Just so you know, Jackie Robinson may be in the title of this book, but it's not really about the desegregation of baseball. It's mostly about what it's like to move to a completely foreign country as a child. The main character of this book (whose name is hilarious, but I won't give it away here) is so cute and your heart just goes right out to her. I was especially sympathetic to the parts where she's laughed at because in my brief experience as a stranger in a strange land I was laughed at a whole lot (and I didn't take it as well as the little girl in this book).

This book is more light and charming than some other books that tackle the subject of the immigrant experience. It's pretty much free of violence and racism, focusing instead on the everyday challenges of learning a new language and making new friends while staying true to your roots. ( )

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is a children's novel by Bette Bao Lord and illustrator Marc Simont about a young girl named Shirley Temple Wong who leaves a secure life within her clan in China following World War II and settles in Brooklyn. This heartwarming story is about how Shirley attempts to learn how to fit in her new surrounds while also maintaining her heritage. It is also about how Jackie Robinson, who too overcame diverse obstacles, inspired Shirley to achieve her dreams. ( )

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3.5 ( )

Shirley Temple Wong adapt to a completely new culture and way of doing things, learn English, make friends, create new opportunities for her parents, find her place at school, and fall in love with baseball and the spectacular rookie Jackie Robinson. I would have this book because, it shows diversity and acceptance.