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52nd out of 230 books
—
179 voters
Homesick: My Own Story
This is the twenty-fifth anniversary of Jean Fritz's award-winning account of her life in China, and to honor this story, it is only fitting that it be added to our prestigious line of Puffin Modern Classics. This fictionalized autobiography tells the heartwarming story of a little girl growing up in an unfamiliar place. While other girls her age were enjoying their childh...more
Paperback, Puffin Modern Classics, 176 pages
Published
March 1st 2007
by Puffin
(first published 1982)
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Genre: Autobiography/ Newbery Honor
This is the autobiography of Jean Fritz; who was born to American missionaries in China and raised there until she was 13. This story talks about her time spent in China and her struggles with feeling different, while living there and attending a British school, and the turmoil that was occurring in China at that time.
Setting
The setting of this book is not something that all readers will be familiar with. This is a first-hand account of what it was like living...more
This is the autobiography of Jean Fritz; who was born to American missionaries in China and raised there until she was 13. This story talks about her time spent in China and her struggles with feeling different, while living there and attending a British school, and the turmoil that was occurring in China at that time.
Setting
The setting of this book is not something that all readers will be familiar with. This is a first-hand account of what it was like living...more
PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN ABROAD
Imagine being the only American student in a British school. Then imagine being homesick for a country you never lived in.
In this graceful blend of autobiography and fiction, Jean Fritz provides readers with insight into the maturation of--not only a girl--but also a patriot. Her steadfast private dream is to live in the land of the free.
Set in China during the 1920's while the Communist Revolution is gathering momentum, HOMESICK shares a girl's observations on th...more
Imagine being the only American student in a British school. Then imagine being homesick for a country you never lived in.
In this graceful blend of autobiography and fiction, Jean Fritz provides readers with insight into the maturation of--not only a girl--but also a patriot. Her steadfast private dream is to live in the land of the free.
Set in China during the 1920's while the Communist Revolution is gathering momentum, HOMESICK shares a girl's observations on th...more
While Jean Fritz calls this fiction because of the format, it is her own story of growing up in 1920s China. She attends a British school and finally rebels against having to sing God Save the Queen every morning. Her father helps her find an cleverly easy solution that satisfies her and the establishment. She maintains correspondence with a grandmother she has never met and yearns to set foot in her country of allegiance.
The area Jean's family lives in becomes troubled as the Communists and...more
The area Jean's family lives in becomes troubled as the Communists and...more
"Known for her impeccable research, Fritz writes about subjects she really admires, and she unveils them with such wit...Turn an American historical figure over to her and sparks go off with such glare that there's a celebration worthy of a Fourth of July parade. She is especially fond of the American Revolutionary War period and has written a number of books about the men responsible for the birth of this nation...Yet there was a slight ax to grind with those men. When they wrote the Constituti...more
Homesick is about a ten year old girl who feels like she is living her life somewhere she does not belong, China. Jean tells her story about living in China and always feeling like she belonged in America, even though she really doesnt know what her "home" in Pennsylvania is like, she only has her grandmothers descriptions through letters to help her paint this picture. She's living in a time when less and less foreingers were welcomed into China yet this story is filled with humor and tons of p...more
May 08, 2011
Miz Lizzie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
adoption,
cats,
childrensbooks,
china,
families,
friendship,
history,
memoir,
realistic-fiction,
revolution,
road-trips,
sovereignty,
usa,
war,
writing,
1920s,
newbery-medal
This 1983 Newbery Honor book is a fictionalized autobiography of author Jean Fritz's childhood in China in the 1920s. Born in China to YMCA missionaries, Jean longed with all her heart to be a real American, to meet her grandmother in person and to help her feed the chickens on her farm in Washington, P.A. Even so Jean loves her amah, Lin Nai-Nai, the Yangtse River, and holidays to the Chinese countryside. A headstrong, absurdly (by today's standards) innocent child, Jean chafes at her mother's...more
I believe I read this book as an elementary school student in the 80's. I remember reading and being fascinated by a book about an American girl who spent her childhood in China; I also remember that the book was written by an author known for her other works. For a long time, I thought that I had read a childhood memoir written by Pearl Buck, but I believe this is the book I remember.
Before I reread the book, I'm going to note what I remember:
- the servant carved butter sculptures
- the girl th...more
Before I reread the book, I'm going to note what I remember:
- the servant carved butter sculptures
- the girl th...more
I picked this up to learn more about Jean Fritz, who has authored many historical children's books.
It is a collection of memoirs from an American who lived in China for her first 14 years. Jean gave bold voice to normal feelings of childhood, which made me laugh out loud a few times as I related to her.
Many troubles came to her family during the 1920's in China because of political unrest and revolt. Being of American born parents, chinese called her a "foreign devil." She was so relieved once t...more
It is a collection of memoirs from an American who lived in China for her first 14 years. Jean gave bold voice to normal feelings of childhood, which made me laugh out loud a few times as I related to her.
Many troubles came to her family during the 1920's in China because of political unrest and revolt. Being of American born parents, chinese called her a "foreign devil." She was so relieved once t...more
I read the book Homesick by Jean Fritz
SUMMARY:This book is an autobiography about a girl who grows up in China, with American parents, and her amah. She dreams of going to America, which she write letters to her grandma who lived in Pennsylvania. This book describes her everyday struggles of how to define "home" and "family". She lives in pre-communist Hankow, China. She attends a British school and refuses to sing "god save the queen", but she does whisper quietly the part about America. Later...more
SUMMARY:This book is an autobiography about a girl who grows up in China, with American parents, and her amah. She dreams of going to America, which she write letters to her grandma who lived in Pennsylvania. This book describes her everyday struggles of how to define "home" and "family". She lives in pre-communist Hankow, China. She attends a British school and refuses to sing "god save the queen", but she does whisper quietly the part about America. Later...more
I remember finding this book when I volunteered at the Lebanon Public Library. I could not put it down, and re-read it many times. As an adult, I had a short career as a middle school language arts teacher, and I ended every class by reading to my students. I chose this book for one of my classes, and they were mesmerized. It was a group of children who had trouble paying attention and staying on task, but they could not hear enough of this story. I had moved across the country to take this job,...more
This book was pretty good. I like how all the anecdotes come together into one big theme. Throughout the whole book Jean thought of America as her home meanwhile she lived in China. She thought of China as a downgrade from America and that when she went to America she would love it so much more than China. And while she did like America very much, she learned that China was also her home. I thought this was kind of the theme of the book or why she wanted to tell us her story. But what I believe...more
Jean is a young girl growing up in China but homesick for America, a place she has never been. She vividly describes the world around her by telling about contrasts between American and Chinese customs, sharing about her American and Chinese friends, and giving insights into the changing times of 1920s China. Throughout the story, she realizes her love for China and its people and her longing for America and relatives she has never met. In the midst of trials and turmoil in China, she waits and...more
Homesick is a book based on the life of Jean Fritz, some of the story is fiction and the others are true accounts of her life growing up in China. The main characters in the book are Jean, her parent’s, their servant Lin Nai-Nai, and Jean’s best friend Andrea. The plot of the book is centered around Jean’s childhood in China.
I think that Jean is someone whose life would be of interest to young readers. Growing up in China as US citizen is definitely something that would interest students, and w...more
I think that Jean is someone whose life would be of interest to young readers. Growing up in China as US citizen is definitely something that would interest students, and w...more
Summary:
This is a story about Jean's life where some of the information in the book is true and other information is false. Most of the book is based o Jean's childhood growing up in China with his family.
Critique:
This book is told in a different yet intriguing way, because of the truth and the fiction behind the story. I believe this approach helps keep the reader's attention. This would be a great book for a multicultural lesson within the classroom.
Response:
I thought that Jean did a good job...more
This is a story about Jean's life where some of the information in the book is true and other information is false. Most of the book is based o Jean's childhood growing up in China with his family.
Critique:
This book is told in a different yet intriguing way, because of the truth and the fiction behind the story. I believe this approach helps keep the reader's attention. This would be a great book for a multicultural lesson within the classroom.
Response:
I thought that Jean did a good job...more
Jan 13, 2013
Eden
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-to-buy,
autobiography-biography-memoir
This is a autobiography of Jean Fritz's childhood in China. Some parts of it are fictional, which the author explains why in the beginning.
It's a very interesting autobiography. Jean was American, but born in China and lived there until she was about 13.
She lived in China during a very rough period and she was impatient to get to America. When she finally did leave, she realized that she missed China. I don't think that is a surprise when you consider she was born there.
Although parts of it wer...more
It's a very interesting autobiography. Jean was American, but born in China and lived there until she was about 13.
She lived in China during a very rough period and she was impatient to get to America. When she finally did leave, she realized that she missed China. I don't think that is a surprise when you consider she was born there.
Although parts of it wer...more
One of the stories in our new literature books is an excerpt from this book. I got curious about the rest of Jean Fritz' story so I bought the book.
I enjoyed the book. She's a real real kid, if you know what I mean. She doesn't paint a rosy picture of a perfect childhood. She talks about her life in China, both the joys and tribulations. She describes her uncertainty of her own Americanness--she's never seen the United States--and her battle to be American.
I think I was most disappointed by the...more
I enjoyed the book. She's a real real kid, if you know what I mean. She doesn't paint a rosy picture of a perfect childhood. She talks about her life in China, both the joys and tribulations. She describes her uncertainty of her own Americanness--she's never seen the United States--and her battle to be American.
I think I was most disappointed by the...more
China fiction+auto/biography readers, expats + other transplants, and kids who can read a fictionalized autobiography: This is a charming book about an American girl living with her family in Hankow, China (now part of Wuhan) in the mid-1920s, her identification as an American (amidst the Chinese and other nationalities), and her actual repatriation.
My mom recommended this to me after she saw it in the library. She felt it was too old for my (still young) child but thought adults could enjoy it...more
My mom recommended this to me after she saw it in the library. She felt it was too old for my (still young) child but thought adults could enjoy it...more
This was a pretty good book. Jean Fritz definitely made me feel the way she did in the different moments of her life. I liked how she explained the way she felt on the boat to America. She explained how she felt like the eyes of the boat when she was standing at the front. I also liked how she explained the way she felt about Ian Forbes. Jean Fritz explained him in the worst way possible which made me get the impression that the singing incident wasn't the only time he was mean to her.
My favor...more
My favor...more
I was familiar with Jean Fritz as a children's writer who wrote biographies about America's Founding Fathers. A more patriotric children's author is hard to find. Who she became as an adult makes her memoir about her childhood growing up in China even more fascinating. Her father worked for the YMCA, and he didn't want to leave China, even as the country was falling into chaos as the Nationalists and Communists started to clash. A young child's perspective on what it was like to live at that tim...more
An honest look into the childhood of Jean Fritz, prolific author of American History books for children. Reading this book, one understands why she wrote about the famous people she did. While in China, Her world revolved around the day she would travel across the ocean to Washington, P.A. where her grandmother and family lived. China is not glamorized in this account, nor is her interaction with the people and her feelings associated with the life in this overpopulated country. Her love for Ame...more
Maybe it is the type of lifestyle we lead but this book really resonated with my son (who read it with me). The idea of living in a country that is considered "home" and yet not quite fitting in because it is not truly your home, the struggles that come because of the choices made by your parents, living in an environment that may not like you because of your nationality, and then trying to fit back in at "home" (in the US) which is more foreign than your foreign home - really struck a chord tha...more
There were some oddities about it. But Jean reminded me of me at that age. And people say it's absurd to be this naive. (Okay, I knew about babies, and lots of other things, but that was because I read, not because I experienced.) She wasn't too naive about insulting language, now was she?
I read it because some distant cousins on my dad's side did the same thing about 30 years before the Gutterys. They were from Pennsylvania and everything. I like to read about people who use their lives to do t...more
I read it because some distant cousins on my dad's side did the same thing about 30 years before the Gutterys. They were from Pennsylvania and everything. I like to read about people who use their lives to do t...more
This book was so good! I thought it was really interesting that it was told like a fictional story, but it was a memoir. The author did a good job of making her voice sound like a younger kid, even though she wrote it as an adult. I liked the part when she finally got to America, because it was so descriptive. I also liked when Jean saw her grandmother for the first time, because she said that her grandmother looked exactly as she had always pictured her. This showed how much Jean had missed her...more
Poor Patrick Henry…he had to share my discovery of car sickness all those years ago (I still hate driving through those hills). My poor bookshelf! It still holds the remains of the said book, the very same copy.
Seven. That is the number of instances where my compartment-happy mother tried to do away with that book. In suffering over my pristine Saxon text for that year, it did me comfort to look up to see an old friend, rat-shredded cover splitting a decrepit smile over the title.
Through the b...more
Seven. That is the number of instances where my compartment-happy mother tried to do away with that book. In suffering over my pristine Saxon text for that year, it did me comfort to look up to see an old friend, rat-shredded cover splitting a decrepit smile over the title.
Through the b...more
This book suitable for ages nine through adult, and is very appropriate for unit studies on China in the 1920's. Jean makes the Yangtse River come alive with its coolies hauling water, women washing clothes, swarming houseboats, and junks with eyes painted on their prows. She lets us know how it felt to be a proud American (though one born in China) in a British school, forced to sing "God Save the King" every day. And she gives us her child's eye perspective on the growing turmoil in China, esp...more
Jul 10, 2011
Bridget
added it
The story of Jean Fritz, Homesick: My Own Story tells the story of how Jean Fritz lived in China and only knew of America through her parents’ stories, and letters form relatives still living in America. There are extraordinary personalities evident in this story. Children can learn about Jean Fritz’s life through the storytelling. All events that occur in this story are true of Jean Fritz’s childhood. Children will be drawn into this story with the humor that Fritz uses.
I enjoyed this book because I identified so much with the main character, who spent her first thirteen years living in China. Though the time period makes her experience vastly different from the one I had as a young expat, I saw a lot of me in her. She talks about her strong sense of patriotism, but you can see that she loves China, too, in her way. I also really identified with what she calls her "in-between" feeling on her journey between countries. The part that resonated most, though, was h...more
Jun 01, 2010
Sandra
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Young girls
Recommended to Sandra by:
It was cheap at Big Lots and looked interesting.
Shelves:
young-readers
Rather sweet, sad story about a young American girl born and growing up in China, while her father tried to help the people of China as head of the YMCA. While in China, Jean's mother who has difficulties with pregnancies, loses another daughter in infancy - the impact on Jean is a perspective most of us have never experienced. I enjoyed it and thought my great niece would also enjoy it, so I'll probably ship it to California. Quite short and charming artwork by Margot Tomes.
Another slice of life in 1920s China seen from a "foreign devil" point of view. We truly want to read with our children an early 20th century memoir written by the Chinese themselves, but The Attic or even the fictionalized Joy Luck Club and the like aren't exactly juvenile literature. This had to do, even if about a third of the book was about the author's repatriation to America. The three-page historical background that she herself wrote was however very informative.
This was a biography for young adults that I always saw in the library at work and for years intended to read it. Recently I picked up a used copy at a book swap, and after re-reading "The Good Earth" felt it would be a good time to read about a more modern China. It really is more of a memoir than biography, and only covers the year or so immediately preceding her move back to the US. But it's fascinating to see China of the 1920's through an 8-year-old's eyes.
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Jean Fritz is a children’s author who has a fascination with writing historical fictions. She was born on November 16, 1915, in Hankow, China to missionary parents. After living in China for 13 years, Fritz and her family moved back to the United States. Beginning her career with an English degree, Fritz became an award-winning and respected author. She has received an honor for every book that sh...more
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Dec 29, 2012 05:39pm