Thief+of+Hearts

==//[|Thief of Hearts]// by [|Laurence Yep]==

Synopsis
The story begins with a scene that details the relationship of Stacy, the protagonist, and her mother, Casey, the protagonist of this book's prequel, Child of the Owl. Stacy and her mother do not enjoy a good relationship; it is further strained when her mother makes it clear to her that she must befriend newcomer Hong Ch'un, the daughter of a business associate of her father's. Stacy and Hong Ch'un do not hit it off; to the contrary, they clash immediately and Stacy and Hong Ch'un are reluctant to interact with one another for different reasons: Stacy, because she believes Hong Ch'un is old fashioned and odd, and Hong Ch'un because Stacy is a "t'ung chung", or "half breed". When small personal items begin to disappear from people in Stacy's school, they are found in Hong Ch'un's backpack and she is blamed for their theft. Upon discovering this, Stacy is also faced with the unpleasant realization that her friends at school also think of her as a "half breed". After school Hong Ch'un disappears, and Stacy, her mother, and grandmother go out to find her in Chinatown. Stacy and Hong Ch'un come to an understanding with one another, and come up with an ultimately successful plan to catch the thief.

Response
This book encompasses some really wonderful points about fitting in and dealing with prejudice, both overt and covert. There are also some very valid concerns about the inclusion of culture and the perceptions of different people regarding that culture. These are the main points that make this book a valid point for study in the classroom; it is rare to see such a lucid example of the prejudice faced not only by people of different cultures but also that of biracial students. However, there are major problems in the text that may make it a challenge for students to take seriously as they read: namely, the text was written in 1995 and unfortunately shows its age.

Challenge One: Dated Slang
As I mentioned in the response, the main challenge in utilizing this text in the classroom entails the use of dated slang and weird terminology. Stacy refers to her mother and father as "parental units" at one point; she refers to her friend Karen as "a good scout" at another. It was rather irritating to read through this; it is not authentic at all. Even given that this text was written in 1995, those are not the kinds of words a thirteen-year-old girl would regularly have used even then. More than anything, it sounds as though an adult was trying to imagine how a young girl would sound...the voice is never consistent. This may contribute to problems in the text's credibility for students who read it. http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep Interviews with Laurence Yep where he discusses difficulties in finding books that addressed his cultural identity. http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/tml/support/pdf/msmultilit_4.pdf Demonstrates teaching strategies for sixth grade students studying the work of Laurence Yep and other authors. http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp This web site contains information for teachers on teaching tolerance, including lesson plans and online resources.
 * Suggestions:** While the voice itself is a problem, this aspect can be mitigated by focusing on the really good parts of the text; namely, how the book addresses prejudice and cultural integration. The text delves into this almost immediately, so focusing on this should not be a problem for students. In addition, there is a great deal students could empathize with regarding parent/child tensions.

Information on Laurence Yep
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Yep The Wikipedia entry for Laurence Yep; includes a biography and bibliography. http://www.papertigers.org/interviews/archived_interviews/lyep.html An interview with Laurence Yep.