Title:
Listen, Slowly
Author:
Thanhha Lai
Target Age: 8 and up
Awards: New York Times Book Review Notable
Book and a Publishers Weekly
Best Book of the Year
Publisher Summary: “A
California girl born and raised, Mai can’t wait to spend her vacation at the
beach. Instead, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going
back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War.
Mai’s parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch
daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their
roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be.
Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn’t know the geography, the local
customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a
balance between her two completely different worlds.”
Evaluation:
Listen, Slowly is a profound story
celebrating family, cultural diversity, and friendship. I listened to it via
audio book on Hoopla, a free service through my public library.
Listening to
multi-cultural audio books adds an extra layer to the storytelling. For instance, most of the story takes place
in Viet Nam. There are many words and sentences in Vietnamese. If I were
reading the text, I would have glossed over them. Hearing the language being
spoken though made it much more immersive. The storyteller does an excellent
job changing her voice for the various characters, adding to an already
engaging story.
Lai has created a memorable
cast of characters. Unlike many middle
grade stories, adults—both family and friends—have a vital role. The Viet Nam
setting provides an excellent contrast to the Western world. I enjoyed learning about life there.
There are several motifs
to consider and to discuss.
- Family: The heart of the novel is family—immediate, extended, and cultural. They are so much part of Mai’s life that at times she is longing for her own personal space.
- Teen Crushes: Mai has a huge crush on “him,” a boy she has barely spoken to. At first, she is so consumed with spending the summer at the beach—hopefully, getting to know “him”—that she has a negative attitude about going to Viet Nam for 6 weeks.
- Love: Ba, Mai’s grandmother, is the reason for the trip. Her husband went missing in action during the war. She goes back to her homeland in search of answers. Ba shares stories of their courtship and love.
- War: Growing up, Mai always heard the stories of her parents fleeing during the war, but they did not have any real meaning to her life. Spending time in Viet Nam with Ba and the people in her home village allows her to begin to understand the significance and impact of the war on her family. Some details about the war are relayed, but it is all age-appropriate.
- Life/Death: Ba comes to terms with her husband’s death and learns to let go. She teaches Mai to cherish life and all the moments people tend to take for granted.
- Identity: Mai has always identified with her American culture. During her stay, she gains a connection with her Vietnamese heritage, even learning the language and appreciating the customs.
- Friendship: There is a sharp contrast between her best friend, Montana, in America and the friendships she begins to develop in Viet Nam.
- Cross-Cultural: Riding mopeds through Saigon, washing each others hair monthly to protect from lice, gathering as a community of women to learn how to stitch, taking long naps in the afternoon, learning a new language, and eating big feasts with the entire village are just a few events Mai experiences.
Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:
- Compare and contrast suburban America with modern-day Viet Nam.
- Have a Vietnamese feast.
- Create a PowerPoint of pictures from modern-day Viet Nam.
- Bring in a speaker who lived in Viet Nam to share his/her experiences.
- Research the Viet Nam War.
- Practice some greetings or basic words in Vietnamese.
- Visit LibrisNotes for an excellent discussion of the novel.
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ReplyDeleteI'd love to see more books about children visiting their grandparents in other countries. Definitely gives a unique insider/outsider perspective. If you're interested in the 48 Hour Book Challenge for next year, let me know! http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2016/06/sic-transit-gloria-mundi-48-hour-book.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for the invite on the 48 Hour Challenge. I will look into it.
DeleteI love the title of this book. I don't listen to audio books, but you make such a good point about the lines in Vietnamese, that maybe I will give it a try with this book. Thanks for a very thorough review.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to listen to it on audiobook. I think you will really enjoy it. :)
DeleteI enjoyed this one but tired a little of Mai's... I'll just call it whining throughout most of the story. Thankfully by then end she became more likable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Greg, about her whining at the beginning. I think it is also realistic though. Most American tweens would feel the same way. Heck, I would probably be fussy about the mosquitos and heat. :)
DeleteI didn't like her voice at the beginning either, and I hope that doesn't turn some readers off. Because it definitely got better!
DeleteI've heard so many good things about this book, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I'm drawn in by the cross-cultural issues. I also liked how you gave tie-ins for teaching.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one - so interesting and a little different.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all the MMGM participants that stopped by. I appreciate your comments.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a beautiful book and interesting way to tackle heavy subjects of war, ethnic background, and of course, teenage crushes :) Thanks for sharing #creativekidsculture
ReplyDelete