Top 5 for Friday - Gong hei fatt choy!

As part of the Libraries celebration for Chinese New Year, I made a very poor attempt at Chinese pronounciation in my Storytime on Monday. I am sure other librarians around Auckland who are doing the same thing are making a much better job of it than I am. What I can do much better is find some books and other library resources with a Chinese theme to recommend to you for the Friday Top 5.

1. The Race for the Chinese Zodiac (Gabrielle Wang). "The Jade Emperor has declared a great race: the first animals to cross the river will win a place in the Chinese zodiac. Thirteen animals line up along the shore. But there are only twelve places to be won. Who will miss out?" I told this story on Monday using animal cutouts on my felt board and getting the children to guess animals and make animal noises (my storytimes aren't all that quiet). We had great fun and we now all know why cats hate rats.


2. Chinese Cinderella (Adeline Yen Mah) The story of a Chinese woman and how she suffered appalling emotional deprivation and rejection by her family as a child growing up in China and Hong Kong. She tells of the consequences in her adult life, above which she rose to make a happy marriage and become a successful doctor in the USA. Falling Leaves is the original book for adults on which Chinese Cinderella is based. One of our most popular teenage autobiographies based on an adult biography that is almost as popular.


3. The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan) Four Chinese mothers, who left their native land behind but not their old customs, and their four American-born daughters tell their stories about living life caught between two cultures. The mothers meet up and form their own club to gossip, play mah-jong and exchange memories. Encompassing two generations and a rich blend of Chinese and American history, the story of four struggling, strong women also reveals their daughter's memories and feelings. Whether you want to read, watch or listen to this story, we have all bases covered at the library (including copies in original Chinese)


4. Tao: On the Road and on the Run in Outlaw China (Aya Goda) Travel deep into the remote western and southern interior of China as protests swirl in the cities and foreigners, especially Japanese, are cloaked with authorities' suspicions. She falls in with the charismati and combative wandering painter Cao, whose work is at the very edge of acceptability as far as the Chinese establishment is concerned. Not a personal recommendation and certainly it doesn't sound like your normal travel story. Which is probably why it appealed to me enough to include in the list.


5. Atlas of China (National Geographic). With more than 300 full-colour maps and illustrations, this essential new atlas dramatically highlights the tremendous changes occurring within China, the world's fast growing economy and most populus place, as well as their global implications. An Atlas can be large and bulky, or small with not enough detail. I like this one because despite only being 128 pages (i.e. you can lift it in one hand) there are huge amounts of detail and information in it. It covers history, demographics, culture and also has information and street maps for the major cities. Because it comes from National Geographic there is a reputable authority behind the information. People from students to tourists would be able to make use of this Atlas.

That's me for this week. Have a fantastic weekend everyone. Zai Jian (Mandarin). Zoi Geen (Cantonese). Ka kite.