I think this is a really good book for your students to read, it teaches many different lessons throughout the book. The book is about a young girl going to school trying to fit in, but she looks different from the rest of her classmates. The girl, Oy, moved to America with her parents from Thailand. The book gives insight about immigrant life to people who haven't experienced it. One of my favorite parts of the book is when she comes clean to her mom about the situation she finds herself in. I think this is a good lesson to teach to your kids, accountability. Honesty also is an important lesson that can be taught from reading this. Towards the end, Oy learns to accept the way she is. I like that she grows into someone who is not ashamed of who they are, Oy is confident and proud. ( )

Narrated by Amy Rubinate. Oy’s family moves to a new neighborhood where at her new school she is teased for being Asian. Most of the kids call her Chinese although she is from Thailand. Oy longs to be part of popular Liliandra’s playground club and make new friends. When the kids see a photograph of Oy attired in her beautiful Thai dancing dress and jewelry, Liliandra says Oy can join the club but only if she brings the dress to school. Oy is torn between her desire to fit in and keeping her dress safe at home. Rubinate reads with a compassionate, gentle tone that’s just right for the book but also makes mean girl Liliandra sound nice. ( )

Oy finds it difficult to fit in at her new school, until some of her classmates see a picture of her Thai dancing dress and offer to invite her into their club if she will bring it to school for them to try on. A gift from Kun Ya in Thailand, the dress is a culturally significant object for Oy and her family, and the idea of it being used for dress up is a horrifying thought for her. The story sympathetically portrays the heartache of not fitting in, and the difficulties faced by children who are in a position to choose between the culture of their family and the culture of their peers. A story of the nature of friendship, Marsden provides the reader with a simple yet pithy seventy pages. This book would be excellent for any public library collection, and may be even more well-received in libraries with immigrant populations. ( )

Touching story about how Olivia has to create a new life for herself in America. I enjoyed the different vocabulary and learning about the special occassions. I would share this story when discussing bullies and what peer pressure is.some bad ones.

The story teaches the struggle of a young girl who is caught between cultures. In her heart Oy respects the customs, traditions, and values of her family and culture yet she wants so much to “belong” in her new country. As Kun Mere teaches “To be alone is hard, Oy. But no friend is better than a cruel one” (p. 65). The book is a quick read for transitional readers. The story extends the awareness and understanding of diversity to young children. It is realistic, believable, and convincingly true to real life and is presented to young children in an unobtrusive way. The point of view helps children empathize with others who are different from them. ( )