One Year In Beijing

One Year in Beijing

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 3-Month by month throughout the year, Ling Ling writes and draws pictures about her activities, giving readers a glimpse of urban life in modern China. The eight-year-old is an only child in a middle-class family, and her world centers around family, school, and holidays. When her relatives come to visit, she and her family take them to the important sights in and around Beijing, and during the summer, they travel to Yellow Mountain for a vacation. The text is written as a child would write in her diary, and Lin's pictures, while more skillful than those that most eight-year-olds draw, retain a childlike look that fits perfectly with the text. The book concludes with additional information about foods, places mentioned in the story, holidays, and traditions. Ling Ling's parents are professionals, and her life in many ways resembles that of children all over the world. She likes Barbie dolls, and she celebrates her birthday with a cake and presents as well as with longevity noodles. In December she notes the Christmas decorations that appear in Beijing, and she and her family attend a Christmas party in a hotel. This fusion of cultures has become a part of her everyday world.-Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA Copyright