Author Linda Himelblau guides the reader through Du’s reluctant entry into American life by narrating the story through his perspective. Her carefully constructed account of Du’s intentions and perceptions helps the reader to see the logic to his actions and understand how even his antisocial actions can make sense. She adds further validity to Du’s actions by also developing the characters of his family and community, showing how people can grow and influence one another. Information on Himelbl More...

once again, i was reading this book in search of a multicultural title for next year’s booklist for the library. it’s the story of du who is vietnamese but who has lived in the philippines with his grandmother for all eight years of his life until they can move to the united states to join the rest of his family (he and grandma both had t.b. before). this book covers the first few months of his move and adjustment to life in the u.s. it’s an interesting insight into his thoughts and the mistakes More...

It's about a Vietnamese kid, named Du, who had tuberculosis and went to the Philippines to get better. Afterwards, he moved to America with his grandmother to join his family. In this book, he tries to find out his true identity.

I thought it was pretty good but sometimes I got lost in the narrative, wondering what the character had just done. I felt like there were chunks of text missing. But otherwise, it was really interesting to read about a young Vietnamese boy's transition to life in America.