perfect for fans of Illegal and When Stars Are Scattered, this poignant and moving graphic novel in verse captures the dangers and hope that comes with fleeing North Korea and reaching for a brighter future through the lives of Yunho and Myunghee.

From never knowing where they’ll find their next meal to avoiding soldiers lurking at every corner, many North Koreans have learned that sticking around can be just as deadly as attempting to flee … almost.

Both shy, resourceful Yunho and fierce, vibrant Myunghee know this. So when they each resolve to run away from the bleak futures they face, it’s with the knowledge that they could be facing a fate worse than death. While Yunho hopes to reunite with his omma, who snuck across the border years ago, Myunghee is reaching for dreams that are bigger than anything the regime would allow her to have.

The two are strangers to each other until a chance encounter unwittingly intertwines their fates and Myunghee saves Yunho’s life. Kept together by their dreams for a brighter future, they face a road plagued by poisonous jungle snakes, corrupt soldiers, and the daily fear of discovery and imprisonment. But with every step toward freedom, there is also hope. Will it be enough for both of them to make it to safety without losing each other along the way?

My Thoughts

The Other Side of Tomorrow will certainly pull at your heartstrings, as it did for me. As you come along the journey of Myunghee and Yunho, you get to experience the hardships people fleeing from North Korea face. Before reading this book, I thought that once you escape North Korea, which is hard enough, you are free and can build a new life. What I discovered through this book is that my previous statement could not be further from the truth. Even if you make it to China, they have an extradition treaty with North Korea, meaning that if anybody realizes you are from there, you will immediately get punished and sent back. Additionally, Chinese soldiers receive monetary compensation for every North Korean they report, (incentivizing)meaning they will always be on the lookout for them. Even though this book is sad, I think it is important to know what people on the other side of the world are going through, so we can spread awareness and help them. The beautiful illustrations enhance the reading experience, wonderfully telling this story of pain and hardship. I hope you enjoy this wonderful book!

I would recommend this book for ages 11+ because of the complex topics it discusses which may be hard to understand for younger readers. The simple way in which The Other Side of Tomorrow is written makes it easier to understand for all readers. The only thing I would say is that this is an incredibly sad book, about the many hardships escapees from North Korea have to face.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**

Kaya of the Ocean by Gloria L. Huang

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Kaya of the Ocean
Author: Gloria L. Huang
Published January 7th, 2025 by Holiday House

Summary: Anxious thirteen-year-old Kaya has always been afraid of everything—but when she learns she is the descendant of a Chinese water goddess, she’ll have to master herself to master her powers!

On the surface, thirteen-year-old Kaya leads a charmed life. She lives in beautiful, beachy Lihiwai. She has ride-or-die best friends. She’s ultrasmart and killing it at school. She even works with a super-cute boy at her parents’ restaurant.

But she also has anxiety—serious anxiety, the kind that makes you scratch and pick—and she’s always had bad luck around the ocean. It’s hard to enjoy Hawaiian beaches when you’ve almost drowned more than once.

But as stranger and stranger things happen to Kaya around the sea, she realizes that—wanted or not—she has a special connection to it. Waves rise when she’s angry. Surf smooths when she’s calm. Fish come when she calls them. And when she learns the truth about her family and her divine ancestor, Mazu, she knows that she will need to connect with her most difficult emotions ASAP—or her potent powers may become dangerous to the people she loves.

Kaya of the Ocean is an exciting, fresh, and beautiful middle-grade fantasy about embracing who you really are. This heartfelt adventure of sun, surf, and sand touches on mental health, the immigrant experience, and the complexities of growing up.

Praise: “This sweeping narrative will keep readers eager to learn what happens to Kaya, the child of Mandarin-speaking Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants, and her friends.” -Kirkus Reviews

“Huang explores one anxious tween’s relationship with the sea and her ancestry in this fantastical debut.” – Publishers Weekly

“Engaging…multi-layered…” – Bookworm for Kids

Indie Next Pick!
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
ALA’s Indies Introduce List spotlight debut

About the Author: Gloria L. Huang is a freelance writer. Her fiction has been accepted for publication in literary journals including Michigan Quarterly Review, The Threepenny Review, Chicago Quarterly Review, Witness Magazine, Massachusetts Review, Pleiades, Southern Humanities Review, Fiction Magazine, North American Review, Arts & Letters, Washington Square Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Gargoyle Magazine, Sycamore Review, and The Antigonish Review. She received her B.A. in English Literature from Stanford University.

Review: Kaya is a character that many readers will connect with: she struggles with meeting the expectations upon her, wants to be comfortable with who she is but also wants to fit in, and is trying to figure out herself while also just living her life. Her life is already a bit topsy-turvy when her cousin comes and visits and truly tips everything over and Kaya finds her mental health being negatively affected, and she feels like she has no one to go to. On top of that, she discovers she has some kind of magical powers which makes her feel even more disconnected from reality. Luckily for Kaya, the powers may be what can help her through this all.

In addition to the character development of Kaya and all that is affecting her, the author’s introduction to Chinese mythology will intrigue readers who are interested in world mythologies while also not ostracizing those who aren’t.

And oh, the setting is BEAUTIFUL and the author’s use of imagery takes the reader straight to Hawaii!

There is truly so much to talk about when it comes to this book: family, friendship, fears, anxiety, mythology, Hawaii, the ocean, and more!

Discussion Questions: 

  • How does Kaya’s parents’ choice to not tell her about their past cause her to feel disconnected?
  • Why do you think Kaya’s parents choose not to talk about their past?
  • How did Anne’s visit effect Kaya’s mental health?
  • Although Anne was quite a terror at the beginning, do you think that Kaya dealt with the situation correctly?
  • How did Kaya’s parents’ response to Kaya’s anxiety lead to her feeling like she had to hide everything?
  • Do you think it was okay for Naomi and Iolana to lie to Kaya?
  • Why do you think that the author chose to flashback a few times in the book to Kaya’s ancestors?

Flagged Passage: Chapter One

Maui, 2024

Though I’ve never been able to prove it, I’m certain the ocean is trying to drown me.

My first memory of feeling this way is more like a dream— my mom’s screaming face distorted through a wavery, watery lens; wisps of fear, of shock. I think I was about three. Whenever I asked Mom about this memory, she furrowed her brow and claimed not to remember. “You’re always making things up. So much imagination.”

When I was seven, I was playing on the shore when a sneaker wave overwhelmed me. In a split second, it washed me and my toys partially out to sea. I remember that vividly— the shock of digging in the sand one moment and tumbling through the water the next. Luckily, my dad ran over the wet sand to fish me out, but I clearly remember the sensation of the water towing on my legs as though trying to pull me under. My bucket and spade were a casualty of that warm summer day. “They swim with the fishes,” my dad said afterward with a grin. I didn’t think his joke was very funny.

Now I was thirteen, with several years of intense swim lessons behind me. And I tried not to think about my grim childhood conviction that the ocean was somehow… calling me home.

I really tried not to think about the little girl I sometimes saw under the water, the one my parents called my “imaginary friend” until I was too old to have imaginary friends anymore. It was my policy not to look directly into the ocean, because I knew I might see her if I did: a small five-year-old child, her hair in messy pigtails and her eyes haunted and sad, always reaching for her white blanket.

It was bad enough I suffered from anxiety so severe that my skin was raw and red from washing and scratching, that my mind was always filled with worries and my heart filled with dread. The last thing I needed was another problem, another fear.

So even though I lived on an island surrounded by millions of cubic miles of water, I built a box in my mind for my hydrophobia, put it inside, and tried not to think about the sea at all.

Read This If You Love: Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis; Lola Reyes is So Not Worried by Cindy L. Rodriguez; The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla; The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Holiday House for providing a copy for review!**

Bound to Dream: An Immigrant Story by Charles Ghigna, Illustrated by Anna Forlati

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Bound to Dream: An Immigrant Story
Author: Charles Ghigna
Illustrator: Anna Forlati
Published September 28th, 2024 by Schiffer Kids

Summary: A heartwarming picture book about Carlo, a young Italian immigrant in 1800s New York City, that celebrates books and family as it instills the values of heritage, perseverance, and the love of learning.

Transcending borders and generations, Bound to Dream: An Immigrant Story follows Carlo as he leaves his home in Italy and travels far away to New York City to create a new life. Carlo finds a job as a bookbinder and learns the skills of the trade, cultivating a love of books, words, and stories that he passes to future generations.

Featuring stunning, atmospheric illustrations depicting Carlo’s immigrant journey, this picture book is based on the experiences of the author’s great-grandfather. The uplifting true story inspires children ages four to eight to learn about their family history and how it shapes and lives on in them today.

About the Creators: 

Charles Ghigna—Father Goose® is the author of more than 100 books, including The Father Goose Treasury of Poetry, The Magic Box, A Poem Is a Firefly, Love Is Everything, and Fetch, Cat. Fetch! He has written more than 5,000 poems for children and adults. He was born in New York City and has lived in Homewood, Alabama, for the past 50 years. Visit his website at FatherGoose.com.

Anna Forlati has illustrated several books, and her work has appeared in many international exhibitions. She is a collaborator with the Onus Radio Magica Foundation. Her book My Dad, My Rock received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. Anna was born in Padua, Italy. She received her degree in contemporary art and a degree in film history at the IUAV University in Venice.

Review & Educators’ Tools for Navigation: This story of resiliency and the love of literacy transcends time and place. Carlo comes to a new land, and although he is faced with hard times, he finds something he loves and puts his heart and work into that thing. This book is truly a story about how books can change lives. Oh, and make sure to look for how color is added into the illustrations when speaking about book

As a historical fiction picture book based on the author’s great grandfather’s story, Bound to Dream is a great inclusion when talking about immigration into America, America in the early 1800s, or family history. (My son also just did a passion project on the history of books, and this would have been a great resource for that also!)

Discussion Questions: 

  • What character traits did Carlo display throughout the book?
  • How did Carlo’s love of books help him in his life?
  • How did the illustrator share the magic Carlo felt when reading with the reader?
  • How did the author learn this story if he never met his great grandfather?
  • What lessons can you take away from this story?
  • Why do you think the author chose to tell this story?
  • How does the title of the book connect with the story?

Flagged Spreads: 

Read This If You Love: Picture books about the power of books, Picture books about immigration

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Schiffer Publishing for providing a copy for review!**

I, Too, Am Here by Morgan Christie, Illustrated by Marley Berot

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I, Too, Am Here
Author: Morgan Christie
Illustrator: Marley Berot
Published September 10th, 2024 by Second Story Press

Summary: The street a young girl lives on is made up of families from all over the world. Her family shares with her their stories of journey and struggle. Her own story begins here in this country, but she is sometimes made to feel she does not belong. She listens to her family’s voices. They tell her she will soar, they tell her she is beautiful. She listens and she says I, too, am here.

A multigenerational story of immigration, racism, and what it truly means to belong. Inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem, “I, Too.”

About the Author: 

Morgan Christie is the author of four poetry chapbooks, a short story collection, and a collection of essays. She has won the Arc Poetry Poem of the Year Contest, the Prairie Fire Fiction Prize, the Digging Press Chapbook Series Prize, and the Howling Bird Press Nonfiction Book Award. ‘I, Too, Am Here’ is her second picture book and she continues to work towards affecting change through reading and writing. Morgan is based out of Toronto.

Marley Berot is an illustrator with over ten years of combined personal and professional experience. Her portfolio includes cover art for Neuron, graphic design work for the Toronto International Film Festival, logo design, and book illustration. She runs her own online store called MarleysApothecary.com. Marley is very passionate about her work as an artist, and this can be seen in every piece she creates. She lives in the Toronto area.

Review: The author shares that, “In reading this story, she hopes young readers will learn to see the ways our words and actions can affect others,” and I truly believe they will. I don’t know how anyone could argue that the beautiful family in the story should have anything but happiness. I also love that the author “drew inspiration from Hughes’s poem to write this book because she wanted to remind everyone who’s been told or made to feel otherwise how much joy and wonder they bring to the people and places around them,” and this is a message that all young people, all PEOPLE, should hear loud and clear, which this picture book delivers in words and art.

Tools for Navigation: This picture book can be read along side Langston Hughes’s “I, Too” poem to look for similarities, how it was influenced, the themes of both, etc.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Why does the narrator not understand the racism that his family faced?
  • What character traits would you use to define each of the characters in the story?
  • What should you do if you hear someone being racist (or prejudice in another way) towards a peer?
  • How does the history of slavery and the Jim Crow south still affect America today?
  • How was the book inspired by Langston Hughes?

Flagged Spreads: 

Read This If You Love: Picture books about multigenerational families, anti-racism, immigration, Black history, poetry

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Nicole Banholzer PR for providing a copy for review!**

Up In Flames by Hailey Alcaraz

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Up In Flames
Author: Hailey Alcaraz
Published: October 3, 2023 by Viking

Summary: Gorgeous, wealthy, and entitled, Ruby has just one single worry in her life—scheming to get the boy next door to finally realize they’re meant to be together. But when the California wildfires cause her privileged world to go up in flames, Ruby must struggle to find the grit and compassion to help her family and those less fortunate to rise from the ashes.

At eighteen, Ruby Ortega is an unapologetic flirt who balances her natural aptitude for economics with her skill in partying hard. But she couldn’t care less about those messy college boys—it’s her intense, brooding neighbor Ashton who she wants, and even followed to school. Even the fact that he has a girlfriend doesn’t deter her . . . whatever Ruby wants, she eventually gets.

Her ruthless determination is tested when wildfires devastate her California hometown, destroying her parents’ business and causing an unspeakable tragedy that shatters her to her core. Suddenly, Ruby is the head of the family and responsible for its survival, with no income or experience to rely on. Rebuilding seems hopeless, but with the help of unexpected allies—including a beguiling, dark-eyed boy who seems to understand her better than anyone—Ruby has to try. When she discovers that the fires also displaced many undocumented people in her town, it becomes even more imperative to help. And if she has to make hard choices along the way, can anyone blame her?

In her powerful debut novel, Mexican American author Hailey Alcaraz chronicles a riveting portrait of transformation, resilience, and love with an unlikely heroine who, when faced with unforeseen disaster, surprises everyone, especially herself.

Review: This book reminds us all that we are imperfect, and we won’t always make the right choices. Ruby’s story is set in a backdrop of the California wildfires. The book includes richly realized themes, and I particularly appreciated the ways in which Author Hailey Alcaraz interrogated the intersections of race and class. I was invested in Ruby’s story and rooting for her from the beginning to end. She is certainly flawed (as we all are), and she felt very real to me. I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it. (The audiobook is excellent!)

Tools for Navigation: Teachers might have students map some of the many themes of this book, considering how they are integrated within the text and the lessons they teach readers.

Discussion Questions: 

  • How would you describe Ruby? What qualities does she have that are positive? What qualities might she work on? What lessons does she learn?
  • How does the setting shape the story? How might the text be different if the setting was different?
  • How are Ashton, Remy, and Charlie different? How does Ruby’s relationship with each help us understand her more?

Flagged Spreads/Passages: She understood that some things required more than sheer willpower. Some things—the important things, the hard things, the things that defined you as a person—required patience and trust and listening, too (p. 370, Advanced Reader Copy, and the quote may change).

Read This If You Love: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Social Justice Stories

Recommended For: 

RickiSig

**Thank you to Aubrey at Penguin Young Readers for providing a copy for an honest review**

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao

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Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American
Author: Laura Gao
Published: March 8, 2022 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads Summary: After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars–at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name.

In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao’s debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.

Ricki’s Review: I read this book last year and immediately knew I wanted to use it in my class. It fit into so many topics that we discuss in class, and it is a powerful memoir. Gao offers a nuanced look at discrimination, specifically against Wuhanese Americans related to COVID-19, and she also offers insight into issues that many immigrants face in the US. I love the book description that she is trying to figure out “why girls make her heart flutter.” Gao’s sexuality is a part of the book, but it isn’t the plot driver. This normalization is important in literature, and I think readers expect that when a character is LGBTQ, it will be the main focus of the text. Instead, Gao’s life—told with a great level of humor, even when topics are tough—is depicted through images and words in a way that will connect with readers.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: It would be interesting to have students depict the themes of this book visually.

Discussion Questions: 

  • What are some of the themes of this text?
  • How does Gao integrate images and words to tell her story?
  • What aspects of this book connected with you?
  • What did you learn about discrimination related to Wuhanese Americans?

Flagged Spreads: 

Recommended For: 

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