Honeysuckle House

Title: Honeysuckle House

Author: Andera Cheng

Genre: Multicultural Fiction

Sarah and Tina are two young Chinese girls at the center of this story. Sarah's best friend, Victoria, moves away suddenly one day leaving Sarah alone and confused. Tina comes to America from Shanghai and feels very alone. Sarah's dad is away on business during the month and is rarely home. Tina's father is in Chicago a lot to try and get his green card. Sarah is tired of being confused with Chinese girls wherever she goes. Tina just wants to fit in and be an "American". This story shows how two unlikely friends create a friendship and a bond that can get through anything.

I really enjoyed this story and would definitely use it in a classroom. It shows diversity, family, and friendship. I can incorporate this by showing different kinds of families and how they interact. Like another book I read, I can have students create portraits of their families and talking about what each member of the family does and how they contribute to the family. We can also discuss different cultures and why they value family and how they respect their elders. This can give a glimpse into different families and what makes them important to each person in the classrom.