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In the Year of the Boar
Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. New York: HarperTrophy/HarperCollins (10 East 53rd St. New York, New York, 10019), 1984, 176 p. ISBN-10 0-06-440175-8, ISBN- 13: 978-0-06-440175-3 (pb) $5.99, (hc) $16.89.
“In the Year of the Dog, 4645, there lived halfway across the world from New York a girl called Sixth Cousin, otherwise known as Bandit” so begins Bette Bao Lord’s autobiographical children’s book, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. In this book, Lord recalls her childhood experiences as a young Chinese girl who emigrates from China to the United States with her parents in 1947. We travel with her on both physical and self realization journeys which respectively end up in Brooklyn, New York and a sense of harmony in being both Chinese and American.
Lord herself immigrated to the United States in 1947 when her father, a British-trained engineer, was sent by the Chinese government to purchase equipment (Wikipedia, 2007). Following the Communist victory in China, Lord and her family decided to stay in the United States (Wikipedia, 2007). The subject of China (ranging from pre-Revolutionary years to 1989) is dominant in all her books. Lord’s novel, Spring Moon, was an international best seller and an American Book Award nominee (for best first novel) (Wikipedia, 2007). Eighth Moon: the True Story of a Young Girl’s Life in Communist China by Sansan as told to Lord is the story of a Chinese girl, Sansan (a relative of Lord’s), who was left behind in Maoist China while her family immigrated to the United States. Lord’s most recent novel, Middle Heart, spans 70 years of Chinese history, ending with the demonstrations at Tiananmen Square in 1989 (Wikipedia, 2007).
In In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Lord expresses a dichotomy between Chinese and American culture through Sixth Cousin’s (who soon names herself Shirley Temple Wong) struggle to learn English and “fit in” with her American classmates. Readers understand Shirley’s fears and excitement of traveling by boat and
later by train to New York City. We feel compassion for her when the other children do not want to play with her because she cannot speak English well enough to participate. As Shirley becomes more aware of American culture, in particular baseball and Jackie Robison (who is in his rookie year), we feel her joy and contentment. Along with Shirley, we make the connection between her challenges as the only Chinese in her school and those of Jackie Robinson, the first African American in Major League Baseball. Shirley begins to realize that she does not need to sacrifice her Chinese heritage to be an American. Ultimately, we experience our own sense and appreciation of self and culture as Shirley becomes conscious that America is built on generations of immigrants.
Other books have been written about the challenges Chinese women and girls face in American society. Jade Snow Wong’s autobiographical novel, Fifth Chinese Daughter tells of her life in a traditional Chinese family in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Fifth Chinese Daughter spans Wong’s life from a young girl expected to perform well in both American and Chinese school and work in the family’s sewing business to a young woman who wants to become independent and go to college. Poignant and honest, Fifth Chinese Daughter is appropriate for adolescent to adult readers and especially appeals to female readers. Amy Tan’s acclaimed novel, The Joy Luck Club could be considered the most well-known book addressing Chinese women and girls in the United States. Tan writes in a semi-autobiographical manner as she tells the story of four mothers and four daughters. The novel spans 40 years and gives insight into each mother’s life which helps their daughters gain a sense of pride and self as Chinese American women. The Joy Luck Club is appropriate for young adult to adult readers, and like Wong’s Fifth Chinese Daughter, it is especially appealing to a female audience.
Though other books have been written about the trials and tribulations of Chinese girls and women in American society, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, is unique in its appropriateness for children and appeal to a wider range of readers. While Shirley experiences many struggles, Lord keeps a balance between sadness and happiness, and keeps the mood light with humor. Not all of Shirley’s experiences at school are exclusive to an immigrant child. She learns how to win over the class bully, resist peer pressure, and budget her time between work, study, and play. Shirley’s interest in baseball and Jackie Robinson not only reflect American popular culture in 1947, but also add the dynamic of baseball. While the tale’s heroine is female, the story’s element of baseball often attracts male readers who are currently participating on Little League teams.
As an elementary school teacher in Hawaii, I’ve read In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson many times throughout the years with my classes. Along with my students, I enjoyed reading about Shirley’s interactions with the people and world around her. My students also found pleasure in learning some Chinese characters. Each of the twelve chapters (named after the twelve months of the year) is accompanied by the month written in Chinese characters. There are several illustrations throughout each chapter that help keep up the students’ interest, yet are few enough to allow them to create their own pictures in their minds as they read the story. The book is reasonably priced at $5.99, however, the binding does not last more than five years in Hawaii’s humidity. My students often had problems with pages falling out of the books.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is a valuable book for elementary and middle school children to read. It depicts Chinese culture and customs, American life, baseball, and a sense of self from the perspective of a character that every reader would like to know. From the Year of the Boar, 1947 to the Year of the Boar, 2007, the story of a young girl who moves halfway across the world to New York captivates readers with every turn of the page and should be a part of every elementary or middle school library’s collection.
Bibliography
1. Lord, Bette Bao. Eighth Moon: The True Story of a Young Girl’s Life in Communist China. New York: Harper & Row, 1964.
2. Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. New York: HarperTrophy, 1984.
3. Lord, Bette Bao. Middle Heart. New York: Random House Value Publishing, 1997.
4. Lord, Bette Bao. Spring Moon. New York: Avon Books, 1981.
5. Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Raleigh, NC: Ivy Books, 1990.
6. Wikipedia. “Bette Bao Lord.” 7 March 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bette_Bao_Lord>.
7. Wong, Jade Snow. Fifth Chinese Daughter. New York: Harper Brothers, 1950.
“In the Year of the Dog, 4645, there lived halfway across the world from New York a girl called Sixth Cousin, otherwise known as Bandit” so begins Bette Bao Lord’s autobiographical children’s book, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. In this book, Lord recalls her childhood experiences as a young Chinese girl who emigrates from China to the United States with her parents in 1947. We travel with her on both physical and self realization journeys which respectively end up in Brooklyn, New York and a sense of harmony in being both Chinese and American.
Lord herself immigrated to the United States in 1947 when her father, a British-trained engineer, was sent by the Chinese government to purchase equipment (Wikipedia, 2007). Following the Communist victory in China, Lord and her family decided to stay in the United States (Wikipedia, 2007). The subject of China (ranging from pre-Revolutionary years to 1989) is dominant in all her books. Lord’s novel, Spring Moon, was an international best seller and an American Book Award nominee (for best first novel) (Wikipedia, 2007). Eighth Moon: the True Story of a Young Girl’s Life in Communist China by Sansan as told to Lord is the story of a Chinese girl, Sansan (a relative of Lord’s), who was left behind in Maoist China while her family immigrated to the United States. Lord’s most recent novel, Middle Heart, spans 70 years of Chinese history, ending with the demonstrations at Tiananmen Square in 1989 (Wikipedia, 2007).
In In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Lord expresses a dichotomy between Chinese and American culture through Sixth Cousin’s (who soon names herself Shirley Temple Wong) struggle to learn English and “fit in” with her American classmates. Readers understand Shirley’s fears and excitement of traveling by boat and
later by train to New York City. We feel compassion for her when the other children do not want to play with her because she cannot speak English well enough to participate. As Shirley becomes more aware of American culture, in particular baseball and Jackie Robison (who is in his rookie year), we feel her joy and contentment. Along with Shirley, we make the connection between her challenges as the only Chinese in her school and those of Jackie Robinson, the first African American in Major League Baseball. Shirley begins to realize that she does not need to sacrifice her Chinese heritage to be an American. Ultimately, we experience our own sense and appreciation of self and culture as Shirley becomes conscious that America is built on generations of immigrants.
Other books have been written about the challenges Chinese women and girls face in American society. Jade Snow Wong’s autobiographical novel, Fifth Chinese Daughter tells of her life in a traditional Chinese family in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Fifth Chinese Daughter spans Wong’s life from a young girl expected to perform well in both American and Chinese school and work in the family’s sewing business to a young woman who wants to become independent and go to college. Poignant and honest, Fifth Chinese Daughter is appropriate for adolescent to adult readers and especially appeals to female readers. Amy Tan’s acclaimed novel, The Joy Luck Club could be considered the most well-known book addressing Chinese women and girls in the United States. Tan writes in a semi-autobiographical manner as she tells the story of four mothers and four daughters. The novel spans 40 years and gives insight into each mother’s life which helps their daughters gain a sense of pride and self as Chinese American women. The Joy Luck Club is appropriate for young adult to adult readers, and like Wong’s Fifth Chinese Daughter, it is especially appealing to a female audience.
Though other books have been written about the trials and tribulations of Chinese girls and women in American society, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, is unique in its appropriateness for children and appeal to a wider range of readers. While Shirley experiences many struggles, Lord keeps a balance between sadness and happiness, and keeps the mood light with humor. Not all of Shirley’s experiences at school are exclusive to an immigrant child. She learns how to win over the class bully, resist peer pressure, and budget her time between work, study, and play. Shirley’s interest in baseball and Jackie Robinson not only reflect American popular culture in 1947, but also add the dynamic of baseball. While the tale’s heroine is female, the story’s element of baseball often attracts male readers who are currently participating on Little League teams.
As an elementary school teacher in Hawaii, I’ve read In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson many times throughout the years with my classes. Along with my students, I enjoyed reading about Shirley’s interactions with the people and world around her. My students also found pleasure in learning some Chinese characters. Each of the twelve chapters (named after the twelve months of the year) is accompanied by the month written in Chinese characters. There are several illustrations throughout each chapter that help keep up the students’ interest, yet are few enough to allow them to create their own pictures in their minds as they read the story. The book is reasonably priced at $5.99, however, the binding does not last more than five years in Hawaii’s humidity. My students often had problems with pages falling out of the books.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is a valuable book for elementary and middle school children to read. It depicts Chinese culture and customs, American life, baseball, and a sense of self from the perspective of a character that every reader would like to know. From the Year of the Boar, 1947 to the Year of the Boar, 2007, the story of a young girl who moves halfway across the world to New York captivates readers with every turn of the page and should be a part of every elementary or middle school library’s collection.
Submitted in April 2007 by Dinah Chao, LIS Student, University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
Bibliography
1. Lord, Bette Bao. Eighth Moon: The True Story of a Young Girl’s Life in Communist China. New York: Harper & Row, 1964.
2. Lord, Bette Bao. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. New York: HarperTrophy, 1984.
3. Lord, Bette Bao. Middle Heart. New York: Random House Value Publishing, 1997.
4. Lord, Bette Bao. Spring Moon. New York: Avon Books, 1981.
5. Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Raleigh, NC: Ivy Books, 1990.
6. Wikipedia. “Bette Bao Lord.” 7 March 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bette_Bao_Lord>.
7. Wong, Jade Snow. Fifth Chinese Daughter. New York: Harper Brothers, 1950.
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