bittermelon

__ Bitter Melon __ by Cara Chow ISBN: 978-0-545-38961-7 ©2011 309 pages

Bottom of p. 3-middle of p. 5 where mom makes Frances feel low like always by comparing someone else to her
 * Good sections to read aloud: **

Frances (or Fei Ting – Chinese name) is going to be a senior in high school. Her mom has put immense pressure on her to succeed and live the life that SHE wants (which is for Frances to become a doctor and take care of all their financial and emotional needs). Frances doesn’t want to do what her mother wants, but goes about the motions through her daily life. That is…until she ends up in speech class vs. calculus and doesn’t tell her mother. She finds great rewards by being in speech, but when her mother does find out, everything goes crazy. Follow Frances through this emotional story of a girl who just wants to break free of her mother and culture.
 * Summary: **

YA fiction-- teen issues; multicultural; mothers/daughters; speech; boyfriends

©Jennifer Lang – WDMS - 2012