Only One Year

By Andrea Cheng, Nicole Wong
Paperback: $14.95

Three Chinese American children learn to trust and love one another again after the youngest child returns from a year living in China with extended family.

Description

Sharon can hardly believe the news. Di Di, her two-year-old brother, is being taken to China to spend a year with their grandparents. Why can’t he go to day care or be watched by a babysitter when Mama goes back to work? Sharon wonders. But her parents say it is better for relatives to take care of little children.

After Di Di first leaves, Sharon and her younger sister, Mary, pore over the photographs their grandma sends, trying to keep their little brother fresh in their minds. As the year passes, the girls become involved with school, friends, and hobbies. They think of Di Di less often. Then one day he is home again, and it feels as if a stranger has entered their lives. The children struggle to sort out their mixed emotions but soon discover that the bonds among siblings hold strong.

This reassuring story is a gentle tribute to the enduring love of family, even when it is tested by a difficult choice.

About the Creators

Andrea Cheng

Andrea Cheng was the author of several award-winning and critically acclaimed books for young readers. Her works range from picture books to young adult novels, and her stories often draw on the experiences of her Hungarian relatives or her husband’s Chinese family. Cheng was inspired here by Dave’s heroism, courage, and creative struggle. She taught English as a Second Language at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, and passed away in late 2015.

Nicole Wong

Nicole Wong is a full-time illustrator with a BFA degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her twenty-plus books include Three Lost Seeds: Stories of Becoming; No Monkeys, No Chocolate; and illustrations for Andrea Cheng’s Only One Year, published by Lee & Low Books. She lives in Fall River, Massachusetts, with her husband, daughter, two sleepy cats and two hyperactive dogs. Please visit her on the Web at nicole-wong.com.

Awards

  • Best Children's Books of the Year

    Bank Street College of Education

  • CCBC Choices

    Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

  • Triple Crown Awards Shortlist

    National Christian School Association

Reviews

  • "This novel illuminates a family's love and sibling dynamics and will be embraced by many young readers."

    - School Library Journal
  • "Frequent, homey black-and-white illustrations and back matter such as a pronunciation guide, glossary, and author's note add to the young reader's appreciation of the story."

    - The Horn Book

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620142554
  • Price $14.95
  • Publication Date Sep 15, 2015
  • Trim Size 7 × 5.5 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 104
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781600602528
  • Price $16.95
  • Publication Date Apr 01, 2013
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 104
  • Word Count 9315
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Middle Grade
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Family / Siblings
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Social Themes / Emotions & Feelings
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Family / Alternative Family
  • Themes Asian / Asian American / AAPI, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fiction, Friendship, Grandparents, Home, Immigration, Middle Grade, Mothers, Optimism / Enthusiasm, People In Motion, Realistic Fiction, Self Control / Self Regulation, Siblings, Weather / Seasons / Clothing
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 7 - 10
  • Grade Range Grades 2 - 5
  • Guided Reading P
  • ATOS Book Level 3.3
  • DRA 38
  • Interest Level Grades 2 - 5
  • Lexile Level 620
  • Reading Level Grades 2 - 3
  • SRC 3.2
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

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