Laurence Yep

When Craig Chin's family moves from San Francisco to small-town Concepcion, California, he thinks he'll never fit in. And his father won't stop pushing him to succeed in sports -- a hopeless goal. But his life begins to change when odd old Uncle Quail shows him a secret sea garden. This new entry in the Golden Mountain Chronicles features the same stunning design as the previous books in the series, including Newbery Honor Books Dragonwings and Dragon's Gate. Award-winning author Laurence Yep has written a highly readable historical novel that hints at the complex experience of the children and grandchildren of the Chinese immigrant generation.

Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1970

Sea Glass

Sarah Sammis

Over the summer I read a pair of novels by Laurence Yep: Child of the Owl and Sea Glass. Both deal with the Asian-American experience from the point of view of second generation children. 

Craig Chin was happy living in San Francisco's China town. Now that his family has moved to Conception, California he's having a hard time fitting in. His father thinks sports are the way for him to prove himself to the other kids but he's just not good enough or interested enough. Chin finds an unlikely mentor with Uncle Quail who has a sea shack. 

Although I enjoyed the scenes with Uncle Quail, the scenes between Craig and his father seemed forced. The narrative gets hung up on the endless scenes of Craig failing at yet another athletic endeavor. The heart of the story: Craig's swim lessons at the cove and his awkward truce with the bohemian bully come too late in the novel to make as compelling a story as Child of the Owl.

Sea Glass Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1970

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