Realistic Fiction
Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up
Reading Level:
Lexile 760, Grades 4 and up
Book Theme:
Moving to a new country, telling the truth, racism
Books with Similar Themes:
A Step from Heaven by An Na, Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep
Bibliographic Information:
Lee, M. G. (1999). F is for fabuloso. New York: Avon Camelot Books.
Plot:
Seventh grader Jin-Ha and her parents have just moved from Korea to the United States and are slowly settling into the American culture. Learning the language and way of life hasn't been easy for them. Jin-Ha's mother refuses to speak English in public after someone is rude to her at the bank, and Jin-Ha has to start translating for her mother wherever they go. Jin-Ha is doing alright at her new school, she's even made some friends, but there's a group of boys that make fun of her and call her racist names. And to make matters worse, she got an F on a math test! When her mother asks her about the grade Jin-Ha lies and says that F is for Fabuloso and is the best grade she could get. Jin-Ha feels terrible about lying and knows she needs to bring up her grade, but her teacher refuses to give her extra help. One day one of the mean boys offers to tutor her, and Jin-Ha accepts, but with some reservation. Is he playing a trick on her, or will he really help her? Will her parents discover her lie?
Review:
F is for Fabuloso is a great story for any tween who has had to bring home a bad grade to their parents and not wanted to disappoint them. It's also a great story for any tween who has just moved to a new culture and is learning its language and customs for the first time. It is also great for any tween who has been teased or bullied because of their ethnicity. The story shows the important role that Jin-Ha's parents play in her life but also the developing role of her friends and her peers around her. Jin-Ha's story is also great for any tween who is interested in Korea culture. The story shares references to life in Korea, Korea food, and some of the Korean language as well. The story also touches on the issue of racism, something many tweens still have to deal with in this day and age. Jin-Ha's story is a great one to share with any tween looking to understand what it's like to live in a new culture and to have empathy for people and cultures that are different!
Notable Tweens:
Jin-Ha- The main character of the story, Jin-Ha and her family have recently moved from Korea and are becoming adjusted to their new home. Jin-Ha is frustrated by her mother's refusing to speak English and becomes worries that she will never learn English or make friends. Jin-Ha wants to please her parents with good grades, but is finding it to be harder than she thought.
Maggie- Jin-Ha's boy-crazy friend, Maggie loves staring at boys and talking about them, and sometimes Jin-Ha and her friend Deanna have a hard time getting Maggie to focus on school work.
Deanna- Jin-Ha's other good friend, Deanna is smart and studious, but also has a big mouth and sometimes accidentally says things that are mean. Despite this Jin-Ha still considers her a good friend.
Grant- One of the boys who bullies Jin-Ha. Grant is a hockey player like his older brother, but really just wants to study math. His father won't hear of it though and wants him to focus on hockey. Grant offers to tutor Jin-Ha, but she is unsure if she can trust him.
No comments:
Post a Comment