Date: 02/27/14

Who Holds the Pen?

Paul Yee
Tamara Smith For Leah Fowler Education 4265

AUTHOR STUDY

Tamara Smith For Leah Fowler Education 4265

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NOTES

Tamara Smith For Leah Fowler Education 4265

Works Consulted
Table of Contents Who is Paul Yee? Reflections Tamaras Reviews Awards Jenkinson, Dave. "Paul Yee," Emergency Librarian, Volume 22:5 (May - June 1995) pp. 61-64 Ko, G., & McKenzie, P. J. (2003). At the Margins of Mainstream? East-Asian-Canadian Fiction for Children and Young Adults. CANADIAN CHILDRENS LITERATURE, 12-34. Yee, P. (1999). Paul Yee. In Paul Yee. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.paulyee.ca/index.php Stories from the Past Stories from the Present History Books Teaching Points/Resources Student/Teacher Reviews Example Activities Works Consulted Notes

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David, Marie C. "A Backward Way of Thanking People: Paul Yee on his Historical Fiction," Canadian Children's Literature, volume 22:3, Issue 83. Jay, J. W. (2003). Writing the Chinese Canadian Diaspora: Multiculturalism and Confucian Values. Power and Identity in Chinese World Order: Festschrift in Honour of Professor Wang Gungwu, 311-30.

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Who is Paul Yee?

Bio Timeline born in Spalding Saskatchewan, Can
ada grew up in Chinatown in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada attended Lord Strathcona Elementary School, Britannia Secondary School attended Cantonese language school as a child but studied Mandarin at university. has limited reading, writing and speaking ability in Cantonese graduated from University of British Columbia with Bachelor's (1978) and Master's Degrees in Canadian History (1983) worked as archivist at City of Vancouver Archives (1979 -1987) and at Archives of Ontario (1988-1991) worked at Ontario Ministry of Citizenship (1991-1997) volunteered at Vancouver Chinese Cultural Center (1974 1987) past hobbies: swimming, jogging, taiko (Japanese drumming) member of Writers Union of Canada (TWUC), Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers ( CANSCAIP) has lived in Toronto, Ontario since 1988

(As written by Paul Yee on his personal website.)

Objective The student will describe characters. Materials Narrative text Choose text within students instructional-independent reading level range. Choose text that features multiple characters. Student sheet (Activity Master C.001.SS1) Pencils Activity Students describe a character using a graphic organizer. 1. Provide each student with a copy of the text and a student sheet. 2. Students read or review the text. 3. Name the main characters in the story. (Each student selects a different character.) 4. Write the name of the selected character on the student sheet. 5. Describe the selected character by reading the prompts and recording answers. 6. Discuss the answers and how the role of the character contributes to the story. 7. Teacher evaluation

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Reflections
Paul Yees work seems primarily concerned with the issues facing immigrants (specifically Chinese) and the troubles associated with fitting into a new culture. There are variations on the theme, tradition vs. modernity, the generation gap, and divisions within subcultures, but the overarching ideas are similar. This is not a negative. Paul Yee can draw the life of a young boy building the Canadian Railroad in the 1800s as clearly as he can the life of a modern teenager discovering his sexuality, and the Chinese Identity provides a consistent theme that ties his works together. His writing style flows easily and every book I read was a quick read which would be beneficial for students experiencing difficulty reading. Most of his characters are engaging, though there is a tendency to slip into two demensionalism is the shorter novels that do not have the support of a multitude of pictures. Paul has called his works A backward way of thanking people, and I think he does so very well, becoming a voice for the generations of Chinese immigrants who helped to build this country.

http://www.fcrr.org/studentactivities/c_001c.pdf

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Tamaras reviews
Blood and Iron
A quick and easy read, the journal format allows for easy access into the protagonists thoughts. His observations about the trials of a Railway worker are direct and sometimes painful, but paint a clear picture of his life. Family conflict and discussed in this book. I found it more two dimensional than some of Yees other works, but a quick read with some wonderfully descriptive text.

The Boy in the Attic

Very simply written, in language appropriate for division one or two, this boos is sweet and simple. The contrast between the two boys in appearance and culture is magnified in the pictures, but shows them united in play.

Ghost Train
The medium of pictures is highly evocative...blurred and ghostly in some and others crisper and more grounded in reality, reds and dark colors, mysterious and threatening. Choon Yi saving the souls of the dead railway workers is a topic that might be better for a mor sophisticated audience than the lower grades, but the importance of family/tradition in new land and how it grounds people is clear..This might also be a book that sheds light on how to deal with loss, as Choon Yi finds a way to find closure and connect with her dead father.

A Song for Ba
So realistic! The paintings are a clear window into the world of the characters, a slice of life in oils., Here the connection between the generations is less conflicted and a spotlight is put on support. The grandfather helps the grandson connect with tradition, who helps his father support the family when his trade begins to become obsolete. It portrays a. dying tradition but one that is strong in this family. This would be a good book to explore the diversity of culture because of the wildly different cultural aspect examined here.

Is your child an aspiring book critic? Whether its a novel from theTwilight series or required school reading, this activity helps him learn a little about his own preconceptions, as he judges a book based on its appearance. All you need is a novel your child may be interested in reading and a little patience. After analyzing the book's front cover, he'll need to put his first impressions aside to discover what the book really has to offer! What You Need: A book your child has not read Paper Pencil Envelope What You Do: Pick a book your child has not read yet, and have him look only at the outside cover (without reading summaries or descriptions). Have him write at least one paragraph about what he thinks the book is about. Encourage him to be in-depth with his predictions and write what he thinks will happen, what he believes the characters will be like, and anything else that comes to his mind when he studies the cover of the book. After hes made his predictions, put away the paragraph he has written in a sealed envelope and keep it until hes finished reading the book. Encourage him to revisit his initial remarks after the book is complete and analyze how his opinions have changed. If the book he read is one that you are also familiar with, you can have a short book club session with him to discuss the entire book as well as his first impression. The first things that come to our mind (the judgments we make when we see something) are usually indicative of our inner opinions and prejudices. Use this time to talk to your child about both of your mental outlooks and judgments. It just may be an enlightening experience for you both! By Melissa Blough http://www.education.com/activity/article/judge-book-cover/

Breakaway
Divisions between Chinese community and generational conflict as well as between Chinese immigrants and rooted Canadians are

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Tamaras reviews cont.

Bamboo
Bamboo--More of a folk tale than a novel/narrative, in this book we have stock characters and a cultural morality play. The.simple drawings make the heavy topic (betrayal, lies, loneliness and faith) more bearable. Once again the importance of family, and justice (reap what you sow) are themes.

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Student/Teacher Reviews Awards

Vancouver Book Award in 1989 for Saltwater City: An Illustrated History of the Chinese in Vancouver Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award (Picture Books) in 1997 for Ghost Train Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature in 1996 for Ghost Train Ruth Schwartz Children's Literature Award in 1991 for Roses Sing on New Snow: A Delicious Tale 1990 Parents Choice Honor for Story Books for Tales from Gold Mountain: Stories of the Chinese in the New World Sheila A. Egoff Children's Book Prize in 1990 for Tales from Gold Mountain: Stories of the Chinese in the New World National Chapter of Canada IODE Book Award in 1989 for Tales from Gold Mountain: Stories of the Chinese in the New World

Goodreads.com

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Megan rated Ghost Train 3 of 5 stars (Teacher) Genre: Picture Book Audience: Grades 3-6 Reading Level: Transitional Curricular Uses: Read-Aloud, Independent Reading Issues: Economic troubles, disabilities, death Illustrations: Dark and mysterious illustrations add to the mood of the book. Beautiful full page pictures. Additional Comments: This is not one of my favorite books, but it does address important issues such as a death in the family, overcoming a disability, and getting through economic hard times. Choon-yi is a very strong person. This book may make students aware of other cultures. I would consider using this book if I felt the need to address certain issues or to discuss cultural aspects of literature.

Lucia Benzor rated A Song for Ba 4 of 5 stars This book actually taught me something about Chinese culture! I can't even describe how different the illustrations look but it is definitely worth looking at. A boy learns confidence, has conflicting thoughts regarding his old country and new country.

Teddy rated Bamboo 5 of 5 stars (Teacher) In a Chinese village, a small farmer, Bamboo meets and falls in love with Ming, a peasant girl. Soon after they are married, Bamboo goes to the New World to make more money. While he is gone, Jin, Ming's sister-in-law makes life miserable for her. Ming goes on anyway and tries to make the best of it. Then Bamboo's ship sinks on the way home and he is said to be dead. There is much more to it and is a delightful story. The pictures are amazing and has a lot of detail. I just question if the story is really that good for very little children. With the adult issues going on. I recommend you read it yourself first and then decide if it's okay for your little ones.

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Student/Teacher Reviews

Stories From The Past

Arrivals (a poem)

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Absynthe rated Money Boy 4 of 5 stars I saw another reviewer say they had trouble with this book because the way the main character thought and spoke didn't seem very realistic. I have to disagree. I think it's actually very realistic considering what the mind of an 18 year old immigrant is like in a new country. I found this book very moving. It painfully and accurately depicts the incredible tension between old world, highly traditional parents who are used to having a dictatorial role in their children's lives and the kids who are being raised surrounded by a completely different culture and are struggling to break free. 18 year olds are daydreamers who want to perceive the world as their oyster where the good guys win and the bad guys get taught a lesson. I remember being that painfully naive. Great book.

On May 15, 2011, the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra premiered an original composition created by Jin Zhang called Voices from Gold Mountain. It was a symphonic tribute to Chinese Canadian pioneers.

Paul Yee was invited to contribute a poem that would help introduce the music. The poem was performed in Chinese and English during the premiere. Mr. Tommy Tao of Vancouver translated the poem from English to Chinese, and also performed it during the musical presentation.

The Secret Keepers

Courtney rated The Bone Collectors Son 4 of 5 stars (Teacher) I read this because I am starting up Literary Circles with my class and wanted to make sure that it fit with my theme of 'immigration.' It was a very easy read (I think it took me less than three hours) but was an interesting storyline that grabbed me from the beginning. I look forward to having my students read this!

After the great earthquake and fire of 1906 destroys most of San Franciscos Chinatown, 15year-old Jackson Leong is haunted by the ghost of his brother as well as the ghost of a mysterious young woman.

Jade in the Coal (2011)

Kyla rated Blood and Iron 5 of 5 stars This book was so interesting! It is about a boy named Lee Heen-gwong who went to work on the dangerous Canadian railway in British Columbia in 1882. He goes through many different kinds of experiences through out his work in Canada. As well as these experiences, Lee has to face his mean, gambling father named Ba, who works with him and calls him "rock-brain". Will Lee survive his work and father? Find out by reading "I am Canada: Blood and Iron-Building the railway" by Paul Yee. I loved this book and how it was written as if Lee himself was writing in his actual journal! I loved all the suspenseful adventures in the book. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the ending. It was boring and didn't wrap up the book at all. Otherwise, I loved the book! I would recommend this book to people who like true, historical stories written in journal style. You will love this book!

Sally Woo is a young wife living in Cumberland, a coal-mining town on Vancouver Island. One day in August 1900, a Cantonese opera troupe arrives, causing Sallys many passions and secrets to rise up and collide.
The time is 1882, and fourteen-yearold Heen-gwong is forced to accompany his father from China to Canada to join a work gang. Heen isn't happy because he doesn't completely trust his father. But as the workers face death and danger amid towering forests, granite mountains, and powerful river currents, Heen and his father learn to appreciate each other in new ways.

Blood and Iron (2010)

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Bamboo (2005)
The illustrations skilfully bridge the traditional and the modern. The vibrantly coloured scenes combine details from old, rural China with other touches, such as the friendly looking mice, that would fit in anywhere. Ming's qualities of perseverance, diligence, and loyalty are rewarded.

Connections
The Joy Luck Club (Paperback) by Amy Tan The Bonesetter's Daughter (Paperback) by Amy Tan The Kite Runner (Paperback) by Khaled Hosseini Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Li Shoplifting from American Apparel (Paperback) by Tao Lin

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A Song for Ba (2004)

Wei Lim's father is a singer in the Chinese opera. He usually plays the general, a role that involves mock fighting, tumbling and swordsmanship as well as singing in a deep bass voice. But in Chinese opera, men used to sing both male and female roles. Wei's beloved grandfather was also a famous star, in China, and he always played a princess or a maiden. And Grandfather has secretly taught Wei Lim how to sing these parts.

Wei loves the spectacle and magic of the opera, but Ba doesn't see any future for opera singing in the New World, where the young Chinese prefer to attend picture shows. Shrinking audiences put the opera company in financial danger. Grandfather has returned to China so he cannot help. Finally Wei comes to the rescue.

Bone Collector's Son

It is 1907 in Vancouver. Fourteen-yearold Bing-wing Chan resents his father, not only because the man gambles away all their money, but also because he now forces Bing to help him in his gruesome job. Ba is the bone collector, the one who digs up skeletons of deceased Chinese so that they can be sent home to China for permanent burial. Sinister things start happening soon after Bing accompanies his father to the graveyard.

Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories (2002)

The characters in these stories are men and women, rich and poor, greedy and good, young and old -- all Chinese immigrants struggling to make new lives for themselves in North America. Yet wherever they go, they are followed by reminders of their home country -- the curse of a friend betrayed, the ghost of a faithful spouse, the spirit of a dead parent.

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Teaching Points
Paul Yee includes on his website a collection of links to teacher resources. They include : Novel Summary Authors Notes Background The Craft of Writing Discussion Questions Activities Further Reading

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Jade Necklace (2002)

In this poignant story, two worldsChina and North America-come together. Inspired by the artifacts in the Yip Sang collection held by the Vancouver Museum, author Paul Yee takes the reader on a magical voyage of love and forgiveness, of bravery and community.

Fly Away (2001)

A short list of the themes of the books would include: High expectations of new homeland Disappointment in new homeland The importance of family Adapting to the new homeland Trying to succeed Impact of racism Different cultural practices Pride in Tradition Generational Conflict Further links for Discussion Questions include Issues facing Immigrants, Inclusion, Racism http://www.scholastic.ca/iamcanada/guide/bloodandiron.htm

Fly Away is set in a gold-mining town up

north, amid mountains and fierce winters. In this town, a man tells a deceiving lie and it is sent to China. In response, an unsuspecting woman travels across the Pacific. She is dismay, but graciously makes the best of her life. Trapped in the wilderness, she looks to the silvery moon for comfort. Then her hopes begin to fade. The man who transmitted the terrible lie finally confesses, but will this help?

Ghost Train (1996)

Left behind in China by her father, who has gone to North America to find work,Choon-yi has made her living by selling her paintings in the market. When her father writes one day and asks her to join him, she joyously sets off, only to discover that he has been killed. Choon-yi sees the giant train engines that her father died for, and she tries to paint them. But it takes a trip on a train and mysterious encounters in the middle of the night to make her art come alive. Ghostly, magical and yet redeeming, this tale is superbly illustrated by Harvey Chan.

Breakaway (1994)

Kwok-ken Wong is a good student and a great soccer player. So even though he comes from a poor farming family that has to struggle to make ends meet, his future should be bright. But in Depression-ridden Vancouver in the 1930s, racism has a strong grip. Can a young Chinese man, no matter how gifted, make a good life for himself?

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Roses Sing on New Snow (1991)

Maylin cooks delicious meals every day in her father's restaurant, but it's her lazy brothers who take all the credit. One day a contest is held to honour the visiting Governor of South China and Maylin's brothers don't hesitate to pass off her cooking as their own. But when neither the brothers nor the Governor himself can replicate Maylin's wonderful dish, they all learn that there's more to the art of good cooking than using the right ingredients.

Tales from Gold Mountain The Curses of Third Uncle (1986)

This collection is based on the tumultuous and brave history of the Chinese immigrants to Canada. Drawing on the real background of the Chinese role in the gold rush, the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the settling of the west coast in the nineteenth century, Yee has created eight original stories that combine the rough-and-tumble adventure of frontier life with the rich folk traditions that these immigrants brought from China.

History Books
Saltwater City: an Illustrated History of the Chinese in Vancouver (2006)

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Stories from the Present

Money Boy

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"...in his well-researched, gorgeously formatted and highly readable Saltwater City, Paul Yee has allowed the Chinese of Vancouver to tell their own stories." --Globe and Mail, January 1989
"...an easy to read and colourful history of eight Canadian Chinatowns...truly a celebration of Chinese achievement and contribution to community throughout the ages. ...one of the first books of its kind, and it's at once a great achievement and a must-have for the library of any historian." --Rice Paper, summer 2006

It's bad enough fitting in as a young Chinese immigrant in a new country. But what happens when your father finds out youre gay and kicks you out of the house? How tough can life be on the street? Ray Liu is about to find out Shu-Li and her classmate Diego face the challenge of taking care of Baxter, a neighbour's dog. The two friends face disaster when Baxter runs away and they have to break the news to its owner, who has gone into the hospital.

Chinatown (2005)

Shu-Li and Diego (2009)

Struggle and Hope: the Chinese in Canada (1996)

"...an excellent book that should be part of every junior high and high school library and multicultural curriculum. It is especially important reading material for each successive generation of young ChineseCanadians who will be dealing with issues of ethnicity and cultural identity."

Shu-Li and Tamara (2008)

--Quill and Quire

Shu-Lis family moved to Canada from China two years ago. They now run a Chinese deli in Vancouvers Commercial Drive area. Her classmate, Tamara, recently moved into the neighborhood. The two girls become good friends, but an ugly rumour threatens their relationship.

Learning to Fly (2008)

Jason Shen, 17, a recent teenage immigrant to Canada, lands in a small town where there are no other Chinese. He has no friends and works part-time at his mothers deli. To cope with his miserable life, Jason smokes pot. But when the police arrest him, Jason must make tough decisions about friendship and responsibility.

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What Happened This Summer (2006)

What Happened This Summer takes us

into the turbulent lives of ChineseCanadian teenagers. We are drawn into their often agonizing struggles to balance their parents' traditional expectations against the pull of today's urban youth culture. The author gives us a vivid snapshot of the tensions which arise from the immigration experience as he explores the profound impact of uprootedness upon the lives of young people.

Teach Me to Fly, Skyfighter and Other Stories (1983)

"...four very well conceived and imaginatively written short stories capture the lived worlds of minority children, in familiar cultural territory. The scene is Strathcona, one of Vancouver's oldest inner city settlements, and adjacent to it, Chinatown... the self image of children is enhanced in that they see themselves and their neighborhoods embodied in an otherwise alien book culture." B.C. Studies, Number 76, Winter 1987-88.

The Lost Spike (2004)

The history of the railroad as told by it Chinese workers. Presented in Kayak...Canadas History for Kids

If Walls Could Talk (2003)

Excerpt: While fixing my house one summer, I hired a contractor named Chen, a small, wiry man and non-stop talker. On learning I was a writer, he leaned in close and told me this tale. I don't know if he was telling the truth or not, but here's his story. Hauntings, racism and the struggle for a livelihood are examined in this story.

The Boy in the Attic (1998)

Seven-year-old Kai-ming Wong moves to North America from China. During his first summer, he is left alone at home while his parents search for work. When he sees a mysterious face in the attic window, he goes to investigate.

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