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Making Friends with Billy Wong
Key Features Description Azalea is not happy about being dropped off to look after Grandmother Clark. Even if she didn't care that much about meeting the new sixth graders in her Texas hometown, those strangers seem much preferable to the ones in Paris Junction. Talk about troubled Willis DeLoach or gossipy Melinda Bowman. Who needs friends like these? And then there's Billy Wong, a Chinese-American boy who shows up to help in her grandmother's garden. Billy's great-aunt and uncle own the Lucky Foods grocery store, where days are long and some folks aren't friendly. For Azalea, whose family and experiences seem different from most everybody she knows, friendship has never been easy. Maybe this time, it will be. Inspired by the true accounts of Chinese immigrants who lived in the American South during the civil rights era, these side by side stories - one in Azalea's prose, the other in Billy's poetic narrative - create a poignant novel and reminds us that friends can come to us in the most unexpected ways. Azalea is not happy about being dropped off to look after Grandmother Clark. Even if she didn't care that much about meeting the new sixth graders in her Texas hometown, those strangers seem much preferable to the ones in Paris Junction. Talk about troubled Willis DeLoach or gossipy Melinda Bowman. Who needs friends like these? And then there's Billy Wong, a Chinese-American boy who shows up to help in her grandmother's garden. Billy's great-aunt and uncle own the Lucky Foods grocery store, where days are long and some folks aren't friendly. For Azalea, whose family and experiences seem different from most everybody she knows, friendship has never been easy. Maybe this time, it will be. Inspired by the true accounts of Chinese immigrants who lived in the American South during the civil rights era, these side by side stories - one in Azalea's prose, the other in Billy's poetic narrative - create a poignant novel and reminds us that friends can come to us in the most unexpected ways. Product Details Item #: NTS813375 9781338133752 Paperback Book 224 Historical Fiction, Young Adult 3 - 7 Lexile® 640L Guided Reading GR Level V DRA 40 - 50 ACR 4.3 Making Friends with Billy Wong Paperback Book 5.24 Out Of Stock Out Of Stock Email me when back in stock Top {{#if inStock}} {{#if isSubscribe}} {{button.label}} {{else}} {{button.label}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{#if isOutofStock}} {{oosMessage}} {{#if isTSO}}
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{{/if}} {{/if}} {{#if isLearnMore}} {{#if learnMoreUrl}} {{/if}} {{#if learnMorePhone}} Contact Us{{learnMoreNumber}} {{/if}} {{/if}} x What can we help you find? Search PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF USE TM ® & © 2021 Scholastic Inc. All Rights Reserved. if(_satellite) {_satellite.pageBottom();} commonUtil.enableMouseflow(); Key Features Item #: NTS813375 9781338133752 Paperback Book 224 Historical Fiction, Young Adult 3 - 7 Lexile® 640L Guided Reading GR Level V DRA 40 - 50 ACR 4.3
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First published August 30, 2016
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About the author
Augusta Scattergood
5 books125 followersAugusta Scattergood grew up in the Mississippi Delta and left to attend college at the University of North Carolina and library school at Simmons College. But she never really left her home state, even while living in New Jersey.
Her first novel is set in Mississippi during Freedom Summer, 1964. GLORY BE was published in January, 2012, by Scholastic Press. THE WAY TO STAY IN DESTINY, her new middle-grade novel takes place in a little town in Florida named Destiny where Theo has come to live at the Rest Easy Rooming House and Dance Studio. Her third historical middle-grade novel will also be published by Scholastic Press, August 2016. MAKING FRIENDS WITH BILLY WONG is based on a few memories and a lot of research!
Augusta is represented by Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt Agency.
A school librarian for over twenty years, Augusta now lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Her first novel is set in Mississippi during Freedom Summer, 1964. GLORY BE was published in January, 2012, by Scholastic Press. THE WAY TO STAY IN DESTINY, her new middle-grade novel takes place in a little town in Florida named Destiny where Theo has come to live at the Rest Easy Rooming House and Dance Studio. Her third historical middle-grade novel will also be published by Scholastic Press, August 2016. MAKING FRIENDS WITH BILLY WONG is based on a few memories and a lot of research!
Augusta is represented by Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt Agency.
A school librarian for over twenty years, Augusta now lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 18, 2017
Artistic Azalea is shy and not good at making friends, especially with boys. Billy is outgoing, smart, and athletic. Azalea visits her grandma one summer to help her while she recovers from a fall. She discovers that she has more inner strength than she had previously thought, taking on bullies and making new friends. Billy and his family will be of particular interest to readers, as the story of Chinese immigrants to the Mississippi Delta is little known. Highly recommended.
August 28, 2016
It's 1952 and Azalea Ann Morgan, 11, isn't too thrilled about being dropped off at her grandmother's house in Paris Junction, Arkansas. Azalea had big plans to hang out with her best friend Barbara Jean at home in Tyler, Texas and to visit the Grand Canyon with the parents. But Grandma Clark has hurt her foot and needs help with her house and garden, and even though Azalea and her grandmother are virtual strangers to each other, Azalea's mother agreed to let her stay for the summer.
Azalea is a shy girl and dreads talking to strangers, and, of course, Paris Junction is full of strangers. No sooner does Azalea arrive, then she notices a boy in one of the trees in her grandmother's enormous garden. Grandma Clark tells her it's Billy Wong, a Chinese American boy who is staying with his great aunt and uncle, longtime Paris Junction residents and owners of the Lucky Seven grocery. But when her grandmother encourages Azalea to make friends with Billy, she hesitates - she's never met a Chinese person before, and can't imagine how they could understand each other if one speaks Chinese and one speaks English.
It turns out that Billy Wong has no trouble with the English language given that his family has lived in Arkansas for generations. Billy is staying in Paris Junction so that he can attend a better school than the school across the river where is parents live. And Billy is one of three kids besides Azalea who come to help out in Grandmother Clark's garden. Besides him, there is the prissy Melinda Bowman and the town bully and troublemaker Willis DeLoach.
Before she knows it, Azalea is speaking more and more to strangers, and becoming friends with Billy Wong, hanging out and riding their bikes around Paris Junction. Which is how they discover Willis DeLoach's secret. Willis, whose mother is in the hospital, is home alone in at trailer in a pecan grove, taking care of his little sister.
And Willis DeLoach hates Billy Wong. He's already in trouble at the Lucky Seven grocery, and continues to steal bubble gum from them whenever he can. Shortly after discovering Willis and his sister at the trailer, the Lucky Seven is vandalized and everyone immediately jumps to the conclusion that it is the work of Willis. Everyone, except Azalea, who actually knows where Willis was the night of the vandalism.
Though the vandalism of the Lucky Seven stands at the center of this novel, there is a lot going on for Azalea. For one thing, her first night at Grandma Clark's she broke what appeared to the an old, maybe valuable plate and is afraid to tell her grandmother. And what happened between her grandmother and her parents that caused the estrangement between them, so that Azalea was never able to get to know her grandmother, or her now deceased grandfather, before. And finally, what is inside the locked shed in Grandmother Clark's garden, the one she forbade Azalea from going into, and yet why is there light coming from it at night, even when her grandmother is home, snoring in her bed?
Making Friends with Billy Wong is my favorite kind of middle grade novel. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. The story is told mainly from Azalea's first person point of view, an outsider to Paris Junction and someone who can record what she sees with more clarity than perhaps its residents. Interspersed are Billy's first person thoughts, written in poetry or in the style of a journalist (he wants to join the school newspaper), in which he writes about his hopes for his new school and his life, and about dealing with the racial prejudice he experiences on a daily basis in this 1952 segregated south.
I've always liked the way Augusta Scattergood handles her characters, regardless of the role they play in one of her novels. She treats them with respect and in return, they reveal themselves calmly, naturally and unselfconsciously, yet they are not without flaws, The same can be said about her southern settings, a setting in which she is very much at home.
And I really loved that Scattergood gave us a grandmother turned out to be different from the usual array of unknown grandmothers. Grandma Clark welcomes Azalea, treats her with nothing but kindness and turns out to be a pretty unique person in her own right. She's fair and open-minded, so why did Azalea's parents want to get away from her as quickly as possible, and refuse to let her get to know her grandchild for so long? The answer may surprise you, it did Azalea.
I can honestly say I enjoyed reading Making Friends with Billy Wong every bit as much as I enjoyed reading Scattergood's previous two historical fiction works - Glory Be and The Way to Stay in Destiny (my reviews). Like them, this is also a wonderfully well-written, very well researched story about family, friendship, bullies, hate, overcoming personal challenges and learning to not jump to conclusions.
Be sure to read Scattergood's Author's Note to learn more about the little known, but large Chinese population in the south in the 1950s and 1960s and what inspired this novel.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was sent to me by the author
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
Azalea is a shy girl and dreads talking to strangers, and, of course, Paris Junction is full of strangers. No sooner does Azalea arrive, then she notices a boy in one of the trees in her grandmother's enormous garden. Grandma Clark tells her it's Billy Wong, a Chinese American boy who is staying with his great aunt and uncle, longtime Paris Junction residents and owners of the Lucky Seven grocery. But when her grandmother encourages Azalea to make friends with Billy, she hesitates - she's never met a Chinese person before, and can't imagine how they could understand each other if one speaks Chinese and one speaks English.
It turns out that Billy Wong has no trouble with the English language given that his family has lived in Arkansas for generations. Billy is staying in Paris Junction so that he can attend a better school than the school across the river where is parents live. And Billy is one of three kids besides Azalea who come to help out in Grandmother Clark's garden. Besides him, there is the prissy Melinda Bowman and the town bully and troublemaker Willis DeLoach.
Before she knows it, Azalea is speaking more and more to strangers, and becoming friends with Billy Wong, hanging out and riding their bikes around Paris Junction. Which is how they discover Willis DeLoach's secret. Willis, whose mother is in the hospital, is home alone in at trailer in a pecan grove, taking care of his little sister.
And Willis DeLoach hates Billy Wong. He's already in trouble at the Lucky Seven grocery, and continues to steal bubble gum from them whenever he can. Shortly after discovering Willis and his sister at the trailer, the Lucky Seven is vandalized and everyone immediately jumps to the conclusion that it is the work of Willis. Everyone, except Azalea, who actually knows where Willis was the night of the vandalism.
Though the vandalism of the Lucky Seven stands at the center of this novel, there is a lot going on for Azalea. For one thing, her first night at Grandma Clark's she broke what appeared to the an old, maybe valuable plate and is afraid to tell her grandmother. And what happened between her grandmother and her parents that caused the estrangement between them, so that Azalea was never able to get to know her grandmother, or her now deceased grandfather, before. And finally, what is inside the locked shed in Grandmother Clark's garden, the one she forbade Azalea from going into, and yet why is there light coming from it at night, even when her grandmother is home, snoring in her bed?
Making Friends with Billy Wong is my favorite kind of middle grade novel. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. The story is told mainly from Azalea's first person point of view, an outsider to Paris Junction and someone who can record what she sees with more clarity than perhaps its residents. Interspersed are Billy's first person thoughts, written in poetry or in the style of a journalist (he wants to join the school newspaper), in which he writes about his hopes for his new school and his life, and about dealing with the racial prejudice he experiences on a daily basis in this 1952 segregated south.
I've always liked the way Augusta Scattergood handles her characters, regardless of the role they play in one of her novels. She treats them with respect and in return, they reveal themselves calmly, naturally and unselfconsciously, yet they are not without flaws, The same can be said about her southern settings, a setting in which she is very much at home.
And I really loved that Scattergood gave us a grandmother turned out to be different from the usual array of unknown grandmothers. Grandma Clark welcomes Azalea, treats her with nothing but kindness and turns out to be a pretty unique person in her own right. She's fair and open-minded, so why did Azalea's parents want to get away from her as quickly as possible, and refuse to let her get to know her grandchild for so long? The answer may surprise you, it did Azalea.
I can honestly say I enjoyed reading Making Friends with Billy Wong every bit as much as I enjoyed reading Scattergood's previous two historical fiction works - Glory Be and The Way to Stay in Destiny (my reviews). Like them, this is also a wonderfully well-written, very well researched story about family, friendship, bullies, hate, overcoming personal challenges and learning to not jump to conclusions.
Be sure to read Scattergood's Author's Note to learn more about the little known, but large Chinese population in the south in the 1950s and 1960s and what inspired this novel.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was sent to me by the author
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
October 30, 2016
GRL - V
This is a wonderful little book that surprised me. It's a fairly short read so the time commitment is short but the payoff is big. I am absolutely including this as a book club choice.
This is considered historical fiction (taking place during the summer of 1952) but it's not over the top or in your face historical fiction. You could take this story and easy drop it in a modern setting and the reader would be none the wiser. However, there are enough historical elements for readers to learn a little about prejudice against Asian American in the south during the 50's.
Azalea works through her anger about being dropped off in a town with her grandmother she hardly knows. Over the course of the book, Azalea grows as a person and so does her relationship with her grandmother.
The characters are real and endearing. They are easy to get to know and love. You get to journey alongside a very an awkward young girl who is working on building a friendship with someone she never expected would be her friend. It's the way the author builds the characters that you don't even notice how much you care about them until it counts. The characters have depth and one, in particular, is surprising and allows for readers to think about difficult themes such as what makes someone 'bad'. Are they really bad or perhaps is it a result of a situation out of their control? Even the most horrible of characters in the story starts to grow on you in their own way.
The ending creates closure a nice sense of closure for the reader. Overall a very sweet slow moving read that is likely to leave you smiling and feeling good.
This is a wonderful little book that surprised me. It's a fairly short read so the time commitment is short but the payoff is big. I am absolutely including this as a book club choice.
This is considered historical fiction (taking place during the summer of 1952) but it's not over the top or in your face historical fiction. You could take this story and easy drop it in a modern setting and the reader would be none the wiser. However, there are enough historical elements for readers to learn a little about prejudice against Asian American in the south during the 50's.
Azalea works through her anger about being dropped off in a town with her grandmother she hardly knows. Over the course of the book, Azalea grows as a person and so does her relationship with her grandmother.
The characters are real and endearing. They are easy to get to know and love. You get to journey alongside a very an awkward young girl who is working on building a friendship with someone she never expected would be her friend. It's the way the author builds the characters that you don't even notice how much you care about them until it counts. The characters have depth and one, in particular, is surprising and allows for readers to think about difficult themes such as what makes someone 'bad'. Are they really bad or perhaps is it a result of a situation out of their control? Even the most horrible of characters in the story starts to grow on you in their own way.
The ending creates closure a nice sense of closure for the reader. Overall a very sweet slow moving read that is likely to leave you smiling and feeling good.
October 11, 2016
Augusta Scattergood has a knack for nailing the middle grade voice and for really setting the stage in historical fiction. I loved her books Glory Be and The Way to Stay in Destiny, so I was looking forward to reading her newest work Making Friends with Billy Wong.
Like Glory Be, Making Friends with Billy Wong holds a special place in my heart because, like the author, I was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. Although this particular novel is set in Arkansas, I'm sure there was not much difference in what was happening in Mississippi.
Augusta Scattergood has educated me by showing me a side of history that I didn’t realize (when I was coming of age in the late 70s and early 80s)—that the Chinese people in my community had suffered racism just like all the other marginalized groups. This is an important book for young readers, so I hope it gets the widespread distribution that it deserves.
Like Glory Be, Making Friends with Billy Wong holds a special place in my heart because, like the author, I was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. Although this particular novel is set in Arkansas, I'm sure there was not much difference in what was happening in Mississippi.
Augusta Scattergood has educated me by showing me a side of history that I didn’t realize (when I was coming of age in the late 70s and early 80s)—that the Chinese people in my community had suffered racism just like all the other marginalized groups. This is an important book for young readers, so I hope it gets the widespread distribution that it deserves.
August 16, 2016
Boy did I love Billy's voice in this story! While he wasn't the main narrator in this novel, his chapters were my favorite!
June 1, 2016
I absolutely loved this book! The heart of the story is friends come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Give people who are different than you a chance, and you might have more in common than you think! The main character, Azalea, leaves her home in TX to stay with her Grandma and help out for the summer. Reluctantly at first, she becomes friends with a Chinese boy, Billy Wong. Set in Arkansas in the 1950's, this story offers a slice of history and the struggles many faced to fit in and be accepted by those around them.
September 11, 2016
Loved this story by Augusta Scattergood!
Such a unique perspective about life in the South during the 1950's. Loved the prose & poetry chapters told by both the main characters. Although, Azalea's story is the driving force, Billy's poetic chapters were some of my favorites! I ordered five copies for my Civil Rights Book Club! Also, don't skip the author's note - I learned so much about Chinese immigrants from Augusta's research. A must read historical fiction for all middle grade readers. Great for teaching empathy & tolerance! #WeNeedDiverseBooks
Such a unique perspective about life in the South during the 1950's. Loved the prose & poetry chapters told by both the main characters. Although, Azalea's story is the driving force, Billy's poetic chapters were some of my favorites! I ordered five copies for my Civil Rights Book Club! Also, don't skip the author's note - I learned so much about Chinese immigrants from Augusta's research. A must read historical fiction for all middle grade readers. Great for teaching empathy & tolerance! #WeNeedDiverseBooks
April 5, 2020
This is why I have MustRead lists. It's been on my list for the past few years and I finally got to it. It's the story of a girl and her grandmother. It's about making mistakes and reconciliation. It's about friendship. It's a reminder to look deep beneath the surface to understand where others are coming from.
Set in 1953, this historical novel features Azalea as the main protagonist, but Billy Wong's perspective is shown in alternate verse chapters. It's a powerful format that enables readers to learn what it was like to live in an important time in history. The underlying sweetness encourages us to have empathy for those who are different from us.
Set in 1953, this historical novel features Azalea as the main protagonist, but Billy Wong's perspective is shown in alternate verse chapters. It's a powerful format that enables readers to learn what it was like to live in an important time in history. The underlying sweetness encourages us to have empathy for those who are different from us.
June 29, 2016
Thank you, Augusta, for sending me your newest book, an historical fiction story about Azalea and Billy, and a whole lot more. This one reminded me a lot of Glory Be in that it is a story about ordinary children trying to figure out why not everyone is treated the same. Azalea is dropped off at her grandmother's house in Arkansas in order to help her out while her grandmother nurses an injured foot. Azalea is not happy about spending the summer with Grandma Clark, especially after the greeting, "Appreciate you being here, but don't expect coddling. Never coddled your mother. Don't plan to start with you. Which I'm sure Johnny Morgan, that daddy of yours, does." Azalea pines away for her home in Texas, but soon she is immersed in life in Paris Junction. She meets Billy Wong, a boy whose family owns the Chinese grocery store, Lucky Foods. He has a voice of his own through small poems throughout the book. His story is that his school, the Chinese Mission School, closed, and he will be attending the public school in Paris Junction. The town bully, Willis, soon makes his appearance as a good-for-nothing, harassing Billy and his family, stealing items from their grocery store, and getting accused of vandalizing Lucky Foods. Azalea finds out he has a story of his own, of course, but that doesn't change him or Azalea's feelings about him much. Other problems loom over Azalea - the broken plate, the "strangers" in the shed, telling the truth, Melinda and her friends, the relationship between her grandmother and her parents, and missing home. However, lots of things get mended as well, and this leads to a satisfying ending. I love summer stories, stories of days gone by, and stories of childhood filled with ordinary problems against a back drop of history - Scattergood is an expert at all these elements, and this book has them all.
July 25, 2016
This is a story of friendship. It is set in the 1950's where Azalea is dropped off in Paris Junction to spend time with her grandmother, that she barely knows. Azalea is an introvert, so being in a new place, among new people is hard for her.
She begins to become friends with Billy Wong, a Chinese-American. This story offers students a look into the history of the south and the struggles people faced when viewed as "different". At its heart, it teaches students that friendship comes in all sizes, shapes, and colors.
I found myself drawn to the characters in this book. From say-it-like-it-is Grandma Clark's lessons on being open-minded and empathetic (and she reminded me a lot of my own grandmother) to Billy's lonely voice which provided a glimpse into how people can feel when discriminated against. Even the bully Willis pulled at my heartstrings because I could see so many of my students in him.
She begins to become friends with Billy Wong, a Chinese-American. This story offers students a look into the history of the south and the struggles people faced when viewed as "different". At its heart, it teaches students that friendship comes in all sizes, shapes, and colors.
I found myself drawn to the characters in this book. From say-it-like-it-is Grandma Clark's lessons on being open-minded and empathetic (and she reminded me a lot of my own grandmother) to Billy's lonely voice which provided a glimpse into how people can feel when discriminated against. Even the bully Willis pulled at my heartstrings because I could see so many of my students in him.
October 2, 2016
So, I like this book! Rooted in historical truth, the kid in me identifies with Azalea, who is sent to help her grandmother for the summer. All alone, with an old woman she hardly knows, Azalea can only think of how she might have been visiting the Grand Canyon with her parents. Instead, she is tasked with overseeing three other kids who are helping Grandma: a high-falutin' goody two shoes, a juvenile delinquent, and a Chinese boy (does he even speak English?). Fortunately for Azalea, surprises begin to turn up in the most unusual places.
It is a little simplistic at heart, but I think the story is well-suited for elementary students. It deals with doing things we have to do, even when we don't like them; judging people by their ethnicity and appearance; and allowing ourselves to change our minds about other people and our own experiences.
It is a little simplistic at heart, but I think the story is well-suited for elementary students. It deals with doing things we have to do, even when we don't like them; judging people by their ethnicity and appearance; and allowing ourselves to change our minds about other people and our own experiences.
June 6, 2016
Grow up can be a very hard thing even if you have family. But spending time with a relative you hardly know, in a unfamiliar town can be even more challenging.
Azalea spent the summer with her grandmother in Paris Junction, Arkansas learning about life, friendships, and telling the truth. Azalea learns about being careful about jumping to conclusions. She also learns that everyone in a family is different and every family is different.
If you are looking to read a great story about growing up and about history of the south, than this is definitely a book you will want to read.
Azalea spent the summer with her grandmother in Paris Junction, Arkansas learning about life, friendships, and telling the truth. Azalea learns about being careful about jumping to conclusions. She also learns that everyone in a family is different and every family is different.
If you are looking to read a great story about growing up and about history of the south, than this is definitely a book you will want to read.
February 7, 2017
One of the writing blogs I follow is Writer Unboxed. When I find an article by one of their contributors in Writer's Digest, I pay extra attention.
Soon after completing Augusta Scattergood's middle grade novel, MAKING FRIENDS WITH BILLY WONG (Scholastic Press, 2016), I read David Corbett's article "To Change or Not to Change?"(Writer's Digest, January, 2017). Thanks to Corbett, I found a terrific template to review Augusta's book. (Quotes from his article are in bold.)
Every story implicitly asks two simple questions: 1) What happened? and 2) Why? These questions may remain unanswered, but they cannot be escaped...we need to keep in mind what Les Edgerton means when he says every story is about the same thing--trouble--or what Steven James means when he says that stories are not about what happened, they're about what went wrong. (Writer's Digest, pp. 26, 27)
For Azalea Morgan, the protagonist in MAKING FRIENDS, her life goes wrong in the first paragraph:
All it took to send my summer on the road to ruin was a fancy note and a three-cent stamp. The minute that envelope showed up, Mama was packing my suitcase. (p. 1)
The reader quickly discovers the three types of problems which Corbett says characters try to answer:
External challenges: tasks in pursuit of a goal in the physical world.
For Azalea, that means surviving a summer in Arkansas without her best friend and being asked to help a cranky grandmother she doesn't really know.
Internal questions: doubt concerning deep-seated issues such as one's worth, purpose, nature, identity--in which characters are forced to ask, Who am I? What kind of person do I want to be?
Azalea doesn't make friends easily and when she finds out her grandmother expects her to be friends with Billy Wong, the local grocer's grand nephew, Azalea thinks,
Like it or not, I was going to meet more people than I was ever friends with back in Texas. (p. 26)
**********
Would this Billy Wong boy want to talk to me? Did we speak the same language? I wasn't so great at talking to ordinary boys back home--boys who didn't look like they'd just arrived from some faraway country. Mama says I'll get over that talking-to-boys thing. I doubt I'll get over it this summer in Paris Junction, Arkansas. (p. 29)
Interpersonal Relationships: efforts to grow closer to or distance oneself from another character or characters.
In spite of her doubts about being friends with a Chinese boy, Azalea begins to see the ostracism Billy faces. That, along with his friendliness, draws the two together. After they get ice cream at the drug store, Billy asks her if she wants to bike at the creek or hunt turtles.
If I hadn't already talked more than I'd talked in my entire lifetime to a boy, I'd be explaining that no, I will not be exploring a creek. I will be fixing dinner and watering Grandma Clark's garden till the cows come home....Even though it was easy eating ice cream together, I had a hard time picturing being good friends with a boy. Especially one so different.
But today was fun. So I looked right at Billy Wong, and I answered, "Maybe." (p. 64)
In the Writers Digest article David Corbett wrote,
When a protagonist of any kind changes, it's usually because the struggles and conflicts he has faced have forged a different understanding of himself, his abilities and/or his world, including the people in it. (p. 28)
By the mid-point of the book, Azalea is calling Billy her friend. She is also surprising herself by becoming braver than she ever had been in Texas. She discovers hidden truths about Willis, the town bully, as well as about her grandmother. These discoveries spawn new actions.
Despite her fears, towards the end of the book Azalea climbs up her grandmother's tree behind Willis, who has been throwing acorns down on her and Billy. She asks:
"You doing this because you're mad at me? What'd I do?"
"This was my tree till that Chinese boy came. Now every time I climb it, he's around."
When a breeze rustled the tree's leaves, I grabbed hold of a thicker branch and held on. "Ever think about being friends with Billy?" I asked, still not quite believing I was perched in a tree with Willis DeLoach. (p. 173)
With that interaction, the reader knows that Azalea is well on the way to growing and changing.
Like Kirby Larson's LIBERTY, Augusta Scattergood inserted poems from Billy's point of view. Her sparse use of language gets to the heart of how Billy is feeling. This is one of my favorites:
Keeping Notes on Lucky Foods, My Private File
The screen door pushes open.
The bell ting-a-lings.
A white man steps inside, tall, frowning.
Hat pulled close over his forehead.
Eyes darting fast
from Kay's Cookies to Dum Dum suckers,
cash register to cigar boxes.
"Need me some garden fertilizer," he snarls.
"Near the fishing lines," I answer, nicely.
He draws his words out.
"Bologna? Cheese? Bread?"
"Right this way, sir," I say.
I reach into the cool case of cheese and lunch meat.
Weigh a thick wedge of cheddar.
Punch the cash register's round buttons.
Hand the man groceries.
Watch him leave.
He'll go in my stories.
Mixed together with
track meets,
Future Farmers,
Student Council,
dusting soup cans,
pricing crushable cracker boxes.
And new friends.
Property of Billy Wong, Spy (p. 123)
Corbett concludes the article,
Look to your story to determine whether your main characters must change, and the degree of change they will undergo. Change is by no means a requirement--but when the story leads to self-examination, or revolves around a relationship, it is all but inevitable that the action will create the re-evaluation of self that we equate with change. (p.29)
******
Teachers and home school educators: Augusta just posted her classroom discussion guide on her website. You can download it here.
Soon after completing Augusta Scattergood's middle grade novel, MAKING FRIENDS WITH BILLY WONG (Scholastic Press, 2016), I read David Corbett's article "To Change or Not to Change?"(Writer's Digest, January, 2017). Thanks to Corbett, I found a terrific template to review Augusta's book. (Quotes from his article are in bold.)
Every story implicitly asks two simple questions: 1) What happened? and 2) Why? These questions may remain unanswered, but they cannot be escaped...we need to keep in mind what Les Edgerton means when he says every story is about the same thing--trouble--or what Steven James means when he says that stories are not about what happened, they're about what went wrong. (Writer's Digest, pp. 26, 27)
For Azalea Morgan, the protagonist in MAKING FRIENDS, her life goes wrong in the first paragraph:
All it took to send my summer on the road to ruin was a fancy note and a three-cent stamp. The minute that envelope showed up, Mama was packing my suitcase. (p. 1)
The reader quickly discovers the three types of problems which Corbett says characters try to answer:
External challenges: tasks in pursuit of a goal in the physical world.
For Azalea, that means surviving a summer in Arkansas without her best friend and being asked to help a cranky grandmother she doesn't really know.
Internal questions: doubt concerning deep-seated issues such as one's worth, purpose, nature, identity--in which characters are forced to ask, Who am I? What kind of person do I want to be?
Azalea doesn't make friends easily and when she finds out her grandmother expects her to be friends with Billy Wong, the local grocer's grand nephew, Azalea thinks,
Like it or not, I was going to meet more people than I was ever friends with back in Texas. (p. 26)
**********
Would this Billy Wong boy want to talk to me? Did we speak the same language? I wasn't so great at talking to ordinary boys back home--boys who didn't look like they'd just arrived from some faraway country. Mama says I'll get over that talking-to-boys thing. I doubt I'll get over it this summer in Paris Junction, Arkansas. (p. 29)
Interpersonal Relationships: efforts to grow closer to or distance oneself from another character or characters.
In spite of her doubts about being friends with a Chinese boy, Azalea begins to see the ostracism Billy faces. That, along with his friendliness, draws the two together. After they get ice cream at the drug store, Billy asks her if she wants to bike at the creek or hunt turtles.
If I hadn't already talked more than I'd talked in my entire lifetime to a boy, I'd be explaining that no, I will not be exploring a creek. I will be fixing dinner and watering Grandma Clark's garden till the cows come home....Even though it was easy eating ice cream together, I had a hard time picturing being good friends with a boy. Especially one so different.
But today was fun. So I looked right at Billy Wong, and I answered, "Maybe." (p. 64)
In the Writers Digest article David Corbett wrote,
When a protagonist of any kind changes, it's usually because the struggles and conflicts he has faced have forged a different understanding of himself, his abilities and/or his world, including the people in it. (p. 28)
By the mid-point of the book, Azalea is calling Billy her friend. She is also surprising herself by becoming braver than she ever had been in Texas. She discovers hidden truths about Willis, the town bully, as well as about her grandmother. These discoveries spawn new actions.
Despite her fears, towards the end of the book Azalea climbs up her grandmother's tree behind Willis, who has been throwing acorns down on her and Billy. She asks:
"You doing this because you're mad at me? What'd I do?"
"This was my tree till that Chinese boy came. Now every time I climb it, he's around."
When a breeze rustled the tree's leaves, I grabbed hold of a thicker branch and held on. "Ever think about being friends with Billy?" I asked, still not quite believing I was perched in a tree with Willis DeLoach. (p. 173)
With that interaction, the reader knows that Azalea is well on the way to growing and changing.
Like Kirby Larson's LIBERTY, Augusta Scattergood inserted poems from Billy's point of view. Her sparse use of language gets to the heart of how Billy is feeling. This is one of my favorites:
Keeping Notes on Lucky Foods, My Private File
The screen door pushes open.
The bell ting-a-lings.
A white man steps inside, tall, frowning.
Hat pulled close over his forehead.
Eyes darting fast
from Kay's Cookies to Dum Dum suckers,
cash register to cigar boxes.
"Need me some garden fertilizer," he snarls.
"Near the fishing lines," I answer, nicely.
He draws his words out.
"Bologna? Cheese? Bread?"
"Right this way, sir," I say.
I reach into the cool case of cheese and lunch meat.
Weigh a thick wedge of cheddar.
Punch the cash register's round buttons.
Hand the man groceries.
Watch him leave.
He'll go in my stories.
Mixed together with
track meets,
Future Farmers,
Student Council,
dusting soup cans,
pricing crushable cracker boxes.
And new friends.
Property of Billy Wong, Spy (p. 123)
Corbett concludes the article,
Look to your story to determine whether your main characters must change, and the degree of change they will undergo. Change is by no means a requirement--but when the story leads to self-examination, or revolves around a relationship, it is all but inevitable that the action will create the re-evaluation of self that we equate with change. (p.29)
******
Teachers and home school educators: Augusta just posted her classroom discussion guide on her website. You can download it here.
July 3, 2017
Paris Junction, Arkansas, is the last place eleven-year-old Azalea Ann Morgan has ever wanted to be. But when her maternal grandmother needs help, her mother drops her off to help out around the house, and then returns to Texas. It takes time before Azalea can understand her grandmother's ways and figure out how to navigate the ways of the small town. Even while a friendship with Billy Wong whose family owns Lucky Foods Grocery unfolds, Azalea becomes uncertain about whether she can trust Willis DeLoach, another neighbor boy. Azalea's story alternates with Billy's ruminations about the prejudices his family faces, and he has no doubts about Willis's character. But maybe, just maybe, there's more to Willis than meets the eye. Intermediate grade readers will surely gravitate to Azalea and relate to her plight, removed from everything familiar and having a ringside seat to the violence and bigotry that erupted toward the Wongs. While Billy himself tries to keep his anger in check, his written thoughts show that he is becoming concerned about his neighbors' actions even while trying to keep his future goals as an athlete and journalist in mind. I liked how all the youngsters came together to help Mrs. Clark, Azalea's grandmother, with her garden, a possible indicator that the future just might be different and more hopeful since so many different folks came together for a common cause. The story is set in 1952 and describes a part of history with which I was not familiar, having no idea that there were any Chinese grocery stores in some small towns in the South during that time. The author has even included some archival photographs of stores like the Wongs'.
September 9, 2019
2019 bk 287. To the world of juveniles, this is a book about relationships with grandparents, learning about parents, and learning to make friends with new people. To adult readers, this is a book about shyness, anxiety, family angst, the ugliness of segregation as it was imposed on people in the south in the 1950's, and gossips.
In what seems like a blink of an eye, Azalea's plans for the summer are changed when her mother receives a message from her mother that a bad fall has left her unable to do - and that she needs help. Not able to leave a new job, Azalea's mother packs her daughter's suitcase and drives her the five hours to Paris Junction, Arkansas. Azalea learns that she has to garden, cook (she can do some of that already), and make friends with Billy Wong, Melinda Bowman, and Willis. Willis is the town's bad boy, Melinda is the daughter of the town's gossip. Billy Wong is the great nephew of the couple who own the grocery store and in Paris Junction he will be able to go to the more rigorous 'white' school rather than attending the poorly taught 'negro' school on the other side of the river. The prejudice towards Asians is little discussed in southern history, in part because a lot of Asians in the 40's and 50's frequently ran the only grocery stores in town. This book gives another viewpoint of how prejudice is personal in addition to be institutionalized. I found myself drawn to each of the characters, except for 'snooty Malinda". A good addition to any library's historical fiction collection.
In what seems like a blink of an eye, Azalea's plans for the summer are changed when her mother receives a message from her mother that a bad fall has left her unable to do - and that she needs help. Not able to leave a new job, Azalea's mother packs her daughter's suitcase and drives her the five hours to Paris Junction, Arkansas. Azalea learns that she has to garden, cook (she can do some of that already), and make friends with Billy Wong, Melinda Bowman, and Willis. Willis is the town's bad boy, Melinda is the daughter of the town's gossip. Billy Wong is the great nephew of the couple who own the grocery store and in Paris Junction he will be able to go to the more rigorous 'white' school rather than attending the poorly taught 'negro' school on the other side of the river. The prejudice towards Asians is little discussed in southern history, in part because a lot of Asians in the 40's and 50's frequently ran the only grocery stores in town. This book gives another viewpoint of how prejudice is personal in addition to be institutionalized. I found myself drawn to each of the characters, except for 'snooty Malinda". A good addition to any library's historical fiction collection.
April 9, 2017
Friends come in unexpected ways....
I didn't know why so many Chinese people lived here and I sure didn't understand why one school needed to be better than another school or why you couldn't go to whichever school you wanted to. If I paid attention and listened, maybe I'd find out.
- Chapter 6
Azalea doesn't want to spend the summer with her grandmother, who she barely knows. But, her grandmother is injured and needs help, so her parents take her there and leave her for the summer. Azalea doesn't like meeting new people and she doesn't do well with strangers. A bunch of local kids come to the house to help with her grandmother's garden, so she is forced to interact with them. She meets a strange delinquent boy, a nice Chinese boy, and a stuck up girl who wears dresses to help in the garden. But, people are not always what they seem, and friendship comes when you least expect it.
Azalea is a great character who does her best to do the right thing. She comes to town to help her grandmother but ends up finding friends she didn't expect.
The book is inspired by true accounts of Chinese immigrants who lived in the American south during the civil rights era. It is told from two points of view, Azalea's in prose, and Billy's in verse. It's a cute, well-written book that will appeal to boys and girls who enjoy realistic or historical fiction.
I didn't know why so many Chinese people lived here and I sure didn't understand why one school needed to be better than another school or why you couldn't go to whichever school you wanted to. If I paid attention and listened, maybe I'd find out.
- Chapter 6
Azalea doesn't want to spend the summer with her grandmother, who she barely knows. But, her grandmother is injured and needs help, so her parents take her there and leave her for the summer. Azalea doesn't like meeting new people and she doesn't do well with strangers. A bunch of local kids come to the house to help with her grandmother's garden, so she is forced to interact with them. She meets a strange delinquent boy, a nice Chinese boy, and a stuck up girl who wears dresses to help in the garden. But, people are not always what they seem, and friendship comes when you least expect it.
Azalea is a great character who does her best to do the right thing. She comes to town to help her grandmother but ends up finding friends she didn't expect.
The book is inspired by true accounts of Chinese immigrants who lived in the American south during the civil rights era. It is told from two points of view, Azalea's in prose, and Billy's in verse. It's a cute, well-written book that will appeal to boys and girls who enjoy realistic or historical fiction.
December 24, 2017
Eleven-year-old Azalea feels wronged when her mother announces at the beginning of her summer vacation that she will be traveling to Paris Junction, Arkansas. Her grandmother needs help getting around after a major fall, so her mother volunteers Azalea to take care of her. Full of trepidation, Azalea leaves her best friend in Texas and finds a new set of young people in Paris Junction. These children who are about her age are helping her grandmother with her gardening, while she's healing. Azalea finds a true friend amongst a prissy show off girl, a bully named Willis De Loach, and her new friend a Chinese America boy named Billy Wong. He proves friendly, hard working and kind, especially to her grandmother. During her stay she witnesses petty theft in Paris Junction, and vandalism occurs at Billy Wong's family market. This historical fiction story takes place during the civil rights era, where prejudice against Chinese Americans existed, in the small town of Paris Junction. Told in alternating chapters between Azalea's powerful prose and Billy Wongs spare yet insightful poems makes it a gripping read. This friendship story will resonate with tweens, for its honesty and the exciting storytelling of a civil rights struggle. A must read for its relevance today.
September 2, 2016
Yesterday started with a plan, a plan for productivity. The gardens in my newly purchased home are out of control; left to grow with abandon by the previous owners and frankly, not at the top my list until now. Working in them is no easy task. The hot summer temperatures combined with the lack of rain makes the soil (clay) like working in cement. Just as I was about to head out the door promising myself to get, at the very least, the front area completed, torrential rains fell.
The book held in my hand to read during gardening breaks became my afternoon companion. As life would have it, a significant place in the story is a garden. Making Friends with Billy Wong (Scholastic Press, August 30, 2016) written by Augusta Scattergood is a slice of life into our historical past.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
June 6, 2016
Set in 1950's Arkansas, Making Friends with Billy Wong is a sweet story about friendship and overcoming prejudice. Soon-to-be sixth grader Azalea is unceremoniously dropped offed in Arkansas to look after her grandma and help out in her garden. Reluctantly and at the insistence of her grandmother, Azalea becomes friends with Billy, whose family owns the Lucky Foods grocery store. Chinese-American Billy has moved to Paris Junction to attend the "white" school in the fall and faces constant prejudice and racism (including from Azalea, at first). Together, their stories show beginnings of a beautiful friendship and a view into an often forgotten piece of history.
September 22, 2018
I liked this book, but I’m giving it three stars because I know I’m going to have a difficult time getting my students to check it out. It’s a great historical fiction story with a loving and kind message, and it is a 2017-19 PYRCA nominee. I wish it had a book trailer or a way that I could “sell it” to my students. I’ve had it out with my new books for weeks now and not one has been interested. I do think it would make a great class read because there are so many good moments for discussion and dynamic characters. The history and time period can be studied as well.
January 1, 2017
I can always count on Augusta Scattergood for gentle, thought-provoking reads. Each of her books have surprised and delighted me for their interesting and complex characters in unique historical settings. Please make time for Making Friends with Billy Wong and allow Azalea to find a place in your heart. The audiobook, narrated by Kate Simses and Todd Haberkorn was just wonderful. Simses' melodic voice just warms the heart as Azalea finds her way.
October 2, 2017
More like a 4.5 for the slow start, but I loved this book! I appreciate how the "bad" guy was still the bad guy at the end of the book. I think it could really open up discussion with students about how sometimes people act out or pick on people because things aren't going well in their lives. I like how Billy responded to the hurtful things Willis said. I can't wait to talk this book up with my students.
January 2, 2017
Set in the civil rights era South and told from the perspective of Azalea, a White fifth grade girl, and Billy, a Chinese American seventh grader. Liked how her story is in regular prose and his is told in a poetic voice.
Appreciated the research the author did into this time and place in history and I learned a lot.
Appreciated the research the author did into this time and place in history and I learned a lot.
September 24, 2016
I was interested enough in the story to continue reading, but I would have preferred to read a revision with more character development. Really good middle-grade novels don't talk down to the reader, but this one does.
December 31, 2016
Review to follow on the blog.
July 5, 2017
though it was way out of my usual years of reading I enjoyed it.
November 4, 2019
Azalea has been sent to stay with/help out her grandma (who is wheelchair-bound while recovering from an injury) in Arkansas for the summer and she's upset. She's not good with new people and she's never met grandma Clark. Initially she finds her kind of bossy and abrasive. Grandma Clark puts Azalea to work in her garden along with three other children (Billy Wong, Willis DeLoach, and Melinda Bowman) and there are immediately issues. Willis DeLoach is on his way to being a juvenile delinquent after he's caught shop-lifting from the Wong's store, Lucky Foods, and he's mean and ornery toward pretty much everyone (except his little sister). He's constantly saying terrible and racist things to Billy about his being Chinese. Melinda is pretty, but she's also stuck up and gossipy. And Billy, who IS super nice and goes out of his way to be friendly to Azalea, is still a new person, and a boy (can Azalea even have a friend who is a boy?), and she's not sure if him being Chinese is going to matter or not (will they be able to speak the same language?). Azalea tries to stay on her grandma's good side, which means she feels she can't tell her about how Willis and his sister stayed in their garden shed on the night the Wong's grocery store was vandalized. When the police come around asking questions, though, Azalea is going to have to decide on the right thing to do.
This story was influenced by the history of the Chinese-immigrant/American experience in the south during the 1960s/70s, and the discrimination they often faced in their communities. Azalea's friendship with Billy and her relationship with her grandmother are well-developed and are strong points in this historical/realistic book. The audio edition is nicely voiced/read (I liked Azalea's drawl).
This story was influenced by the history of the Chinese-immigrant/American experience in the south during the 1960s/70s, and the discrimination they often faced in their communities. Azalea's friendship with Billy and her relationship with her grandmother are well-developed and are strong points in this historical/realistic book. The audio edition is nicely voiced/read (I liked Azalea's drawl).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2017
Full review can be found at booksmykidsread.wordpress.com.
This novel focuses on Azalea Ann Morgan, a young girl who is sent to live with a grandmother that she barely knows during the summer of 1952. Her grandmother needs some help while she is recuperating from an injury and Azalea has been volunteered for the job. Azalea is very shy and doesn’t like talking to strangers, and more than anything, she misses her best friend back in Texas. Grandmother Clark has a very strong personality and is seen as something of one of the town’s matriarchs, but that doesn’t mean that Azalea likes her right off the bat. Early on, she encourages Azalea to befriend Billy Wong, a young Chinese-American boy living with his great-aunt and uncle and helping them at their grocery store.
Azalea is not comfortable with meeting anyone new, but especially not a “foreigner,” which is how she sees Billy. She fears going to Mr. Wong’s store assuming that she won’t be able to understand anything he says since she doesn’t speak Chinese. Grandma Clark, ever the one to bring people together, finally helps Azalea break down her walls by making her take Billy to ice cream on a scorching hot day.
The reason that Billy is living in in Paris Junction is so that he can go to a better school. According to the author’s note in the back of the book, the Jim Crow laws of segregation in the South also impacted the Chinese immigrant population, which was surprisingly large. In 1927, a Supreme Court case classified Chinese Americans as “colored,” which led to many communities not allowing Chinese students to attend the segregated white schools. for Billy’s character, in his hometown he would have to go to the Negro school, which offered a substandard education. There had been a Chinese Mission school that his older siblings had attended, but it closed down. However, in Paris Junction Billy was allowed to go to the white school. While on the topic of Billy, from time to time, the novel switches to Billy’s voice in the form of his writings. From these small moments, we can see the prejudice from Billy’s eyes which lends additional power to his plight.
I was surprised to learn of the large number of Chinese immigrants that moved to the south as migrant labor and wound up opening neighborhood groceries that served black and white clientele. But as one might imagine, their being in cities that historically had been segregated didn’t always allow for smooth transitions. As Augusta Scattergood alludes to in this book, other students were not happy with the notion of students who were different coming in and excelling on the sports teams and in the classroom. Local businessmen were also not always thrilled with the Chinese grocery stores, especially if they took business away from them. By setting this novel up through the eyes of 11 and 12 year olds, you can really get a sense of what the experience was like.
Scattergood uses her novel to touch on a variety of topics. There is the fear of those that are different. There is also a general anxiety around people and learning how to deal with strangers. Azalea and her grandmother learn how to be a family and how important family bonds are. Finally, there is also the character of Willis DeLoach who has a lot of anger and is incredibly misunderstood, but behind his prejudice is a little bit of jealousy and a lot of burdens bigger than a boy his age should be dealing with. Grandma Clark is the glue trying to put the whole town together.
This middle grade novel has a lot going for it and was a great read. Many kids can empathize with one or more of the characters and see how hard it is to be different. I also think that reading the author’s note and understanding the true history behind this story is important. A great read for kids 8+.
This novel focuses on Azalea Ann Morgan, a young girl who is sent to live with a grandmother that she barely knows during the summer of 1952. Her grandmother needs some help while she is recuperating from an injury and Azalea has been volunteered for the job. Azalea is very shy and doesn’t like talking to strangers, and more than anything, she misses her best friend back in Texas. Grandmother Clark has a very strong personality and is seen as something of one of the town’s matriarchs, but that doesn’t mean that Azalea likes her right off the bat. Early on, she encourages Azalea to befriend Billy Wong, a young Chinese-American boy living with his great-aunt and uncle and helping them at their grocery store.
Azalea is not comfortable with meeting anyone new, but especially not a “foreigner,” which is how she sees Billy. She fears going to Mr. Wong’s store assuming that she won’t be able to understand anything he says since she doesn’t speak Chinese. Grandma Clark, ever the one to bring people together, finally helps Azalea break down her walls by making her take Billy to ice cream on a scorching hot day.
The reason that Billy is living in in Paris Junction is so that he can go to a better school. According to the author’s note in the back of the book, the Jim Crow laws of segregation in the South also impacted the Chinese immigrant population, which was surprisingly large. In 1927, a Supreme Court case classified Chinese Americans as “colored,” which led to many communities not allowing Chinese students to attend the segregated white schools. for Billy’s character, in his hometown he would have to go to the Negro school, which offered a substandard education. There had been a Chinese Mission school that his older siblings had attended, but it closed down. However, in Paris Junction Billy was allowed to go to the white school. While on the topic of Billy, from time to time, the novel switches to Billy’s voice in the form of his writings. From these small moments, we can see the prejudice from Billy’s eyes which lends additional power to his plight.
I was surprised to learn of the large number of Chinese immigrants that moved to the south as migrant labor and wound up opening neighborhood groceries that served black and white clientele. But as one might imagine, their being in cities that historically had been segregated didn’t always allow for smooth transitions. As Augusta Scattergood alludes to in this book, other students were not happy with the notion of students who were different coming in and excelling on the sports teams and in the classroom. Local businessmen were also not always thrilled with the Chinese grocery stores, especially if they took business away from them. By setting this novel up through the eyes of 11 and 12 year olds, you can really get a sense of what the experience was like.
Scattergood uses her novel to touch on a variety of topics. There is the fear of those that are different. There is also a general anxiety around people and learning how to deal with strangers. Azalea and her grandmother learn how to be a family and how important family bonds are. Finally, there is also the character of Willis DeLoach who has a lot of anger and is incredibly misunderstood, but behind his prejudice is a little bit of jealousy and a lot of burdens bigger than a boy his age should be dealing with. Grandma Clark is the glue trying to put the whole town together.
This middle grade novel has a lot going for it and was a great read. Many kids can empathize with one or more of the characters and see how hard it is to be different. I also think that reading the author’s note and understanding the true history behind this story is important. A great read for kids 8+.
September 8, 2017
"Daddy taught me to try to see everybody's true heart before you stare at their clothes or their hair or anything else."
It is 1952 in a small town called Paris Junction, Arkansas. Azalea has been called to this town by her grandmother, who has broken her leg and needs her help. Azalea can not believe that her parents are so willing to send her, considering Azalea has spent very little time with her grandmother over the years. And considering Azalea's mother and father fled Paris Junction the moment they graduated high school.
But here she is ... away from her best friend, Barbara Jean ... staying with a grandmother who isn't exactly the grandma Azalea had in mind. "Appreciate you being here, but don't expect coddling." It seems that along with the household chores like cooking and cleaning that Grandma Clark needs help with, there's also a huge garden in the backyard that needs to be tended. It is in this backyard where Azalea first sets eyes on Billy Wong, waving from the branches of a tree.
Billy has just moved to town, too. He is helping in his family's Lucky Foods grocery and plans to attend the school in the fall. Grandma Clark is sure that Billy would make a good friend for Azalea, but Azalea has never been very good at making friends. And she's almost phobic about talking to people she doesn't know. "... I had a hard time picturing being good friends with a boy. Especially one so different."
Azalea tells a large portion of the story, but now and then, Billy's perspective is heard through his journalistic reports. Reports that discuss the narrow-mindedness and prejudicial thinking of some of the townspeople. "Chinese students not to sit at counter too long. Especially with a white girl." Reports that often feature Willis DeLoach, who taunts Billy, calling him names and making his life miserable. Willis DeLoach, who is in trouble with the law and is a potential thief.
And now Grandma Clark has organized a group of garden helpers. The group includes Melinda Bowman, the prissiest girl ever; Billy Wong, Willis DeLoach and Azalea. "Holy moly mashed potatoes, this could get interesting." How is this group possibly going to work together? Is Azalea's daddy right? Does she need to find the true heart of each of these people before she judges them? Is there more going on than meets the eye? For instance, what's the deal with the shed in Grandma Clark's back yard? Why isn't Azalea supposed to go in there?
Azalea comes a long way in this short story. She finds that she can actually talk to people and make friends with those who are different from her. She forms a tender relationship with her grandmother and helps to start to smooth things over between her parents and Grandma Clark. A great coming of age story.
It is 1952 in a small town called Paris Junction, Arkansas. Azalea has been called to this town by her grandmother, who has broken her leg and needs her help. Azalea can not believe that her parents are so willing to send her, considering Azalea has spent very little time with her grandmother over the years. And considering Azalea's mother and father fled Paris Junction the moment they graduated high school.
But here she is ... away from her best friend, Barbara Jean ... staying with a grandmother who isn't exactly the grandma Azalea had in mind. "Appreciate you being here, but don't expect coddling." It seems that along with the household chores like cooking and cleaning that Grandma Clark needs help with, there's also a huge garden in the backyard that needs to be tended. It is in this backyard where Azalea first sets eyes on Billy Wong, waving from the branches of a tree.
Billy has just moved to town, too. He is helping in his family's Lucky Foods grocery and plans to attend the school in the fall. Grandma Clark is sure that Billy would make a good friend for Azalea, but Azalea has never been very good at making friends. And she's almost phobic about talking to people she doesn't know. "... I had a hard time picturing being good friends with a boy. Especially one so different."
Azalea tells a large portion of the story, but now and then, Billy's perspective is heard through his journalistic reports. Reports that discuss the narrow-mindedness and prejudicial thinking of some of the townspeople. "Chinese students not to sit at counter too long. Especially with a white girl." Reports that often feature Willis DeLoach, who taunts Billy, calling him names and making his life miserable. Willis DeLoach, who is in trouble with the law and is a potential thief.
And now Grandma Clark has organized a group of garden helpers. The group includes Melinda Bowman, the prissiest girl ever; Billy Wong, Willis DeLoach and Azalea. "Holy moly mashed potatoes, this could get interesting." How is this group possibly going to work together? Is Azalea's daddy right? Does she need to find the true heart of each of these people before she judges them? Is there more going on than meets the eye? For instance, what's the deal with the shed in Grandma Clark's back yard? Why isn't Azalea supposed to go in there?
Azalea comes a long way in this short story. She finds that she can actually talk to people and make friends with those who are different from her. She forms a tender relationship with her grandmother and helps to start to smooth things over between her parents and Grandma Clark. A great coming of age story.
October 11, 2016
I am a grandmother and I was recently a teacher, and sometimes a student would share with me that she or he didn't know the grandparents. They lived far away, the family was somehow estranged, and sometimes they had already passed on. It made me very sad because I had wonderful memories of my own grandparents.
In this wonderful book set in the 1950's by Augusta Scattergood, eleven year old Azalea is about to get to know her Grandmother Clark, no matter how much she does not wish to! Azalea tells her story and begins with her grandmother writing Azalea's daughter to ask for help. The grandmother has fallen, and needs someone to do some gardening and housekeeping while she heals. Although we soon learn that there has been an estrangement between Azalea's grandmother and mother, they have stayed somewhat in touch. The story begins with Azalea's resentment at being sent, her counting the days till she can return to her own home and best friend, Barbara Jean. Now, Grandmother Clark even wants her to get to know a young boy who's a little older, Billy Wong, who will also be a garden helper. Azalea doesn't like to talk to new people. She's shy and wonders why in the world she's landed in this awful little town where everyone knows everyone!
Soon the story widens to include Billy Wong's problems, a bully already in the town who isn't nice at all, but has his own problems. There is a terrific thread about the Chinese grocery in town owned by Billy's Great-Uncle and Aunt, and some added information in an afterword about the Chinese groceries prominent in the south during this time. After nearly every chapter, Augusta has added a short written poetic piece by Billy himself, sometimes funny, often poignant, the words of a smart 13 year old young Chinese boy who just wants to learn and go to a good school. Through conflicts and "have-tos", Azalea begins to learn that she can talk to strangers, stick up for friends against harsh words, and finally, finally get to know her grandmother enough to tell some truths that need to be told. For a middle grade book that seems just right for middle graders, the plot is complicated just enough to make the reader want to turn the page, and discover what will happen next. I enjoyed Azalea's voice, and the discovery about her relationship with her grandmother especially.
In this wonderful book set in the 1950's by Augusta Scattergood, eleven year old Azalea is about to get to know her Grandmother Clark, no matter how much she does not wish to! Azalea tells her story and begins with her grandmother writing Azalea's daughter to ask for help. The grandmother has fallen, and needs someone to do some gardening and housekeeping while she heals. Although we soon learn that there has been an estrangement between Azalea's grandmother and mother, they have stayed somewhat in touch. The story begins with Azalea's resentment at being sent, her counting the days till she can return to her own home and best friend, Barbara Jean. Now, Grandmother Clark even wants her to get to know a young boy who's a little older, Billy Wong, who will also be a garden helper. Azalea doesn't like to talk to new people. She's shy and wonders why in the world she's landed in this awful little town where everyone knows everyone!
Soon the story widens to include Billy Wong's problems, a bully already in the town who isn't nice at all, but has his own problems. There is a terrific thread about the Chinese grocery in town owned by Billy's Great-Uncle and Aunt, and some added information in an afterword about the Chinese groceries prominent in the south during this time. After nearly every chapter, Augusta has added a short written poetic piece by Billy himself, sometimes funny, often poignant, the words of a smart 13 year old young Chinese boy who just wants to learn and go to a good school. Through conflicts and "have-tos", Azalea begins to learn that she can talk to strangers, stick up for friends against harsh words, and finally, finally get to know her grandmother enough to tell some truths that need to be told. For a middle grade book that seems just right for middle graders, the plot is complicated just enough to make the reader want to turn the page, and discover what will happen next. I enjoyed Azalea's voice, and the discovery about her relationship with her grandmother especially.
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