Laurence Yep ALMA nomination

These are Laurence Yep nomination materials for the 2015 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. In this document you can view Laurence Yep's biography, read about his work, including bibliography, references to translations as well as list of reference material about Mr. Yep.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is an international award for children's and young adult literature. The award was established by the Swedish government in 2002.

It is presented annually to one or more laureates irrespective of language or nationality to writers, illustrators, storytellers or reading promoters.

The aim of the award is to strengthen and increase interest in literature for children and young adult all over the world. Children's rights globally is the foundation of our work.
http://www.alma.se/

1. Laurence Yep
ALMA nomination 2015
USBBY 11/1/13 ALMA Nominating Committee

2. LAURENCE YEP is the critically acclaimed author of over sixty books
for children and young adults, including two Newbery Honor award
winners: Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate.Winner of the Laura Ingalls
Wilder award for his contributions to children‘s literature, Mr. Yep
grew up in San Francisco, CA, USA, where he was born. He
attended Marquette University, graduated from the University of
California at Santa Cruz, and received his PhD from the State
University of New York at Buffalo. He lives in Pacific Grove,
California, USA with his wife, author and editor Joanne Ryder.Learn more about the Author
Laurence Michael Yep‘sillustrious list of published works includes the Newbery Honor
BooksDragonwings and Dragon's Gate. He is a hugely prolific writer, penning such series of
books as Tiger’s Apprentice and, most recently, City Trilogy.He has written numerous
standalone novels and picture books, plus non-fiction on various topics, autobiography, plays,
and retold Chinese and Chinese-American folktales and legends, notably in The Rainbow
People.Learn more about Laurence Yep Books



Two-time Newbery Honor Award winner, Laurence Yep was awarded a
1990 National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and was the 2005
recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for contribution to children‘s
literature. Full honor roll of numerous prestigious Awards is below.

Reviews
Interviews, Biographies & More


“I love writing. I think of
writing as a special way of
seeing."
Laurence Yep

3. BIOGRAPHY

Laurence Yep in brief:
Birthdate: June 14, 1948 (aged 65)
Birthplace: San Francisco, CA, USA
Nationality: Chinese-American
Gender: Male
Education: Ph.D., English literature
Name in Chinese: 葉祥添; in Pinyin: YèXiángtiān;

Laurence Yep was born June 14, 1948, in San Francisco,
California, the son of Yep GimLew (Thomas Gim), a postal clerk
and Franche Lee, a homemaker. His older brother, Thomas
named him after studying a particular saint.
1
Franche Lee, her
family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West
Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father,
Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of
ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a
white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression,
he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American
neighborhood.
2
Growing up in United States in a Chinese home in
a predominantly African-American neighborhood where his
parents operated a small grocery store above which he lived,
Laurence often felt torn and an outsider.

His father worked long hours in their corner grocery store, often
with the help of Laurence and his brother.
3


As a boy, Laurence attended a bilingual parochial school in San
Francisco's Chinatown, even though his family did not speak
Chinese at home.
4
Just like Casey Young, a later character in his
book Child of the Owl, Yep was placed in the lower-level Chinese

1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Yep
2
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/yep.html
3
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep/
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http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep/
Yep on Yep:
“I was born and raised in
an African American
neighborhood of San
Francisco but went to school
in Chinatown so I didn’t
confront white American
culture until high school. So,
as a child, the popular
American novels set in the
white suburbs seemed
preposterous to me. In those
books, every child had a
bicycle and seemed to leave
their front door locked. In
contrast, no one I knew had a
bicycle and everyone had at
least three locks on their
doors.

Instead, I loved science
fiction and fantasy because in
those books, children were
taken from our everyday world
and brought to a place where
they had to learn a strange
new language and customs.
Those books talked about
adapting and that’s something
that I did every time I got on
and off the bus.

As a result of these
experiences, I’ve always been
fascinated by the figure of the
Outsider and have pursued
that figure in both my writing,
teaching and research.

4. class where he was able to pass without learning how to speak
the language.
5


He felt like an outsider at school, thought of himself as a scientist
and expected to become a chemist when he grows up.That
added to his continuous feeling of being out of place, which he
later expressed in many of his books.

When he entered a Catholic high school in San Francisco, CA,
USA he continued his interest in chemistry but became equally
intrigued with writing. There he discovered science fiction and
began his own writing.
6
One day his teacher told him and a couple
of his friends that to get an “A” grade, they had to get a piece of
writing accepted by a national magazine.
7


While his first submission was rejected, he continued to write,
publishing his first story at age 18. He was paid a penny per word
by a science fiction magazine. However, the decision to become a
writer did not come until he entered college at Marquette.

Yep attended Marquette University in 1966, where he met and
became friends with the literary magazine editor, Joanne Ryder.
Couple of years later Laurence has transferred to the University
of Californiaat Santa Cruz, which he graduated in 1970.

The couple continued their friendship, and Joanne introduced him
to children's literature and later asked him to write a book for
children, while she was working at Harper & Row. The result was
his first science fiction novel, Sweetwater, published by Harper &
Row in 1973.
8



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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Yep
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http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a17464/Laurence-Yep/
7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Yep
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Yep
Yep on Yep:
When I was a senior in
high school, I had an English
teacher who said if I wanted to
get an “A” in his course, I
would have to get something
accepted by a national
magazine. He later retracted
the threat when I proved I had
tried by showing him the
rejection letter. But I got bitten
by the bug of writing. When I
But I got bitten by the bug of
writing. When I was 18, I sold
my first story, a tale about a
half-human hero, which was
later selected for an anthology,
World’s Best Science
Fiction of 1969.

I continued to publish
science fiction stories about
Outsiders—either about
alienated heroes or even
stories about aliens told in the
first-person. When an editor
asked me to write a novel for
children, it was natural to write
Sweetwater, about a human
boy who is more comfortable
with aliens than he is with his
own kind.

5. In 1975, Laurence received a doctorate degree in English
literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where
he wrote dissertation on William Faulkner's early novels.
9


By age 28, Yep had not only written a long Ph.D. dissertation on
William Faulkner, he had also won a prestigious Newbery Honor
Award. That award impactedthe course of his career, allowing
him to quit his itinerant teaching jobs to focus on writing.
10

Laurence close friendship with Joanne slowly grew into love and
the couple was married in 1984.
11
They now live in Pacific Grove,
California, where Yep continues to write and teach.
12
He has
taught writing and Asian American Studiesat Foothill College, San
Jose City College, the University of California at Berkeley, and UC
Santa Barbara.
13

As a testament to his popularity and longevity as a writer,
Laurence Yep won a second Newbery Honor Award eighteen
years later in 1994. Yep's greatest challenge may be that he has
more ideas than time. Whether it's a character on the bus,
pelicans on the beach, or an old history book at the library,
Laurence Yep finds inspiration all around him — and then his
imagination does the rest.
14

Many of his books are about young people from multicultural
backgrounds, with characters feeling alienated or not fitting into
their surroundings and environment, something Yep has
struggled with since childhood. Most of his life, he has had the
feeling of being out of place, whether because he was the non-
athlete in his athletic family or because he is Chinese and once
lived in Chinatown but does not speak the language. He says that
writing has helped him in his own search for cultural
identity.
15
Laurence Michael Yep calls to the multicultural aspect of
the young adult literary world. A Chinese-American, Yep writes
realistic fiction, science fiction, and fantasy for children, young
adults, and adults. His concerns are reflected in his many works
by exhibiting viewpoints dealing with cultural alienation and racial
conflict. The characters' use of imagination and the need for
tolerance by others are prevalent themes in his work. These

9
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/laurence-yep
10
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep/
11
http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2010/07/laurence-yep-strategies-for-living/
12
http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12929
13
http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2010/07/laurence-yep-strategies-for-living/
14
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep/
15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Yep
Yep on Yep:
But at the same time that I
had been writing science fiction, I
had been also exploring my own
roots as a Chinese American. In
America in the 1960s, there was
very little material available on
Chinese American history so I
had to do my own research. It
was a bit like searching for
toothpicks scattered about a field
until I had enough to begin
building a house.

With my next novel, I not
only used my historical research
but also the insights I had gained
writing about Outsiders in my
earlier fiction. In Dragonwings,
a 19
th
-century Chinese American
and his son defy custom and
tradition to build their own
airplane. The book has won
numerous awards, including a
Newbery Honor.

The Chinatown that I knew
as a boy was small so everyone
knew one another. The same
thing happened with the
Chinatown that I had created in
my imagination. The characters
from Dragonwings began telling
me stories about their friends and
family and became the Golden
Mountain Chronicles, a series of
9 novels that covers 150 years
and records how America has
changed a Chinese American
family and how they changed
America in turn. Dragon’s Gate,
another novel in the Chronicles,
wasabout the building of the
transcontinental railroad. It later
received my second Newbery
Honor.

6. stories allowed Yep to create a world, a culture that he felt he
was lacking while growing up. Yep feelshis stories have appeal
for teens because the protagonists are often outsiders, a
commonality shared with teens.
16

Several of Yep's books have received numerous awards.
Dragonwingswas named one of the New York Times Outstanding
Books of the Year (1975), a Newbery Medal Honor Book (1976),
a Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book, and a Boston
Globe-Horn Book Honor Book (1976). Child of the Owl was
named one of the School Library Journal's Best Books for Spring
and one of the New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year
(1977). The Rainbow People was named a Boston Globe-Horn
Book Honor book (1989).
17

Laurence once said: “Probably the reason why much of my
writing has found its way to a teenage audience is that I'm
always pursuing the theme of being an outsider — an alien —
and many teenagers feel they're aliens. All of my books have
dealt with the outsider — from the aliens of Sweetwater to
alienated heroes such as the Chinese-American aviator
in Dragonwings”.
18







16
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/yep.html
17
http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a17464/Laurence-Yep/
18
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/laurence-yep
Yep on Yep:
At that same time that I
was researching Chinese
American history, I was also
studying four millennia of
Chinese myth and especially
the folktales. I came to
understand that folktales were
strategies for living, giving the
recipes for health, wealth and
happiness. More than that,
these tales could give
perspective on poverty and
death by setting them within
the grander panorama of life.
So I began re-telling them as
picture books and collections
of tales for which I have
received several awards.

I also began wondering
what would happen if some of
these Chinese gods and
mythic creatures left China to
come to America just as
humans had. Would America
change them just it had my
own my own family and what
impact would these magical
creatures have on America?
I’ve written several chapter
books and three series of
fantasy novels about what I
think these transformations
might be like.”

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Laurence Yep began publishing professionally with ‗‗The Selchey Kids‘‘ in If (1968), and
first novel Sweetwater appeared in 1973. He recently published a conclusion to his City
Trilogy series with a book City of Death (2013). Below is a list of Laurence Yep works
in date order, segregated by main type of work into:
Children‘s Novels
Children‘s Short Fiction
Adult Novels
Adult Short Fiction
Plays
Film scripts
Game designs
Edited work
Articles
Pictorial Bibliography

Children’s Novels
1. Sweetwater. New York: Harper & Row, 1973.
(London, Faber & Faber: 1973)
2. Dragonwings. New York: Harper & Row, 1975;
Wisdom Culture Medium (Republic of China (Taiwan)
Hangilsa (South Korea)
Lanoo (Dutch language)
ShobunSha (Japanese)
龙翼( Chinese)
3. Child of the Owl. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.
猫头鹰的孩子 ( Chinese)
4. Sea Glass. New York: Harper & Row, 1979.
5. Dragon of the Lost Sea. New York: Harper & Row, 1982.
Hayakawa Shobo (Japanese)
6. Kind Hearts and Gentle Monsters. New York: Harper & Row, 1982.
7. The Mark Twain Murders. New York: Four Winds, 1982.
8. Liar, Liar. New York: Morrow, 1983.
9. The Serpent's Children. New York: Harper & Row, 1984.
10. The Tom Sawyer Fires. New York: Morrow, 1984.
11. Dragon Steel. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.
12. Mountain Light. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.
山光 (Chinese)
13. Shadow Lord: A Star Trek Novel No. 22. New York: Pocket Books, 1985.
14. Monster Makers, Inc. New York: Arbor House, 1986.
15. The Curse of the Squirrel. Illus. Dirk Zimmer. New York: Random House, 1987;

8. L'ecureuilEnsorcele. Illus. Dirk Zimmer. Trans. Marie-ClaudFavrecu. Saint-
Lambert: Heritage, 1989.
16. The Rainbow People.Illustrated by David Wiesner. New York: Harper & Row,
1989.
彩虹人(Chinese)
17. Dragon Cauldron. New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
18. The Star Fisher. New York: Morrow, 1991.
19. Tongues of Jade. New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
20. The Lost Garden. Englewood Cliffs: Messner, 1991.
21. Dragon War. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
22. Dragon's Gate. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.
Wisdom Culture Medium (Republic of China (Taiwan)
TokumaShoten (Japan)
NahdetMisr(Arabic)
龙门( Chinese)
23. The Butterfly Boy. Illus. Jeanne M. Lee. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1993.
24. The Man Who Tricked a Ghost. Illustrated byIsadore Seltzer. Mahwah, NJ:
Bridgewater, 1993.
25. The Shell Woman & the King: A Chinese Folktale. Illus. Yang Ming-Yi. New York:
Dial, 1993.
26. The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes. Illus. Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. New York:
Scholastic, 1994.
27. The Ghost Fox. Illus. Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. New York: Scholastic, 1994.
Italian: Mondadori (Italy)
French: Scholastic Canada (French edition)
Spanish: Scholastic Espanol (Spanish edition)
28. The Junior Thunder Lord Illus. Robert Van Nutt. Mahwah, NJ: Bridgewater, 1994.
The Canadian dance troupe, Sun Ergos, performs this story as a dance.
29. Tiger Woman. Illus. Robert Roth. Mahwah, NJ: Bridgewater, 1994.
30. The City of Dragons. Illus. Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. New York: Scholastic,
1995.
31. Later, Gator. New York: Hyperion, 1995.
TokumaShoten (Japan)
32. Thief of Hearts. New York: Harper, 1995.
33. Tree of Dreams: Ten Tales from the Garden of Night. Illus. Isadore Seltzer.
Mahwah, NJ: Bridgewater, 1995.
34. Hiroshima. New York: Scholastic, 1995.
35. Ribbons New York: Putnam, 1996.
36. The Khan’s Daughter. Illus. by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. New York: Scholastic,
1996.
Froebel House Co., Ltd (South Korea)
37. The Dragon Prince. Illustrated by KamMak. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
38. The Case of the Goblin Pearls. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
Mondadori (Italy)
39. The Imp that Ate My Homework. Illustrated by Benrei Huang. New York:
HarperCollins, 1998

9. 40. The Case of the Lion Dance, New York: HarperCollins, 1998.
Mondadori (Italy)
41. The Cook’s Family, New York: Putnam, 1998.
42. The Case of the Firecrackers, New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Mondadori (Italy)
43. The Amah (New York: Putnam, 1999).
44. The Magic Paintbrush. New York: HarperCollins, 2000
45. Dream Soul. New York: HarperCollins, 2000
46. Cockroach Cooties (Bug Boy). Hyperion Book CH, 2000.
47. The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung: A Chinese Miner, California, 1852 (My Name
is America). New York: Scholastic Inc. 2000.
48. Lady of Ch'iaoKuo: Warrior of the South, Southern China, A.D. 531. New York:
Scholastic Inc. 2001.
49. When the Circus Came to Town. New York: HarperCollins, 2001
50. Angelfish (New York: Putnam, 2001).
51. Spring Pearl, Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company, 2002.
52. Skunk Scout. Disney-Hyperion, 2003
53. The Traitor. New York: HarperCollins, 2003
54. Tiger’s Apprentice, New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
AsunaroShobo (Japan)
55. Tiger’s Blood, New York: HarperCollins, 2005.
56. Tiger Magic, New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
57. When the Earth Dragon Wakes, New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
58. The Dragon’s Child, New York: HarperCollins, 2008.
59. Dragon Road, New York: HarperCollins, 2008.
60. Mia, Middleton, WI: American Girl, 2008.
61. Bravo, Mia, Middleton, WI: American Girl, 2008.
62. Auntie Tiger, New York: HarperCollins, 2008.
63. City of Fire, New York: Tom Doherty, 2009.
64. The Star Maker, New York: HarperCollins, 2011.
65. Dragons of Silk, New York: HarperCollins, 2011.
66. City of Ice, New York: Tom Doherty, 2011.
67. City of Death, New York: Tom Doherty, 2013.

Children’s Short Fiction
 ―The Lightwell‖ in Home edited by Michael Rosen (New York: HarperCollins,
1992)
 ―The Great Rat Hunt‖ in When I Was Your Age Vol. I edited by Amy Ehrlich
(Somerville, MA: 1996).

Adult Novels
 Seademons. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.
 Shadow Lord: Star Trek The Original Series Novel No. 22(New York: Pocket
Books, 1985)

10. Adult Short Fiction
 ―The Selchey Kids‖in Worlds of If (Feburary, 1968); subsequently reprinted in
World’s Best Science Fiction of 1969 edited by Donald Wollheim (New York: Ace
Books, 1969)
 ―In a Sky of Daemons,‖ Protostars edited by David Gerrold and Stephen Goldin
(New York: Ballantine, 1971).
 ―The Electric Neon Mermaid,‖ Quark 2 edited by Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn
Hacker (New York: Paperback Books, 1971).
 "My Friend, Klatu," in Signs and Wonders. Roger Elwood, comp. Old Tappan,
NJ: Revell, 1972. also in Visions of Tomorrow. Roger Elwood, ed. New York:
Ace, 1976.
 ―The Looking Glass Sea,‖ Strange Bedfellows edited by Thomas Scortia (New
York: Random House, 1972).
 ―The Eddystone Light,‖ Demon Kind edited by Roger Elwood (New York: Avon,
1973).
 ―Monkey of the Mind,‖ Seattle Review Vol. XI, No. 1 (Spring/Summer, 1988).
 The Chinese Teacher,‖ Zyzzyva (Spring, 2008).

Plays:
 ―In a Sky of Daemons,‖adapted from the story story and performed as part of the
Science Fiction on Stage project of Playwrights Unlimited, The Exploratorium
Theater, San Francisco, California, 1984.
 Pay the Chinaman (one act), first performed by the Asian American Theater
Company, 1987, and subsequently performed in 1991 by the Pan-Asian
Repertory. It was published inBetween Worlds: Contemporary Asian-American
Plays.MishaBerson, ed. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1990,
pp.176-196.
 Fairy Bones (one act), first performed by the Asian American Theater Company,
1987, subsequently performed in 1991 by the Pan-Asian Repertory.
 Dragonwings, first performed by Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 1991; subsequently
performed at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, 1992. The play was
published by Dramatists Play Service in New Yorkin 1993.

Film scripts:
 Dragonwings, 2008

Game Design:
 Alice in Wonderland (Spinnaker, 1985).

Edited Works:
 American Dragons: Twenty-Five Asian American Voices. New York:
HarperCollins, 1993.

11. Articles:
 "Writing Dragonwings." Reading Teacher. Vol. 30, No. 4 (January 1977): 359-
363.
 "Fantasy and Reality." Horn Book Vol. 54 (April 1978): 136.
 "Attack of the Giant Teenage Space Dogs: Notes of a Science Fiction Film Fan."
Top of the News. Vol. 39, No.1 (Fall 1982): 92-94.
 "The Green Cord." Horn Book.Vol 65 (May-June 1989): 318-22.
 "A Cord to the Past." CMLEA. Vol. 15 (Fall 1991): 8-10.
 "A Garden of Dragons." The ALAN Review. Vol. 19, No. 3 (Spring 1992): 6-8.
 ―Laura Ingalls Wilder acceptance speech.‖ Horn Book, 2005.

Pictorial Bibliography
Laurence Michael Yep calls to the multicultural aspect of the young adult literary world. A
Chinese-American, Yep writes realistic fiction, science fiction, and fantasy for children,
young adults, and adults. His concerns are reflected in his many works by exhibiting
viewpoints dealing with cultural alienation and racial conflict. The characters' use of
imagination and the need for tolerance by others are prevalent themes in his work. These
stories allowed Yep to create a world, a culture which he felt he was lacking while growing
up. Yep feelshis stories have appeal for teens because the protagonists are often outsiders,
a commonality shared with teens.
19




19
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/yep.html
Sweetwater
•Published in
1973 (reprinted
in 2004)
Dragonwings
•Published in
1975
Child of the Owl
•Published in
1977
Seademons
•Published in
1977
Sea Glass
•Published in
1979

12. Kind Hearts &
Gentle Monsters
•Published in
1982
Dragon of the
Lost Sea
•Published in
1982
The Mark Twain
Murders
•Published in
1982
Liar, Liar
•Published in
1983
The Tom Sawyer
Fires
•Published in
1984
The Serpent’s
Children
•Published in
1984
Dragon Steel
•Published in
1985
Mountain Light
•Published in
1985
Shadow Lord: A
Star Trek Novel
•Published in
1985
Monster
Makers, Inc.
•Published in
1986
The Curse of the
Squirrel
•Published in
1987
The Rainbow
People
•Published in
1989
Dragon Cauldron
•Published in
1991
The Star Fisher
•Published in
1991
Tongues of Jade
•Published in
1991

13. The Lost Garden
•Published in
1991
Dragon War
•Published in
1992
Dragon Gate
•Published in
1993
The Butterfly Boy
•Published in
1993
The Man Who
Tricked a Ghost
•Published in
1993
American
Dragons: Twenty-
Five Asian
American Voices
•Published in
1993
The Shell Woman
& the King: A
Chinese Folktale
•Published in
1993
The Boy Who
Swallowed
Snakes
•Published in
1994
The Ghost Fox
•Published in
1994
The Junior
Thunder Lord
•Published in
1994
Tiger Woman
•Published in
1994
The City of
Dragons
•Published in
1995
Later, Gator
•Published in
1995
Thief of Hearts
•Published in
1995
Tree of Dreams:
Ten Tales from
the Garden of
Night
•Published in
1995

14. Hiroshima
•Published in
1995
Ribbons
•Published in
1996
The Khan’s
Daughter
•Published in
1996
The Dragon
Prince
•Published in
1997
The Case of the
Goblin Pearls
•Published in
1997
The Imp that ate
my homework
•Published in
1998
The Case of the
Lion Dance
•Published in
1998
The Cook’s
Family
•Published in
1998
The case of the
firecrackers
•Published in
1999
The Amah
•Published in
1999
The Magic
Paintbrush
•Published in
2000
Dream Soul
•Published in
2000
Cockroach
Cooties (Bug
Boy)
•Published in
2000
The Journal of
Wong Ming-Chung:
A Chinese
Miner, California, 1
852
•Published in
2000
Lady of Ch'iao Kuo:
Warrior of the
South, Southern
China, A.D. 531
•Published in
2001

15. When the Circus
Came to Town
•Published in
2001
Angelfish
•Published in
2001
Spring Pearl
•Published in
2002
Skunk Scout
•Published in
2003
The Traitor
•Published in
2003
The Tiger’s
Apprentice
•Published in
2003
Tiger's Blood
•Published in
2005
Tiger Magic
•Published in
2006
The Earth Dragon
Awakes
•Published in
2006
The Dragon's
Child
•Published in
2008
Auntie Tiger
•Published in
2008
Dragon Road
•Published in
2008
Mia
•Published in
2008
Bravo, Mia
•Published in
2008

16. City of Fire
•Published in
2009
The Star Maker
•Published in
2011
Dragons of Silk
•Published in
2011
City of Ice
•Published in
2011
City of Death
•Published in
2013

17. AWARDS





1975: Doctorate degree
from State University of
New York
1990: National
Endowment for the Arts
fellowship
2005: LAURA INGALLS
WILDER AWARD
The Star Maker
•2010 Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars
•2012 Choices; Cooperative Children's Book Center
Auntie Tiger
•2009 Children's Catalog Supplement to Nineteenth Edition; H. W.
Wilson Company, USA
The Dragon’s Child
•2008 NY Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading & Sharing"
•2009 CCBC Choices Winner
•2009 Bank Street College of Education Best Childrens Books of the
Year Winner
•2009 West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award Nominee
•2009 Northern California Book Award, Nominee Children's Literature

18. The Earth Dragon Awakes
•2007 Children's Choices; International Reading Association
•2007 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education; Outstanding Merit
•2007 Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, Supplement; H.W.
Wilson; USA
•2007-2008 Cochecho Readers' Award; Nominee; New Hampshire
•2007-2008 Georgia Children's Book Award; Nominee; Grades 4-8;
Georgia
•2007-2008 Great Stone Face Award; Nominee; New Hampshire
•2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award; Master List; Texas
•2008 Core Collection: Science Themed Youth Novels; Booklist
•2008-2009 Gate City Book Award; Nominee; New Hampshire
•2008-2009 South Carolina Children's Book Award; Nominee; South
Carolina
•2010 Sunshine State Young Reader's Book Award Nominee
•2010-2011 Voice of Youth Award; Nominee; 3rd and 4th Grades;
Illinois
The Tiger’s Apprentice
•2004 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to
the Eighth Edition
•2006 Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee
The Traitor
•2004 Teachers' Choices; International Reading Association
•2004 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•2004 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People; National
Council for the Social Studies
•2004 Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement; H.W.
Wilson
•2004 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to
the Eighth Edition; H.W. Wilson
•2005 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition;
H.W. Wilson
•2006 Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson

19. When the Circus Came to Town
•2002-2003 Cochecho Readers' Award; Nominee; Dover, New
Hampshire
•2003 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•2003 Great Stone Face Children's Book Award nominee
•2003 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People;
National Council for the Social Studies NCSS
•2003 Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2003-2004 South Carolina Children's Book Award; Nominee
•2004-2005 Children's Crown Award; Nominee; Grades 3-6
•2005 California Young Reader Medal Nominee
•2005 Golden Sower Award Nominee
•2005 Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominee
•2005 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award; Nominee
•2006 Sasquatch Reading Award Nominee
•2007 Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee
Dream Soul
•2001 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•2001 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to
the Eighth Edition; H.W. Wilson
•2002 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, 13th
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English
•2002-2003 Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award Nominee
•2003 Mark Twain Award Nominee
•2005 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition;
H.W. Wilson
The Magic Paintbrush
•2001 Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson
•2002 Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee
•2006 Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson

20. The Case of the Firecrackers
•2002 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee
•2002 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, 13th
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature; Book Wholesalers, Inc.
The Case of the Lion Dance
•1999 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, 12th
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English
•1999 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•2001 Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee; Pacific NW Library
Assoc.
•2003 Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages; Bank Street College
of Education
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature
The Imp that Ate My Homework
•1999 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•2000 Georgia Children's Book Awards Grades 4-8
•2000 Nevada Young Reader's Award Nominee
•2000 Prairie Pasque Award Nominee
•2002 Land of Enchantment Book Award Nominee
•2003 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature; Book Wholesalers
The Case of the Goblin Pearls
•1998 Sunshine State Young Reader's Book Award Nominee
•1998 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•2001 Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Third
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English
•2000 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition;
H.W. Wilson
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature; Book Wholesalers
•2005-2006 Voice of Youth Award; Nominee; 5th and 6th Grade;
Illinois

21. The Dragon Prince
•1997 Reading Magic Award; Parenting
•1997 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) -
Folklore, Poetry, and Song
•1997 Pick of the Lists (ABA)
•1997 Parenting Best Books of the Year Ages 4-8
•1997 Los Angeles' 100 Best Books; IRA Children's Literature and
Reading SIG and the Los Angeles Unified School District
•1997 Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of the Social
Studies; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS
•1998 Best Children's Books of the Year; Bank Street College of
Education
•1998 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People;
National Council for the Social Studies NCSS
•2000 Oregon Patricia Gallagher Children's Choice Picture Book
•2000 Georgia Children's Literature Awards; Nominee; Grades K-4;
Georgia, USA
•2003 Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages; Bank Street
College of Education
The Lost Garden
•2001 Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson
•2002 Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve;
California Department of Education
•2005 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition;
H.W. Wilson
Thief of Hearts
•1997 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6; National
Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1997 Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Second
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•2000 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition;
H.W. Wilson; USA
•2001 Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes
•1995 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation

22. Dragon's Gate
•1993 California Book Awards: Young Adult Literature
•1994 John and Patricia Beatty Award
•1994 John Newbery Medal Honor Book
•1994 Notable Children's Books; ALSC; USA
•1996 High Interest-Easy Reading; NCTE; USA
•1996 Young Adult Reading Program; Grades 7-12; South Dakota
•1997 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6;
National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1997 Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-
8, Second Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1999 Immigrant Experience; Bank Street College of Education
•2000 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth
Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2001 Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2002 Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade
Twelve; California Department of Education; California
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature; Book Wholesalers
•2005 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth
Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2006 Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
American Dragons
•1994 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults; ALA
•1995 Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Twelfth
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1996 High Interest-Easy Reading; NCTE
•1997 Senior High School Library Catalog, 15 Edition; H.W. Wilson
•1997 Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Second
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1998 Fighting Bigotry with Books; Bank Street College of Education
•2000 Middle & Junior High School Library Catalog, 8 Edition; H.W.
Wilson
•2001 Sharing Cultures: Asian American Children's Authors; ALSC
American Library Association; USA
•2002 Senior High School Library Catalog, 16 Edition; H.W. Wilson
•2005 Middle & Junior High School Library Catalog, 9 Edition; H.W.
Wilson
•2007 Senior High Core Collection, 17 Edition; The H. W. Wilson

23. The Man Who Tricked a Ghost
•1996 North Carolina Children's Book Awards Winner: Picture Book
Dragon War
•1995 Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Twelfth
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
Tongues of Jade
•1991 Kirkus Book Review Stars
•1993 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, Tenth
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1994 Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8; National
Council of Teachers of English; USA
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature; Book Wholesalers
The Star Fisher
•1991 Lasting Connections; American Library Association; USA
•1991 Bulletin Blue Ribbons; Bulletin of the Center for Children's
Books; USA
•1991 Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of the Social
Studies; National Council for the Social Studies NCSS; USA
•1992 Christopher Award -Ages 10 and up
•1992 Teachers' Choices; International Reading Association; USA
•1993 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6, Tenth
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1995 West Virginia Literary Merit Award from the West Virginia
Library Association (“for his contribution to Appalachian
Literature”)
•1995-1996 Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award; Nominee; Minnesota
•1996 Nutmeg Children's Book Award; Nominee; Connecticut
•1999 Immigrant Experience; Bank Street College of Education
•2000 Dealing with Alienation; Bank Street College of Education
•2000 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth
Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2001 Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA

24. The Rainbow People
•1989 Parenting Best Books of the Year
•1989 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award
•1989 Reading Magic Award Winner; USA
•1989 Notable Children's Books,; ALSC American Library
Association; USA
•1989 Children's Editors' Choices (BL)
•1989 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
•1989 Notable Children's Trade Books in Social Studies
(NCSS/CBC)
•1989 Children's Books (Library of Congress)
•1990 The USA Through Children's Books (ALA)
•1990 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
•1991 Indian Paintbrush Book Award; Nominee; Wyoming
•1993 Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade
6, Tenth Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•2000 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth
Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2002 Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade
Twelve; California Department of Education
•2003 Eureka! California in Children's Literature; Book
Wholesalers, Inc.; USA
•2005 Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth
Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2006 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Read;
Cooperative Children's Book Center; USA
Mountain Light
•1987 Young Adults' Choices; International Reading Association; USA
Dragon Steel
•1986 listed -Child Study Association of America's Children's Books of
the Year
•1988 Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Tenth
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA

25. Dragon of the Lost Sea
•2000 Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition;
H.W. Wilson; United States
Sea Glass
•1979 Commonwealth Club of California Silver Medal
•1982 Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Eighth
Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
Child of the Owl
•1977 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards for Fiction
•1977 listed -School Library Journal's Best Books for Spring
•1977 listed -New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year
•1978 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards
•1982 Best Books -Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior
High, Eighth Edition; National Council of Teachers of English; USA
•1982-1983 Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award; Nominee; Minnesota
•1992 Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL) Award
•2000 Best Books -Middle And Junior High School Library
Catalog, Eighth Edition; H.W. Wilson; USA
•2001 Best Books -Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition; H.W.
Wilson; USA
•2002 Best Books -Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through
Grade Twelve; California Department of Education
•2004 Best Books -Children's Books on Aging; ALSC American Library
Association; USA

26. Dragonwings
•1975 Listed -New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
•1976 John Newbery Medal Honor Book
•1976 Children’s Book Award from American Library Association
•1976 Carter G. Woodson Book Awards
•1976 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book
•1976 International Reading Association (IRA) Children's Book
Awards
•1977 Boston Globe Book Award Honor Book
•1978 Mark Twain Award Nominee
•1979 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
•1980 listed -New York Public Library's Books for the Teen
Age, &'81, '82
•1984 Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL) Award
•1995 Phoenix Award from the Children’s Literature Association
•2000 Best Books -Middle And Junior High School Library
Catalog, Eighth Edition; H.W. Wilson USA
•2001 Best Books -Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition;
H.W.Wilson USA
•2002 Best Books -Recommended Literature: Kindergarten
through Grade Twelve; California Department of Education, USA
•2005 Best Books -Middle and Junior High School Library
Catalog, Ninth Edition; H.W. Wilson USA
•2006 Best Books -Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition;
H.W.Wilson USA

27. REVIEWS
Laurence Yep's historical fantasy novels see the past in a special way. After meticulous
research, Yep breathes life into obscure historical events through memorable characters who
are often cultural outsiders. While his writing is most known for engaging an adolescent
audience, Yep is just as adept at capturing the imaginations of younger readers. Dragons,
Chinese-American immigrants, fantasy, folklore, science fiction, and adventure are just a few of
the common threads that are woven throughout Yep's work.
20

Reviews related to following Laurence Yep works:
City of Fire
City of Ice
American Dragons
Child Of The Owl
Dragonwings
Dream Soul
The Dragon’s Child
The Rainbow People
The Star Fisher
The Star Maker
Tongues of Jade
When the Circus Came to Town
Butterfly Boy


20
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep/

28. CITY OF FIRE
Book #1 in the “City Trilogy”
Quotes:
“As usual, Yep successfully mixes adventure, history
(of the often overlooked variety), colorful period
detail, and magic with characters that young readers
will want to follow into the next book in this
promising planned trilogy.”—Publishers Weekly
“…the cast is as engaging as it is diverse.”—Kirkus
“…readers will be on tenterhooks awaiting the next
episode of this exhilarating chase.”—Booklist
“Readers will enjoy the bond that develops among the
characters…Yep does a fine job of telling the story
through multiple perspectives, and the descriptions of
historical artifact, dragons, lap griffins (Scirye’s
feathered pet with wings,) and shape shifters are
vivid, giving this first installment in a trilogy just the right blend of history and fantasy. Yep fans
will be pleased.”—VOYA 4Q 3P M
“Yep’s varied human, animal, and mythic cast is reminiscent of those found in Lewis Carroll and
L. Frank Baum. Readers who follow the diverse protagonists as they come to understand and
love one another as family will be eager to follow their adventures into the next volume.”—
School Library Journal
“Yep’s writing is absolutely fantastic, and the blending of many cultures is done with grace and
skill…it’s a lot of fun and promise sequels of equal caliber.”—School Library Journal Book
Reviews by Young Adults
“In his new book, *Yep+ again combines his regular themes of history, fantasy, and Asian culture
into an exciting YA story set in an alternate world of 1941. City of Fire brings to life ancient
myth and legend, in an easy and fun to read book…and should entertain readers looking for
something new and different in a sea of Harry Potter-cloned books.”—Sacramento Book
Review
“A gifted storyteller, the author blends history and mythology with two young central
characters who are on a quest that will be developed in two more novels…even reluctant
readers will love this book. Rating: Five Golden Rings out of Five”—The Californian, Salinas, CA
“Yep begins what promises to be a fantastical trilogy in City of Fire. The mixing of history and
fantasy is well conceived and executed.”—Washington State Young Adult Review Group

29. “This action-packed tale takes readers on an unforgettable journey through an alternate
version of our world in 1941—a world filled with magical beings such as dragon in human form,
tiny “lap griffins,” reincarnations of legendary Chinese warriors, Japanese folk creature, and
goddesses in disguise.”—Robots and Vamps.com
“A story filled with action and attractive characters, this first novel in Laurence Yep's new series
will delight any youngster who enjoys the interplay between mythical creatures (especially
dragons) and humans. A gifted storyteller, the author blends history and mythology with two
young central characters who are on a quest that will be developed in two more novels. It
makes sense to follow this new series from the very beginning, and even reluctant readers will
love this book.”—The Salinas Californian Rating: Five golden dragons out of five for "City of
Fire."

“Brilliant, exciting, and highly original, City of Fire is an absolutely magnificent fantasy
adventure!”—T. A. Barron,bestselling author of The Great Tree of Avalon
“This is the first book in a planned three-book series and should entertain readers looking for
something new and different in a sea of Harry Potter-cloned books.”—San Francisco Book
Review
“Stolen relics, a journey on a antique flying carpet, chasing Badik and the evil Mr. Roland to the
Hawaiian Islands, and traversing the inside of a volcano range are just a few of the adventures.
Readers will yearn for the next tow books to continue the adventure.”—LMC Library Media
Connection
“Don't miss this exciting coming-of-age-and-into-adventure series!”—Bookloons.com

30. CITY OF ICE
Book #2 in The City Trilogy
“The reader becomes immersed in the elaborately
complex saga complete with its intriguing narrative and
intricate characters. Yep has displayed his considerable
skill in building a magnificent adventure, mixing both
history and fantasy. The characters, who narrate
alternating chapters in both volumes, are both strong
and frail, heroic yet frightened, accountable and
immature. This reader is looking forward to the final
book in this most enjoyable trilogy.”— VOYA 5Q 5P MJS
“Yep’s second entry in the City Trilogy sings and crackles
with as much detail and action as the first, and he deftly
develops the tensions between Leech and Bayang. New
readers have enough clues to feel instantly at home.
Makes a great read aloud too.”—Booklist
“Readers … will be eager to read more about Scirye’s adventures.” –School Library Journal
“Readers who enjoy inner conflicts, barbed dialogue, casts replete with supernatural creatures
and fantasy epics that don’t take themselves too seriously will find it a treat.” –Kirkus
“Book 2 of the City Trilogy is a must for any collection seeing excitement over the prior
book.”—The Midwestern Book Review
“Another thrilling, fast-paced and imaginative adventure.”—Bookloons.com
“The second Scirye alternate history fantasy continues the non-stop adventures of the heroine
and her friends as they go from the heat of Hawaii to frozen Waste of the Artic. The story line is
fast-paced…middle school children will want to join Scirye and her team and they traverse the
iced tundra on their save the world quest.”—The Midwest Book Review
“Middle school children will want to join Scirye and her team as they traverse the iced tundra
on their save the world quest.” –Harriet Klausner, Baryon Magazine 120

31. American Dragons
"If there is one animal that is synonymous with Asian
mythology and art--and the heart--it is the dragon,"
writes Yep (The Rainbow People, Dragonwings),
who adds that when Asians came to America, "these
dragons left their tracks as they wandered into…that
vast psychological wilderness created by the
American Dream." His enlightening anthology of 25
stories, poems and essays by Asian Americans
delves deeply, examining the inner lives of young
people with roots in japan, China, India, Korea and
Southeast Asia. Selections are set in the past and
future as well as in the present, and nearly all raise
questions about identity as protagonists choose to
preserve or reject the values of their ancestors. For
example, in "Who's Hu?" by LenseyNamioka, a
Korean math wiz discovers that being true to herself
is more important than gaining popularity by playing
the role of an all-American girl. In "Rain Music," Longhang Nguyen traces the emotional
pain of a Vietnamese girl who fulfills her parents' dream instead of her own desires.
Relationships between adolescents and their parents, grandparents and peers remain a
central focus throughout this volume. Arranged thematically in five sections
accompanied by brief and eloquent commentaries by the editor, these writings speak to
both Asian Americans and the general population; accordingly, they preserve and
promote tolerance for minority cultures. Ages 12-up.‖ Publishers Weekly (Starred
Review)June 14, 1993

Child Of The Owl
"I knew more about race horses than I knew about
myself--I mean myself as a Chinese," says Casey, a
street-wise, jeans-wearing twelve-year-old. Then her
father Barney's gambling habit lands him in the
hospital, the victim of a beating, and Casey is sent to
live with her Paw-Paw (grandmother) in the small, tight
world that was San Francisco's Chinatown during the
early Sixties. Marked as an outsider by her inability to
speak Chinese and, for the first time, questioning the
Americanized values of friends like Tallulah ""Booger""
Chew (whose ambition is to design clothes for Katy
Keene comics) and Gilbert, who models himself after
James Dean, Casey comes to think of herself as a
child of the Owl-Spirit--the family's ancestress
according to Paw-Paw and the central figure of a long,

32. dreamlike legend that has been handed down through the generations.But while the
Owl-Spirit helps Casey to find her way as an alien caught between two cultures and to
feel close to the mother she never knew, it is the toughness she's learned from Barney
that sends her out on a hunt for the burglar who steals Paw-Paw's valuable owl charm.
Visions of herself as both a Kung Fu heroine and child of the owl clash when Casey,
Booger, and Paw-Paw's elderly friend, Mr. Jeh, capture the thief and are horrified to
discover his identity. Yet even the surprise ending fits seamlessly into Yep's vision,
which combines the chiseled fantasy of Dragonwings (1975) with the hard-edged
anxieties of growing up poor and non-white in the early Beatles era. This is played out
against a background of underheated walk-up flats, cheap souvenir shops, and
memories of the old China where dream-souls wandered the earth at night, a beautifully
transmuted Chinatown legend, and an odds-on popular favorite as well.‖ Kirkus
Reviews (Starred Review)April 1, 1977

Dragonwings
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
July 1, 1975
In the beginning, all is strangeness to Moon Shadow
as he leaves the Middle Kingdom to join his father in
the Land of the Golden Mountain. . . only to end up
in the Tang people's quarter of San Francisco where
the drunken "demons" often beat up Tang men and
his uncle Black Dog, an opium smoker and a crook,
keeps the family all too involved with the
brotherhoods. Later, Moon Shadow actually makes
friends with a red-faced demon, the doughty Mrs.
Whitlaw, and lives in the demon part of town until the
earthquake comes. But this is mostly the story of
Moon Shadow's devotion to his dreamer father, who
is given the name Windrider by the Dragon King
himself in a vision and who fulfills his destiny by
building, at enormous sacrifice, a twelve horsepower
airplane similar to the one the Wrights had flown only
a few years before. Windrider (based loosely on an
actual Chinese-American aviator) is a fascinating figure who believes deeply in the old
myths and is entranced by the new magic of electricity, motor cars and aeronautics.
Other elements, such as Moon Shadow's rapprochement with Mrs. Whit. law--he learns
to drink a disgusting substance called cow's milk, she rethinks her old ideas about
dragons--depend more on familiar tensions and humorous accommodations. Even so,
this is a realm of exprience almost unknown to us demons. And the dream that
becomes the plane Dragonwings lifts this into a world where truth and imagination are
one.

33. Dream Soul
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
September 25, 2000
In The Star Fisher, Yep drew on his mother's stories of
growing up Chinese in 1920S West Virginia; here, the
same family heads into a culture clash at Christmas.
Joan, the 15-year-old narrator, and her younger siblings
itch to accept their neighbor's invitation to a Christmas
party; their parents, however, think they should be
celebrating Chinese holidays, "not American ones."
Memorable characterizations and carefully articulated
settings heighten the impact of this original and
surprising story, which reconciles two seemingly
opposing points of view by staying true to each. Ages 8-
12. (Sept.)

The Dragon's Child
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
April 21, 2008
This short novel about a father and son's journey
from rural China to San Francisco in 1922 will
firmly grip the target audience. The nine-year-old
narrator, who is modeled on Laurence Yep's
(Dragonwings) father, describes his shy
reintroduction to his own father, a ―Guest of the
Golden Mountain‖ (someone who lives in America)
who has returned to his family's village in China,
this time to bring the narrator back to San
Francisco with him. The narrator perceives his
father as rich and successful, but he also sees that
his father sticks out ―like a flagpole‖ in his village.
As the journey begins, the boy slowly learns hard
truths: the father's impressive clothes have been
rented, and he works as a houseboy (―The clan
would have laughed at the notion,‖ the son notes
grimly). All the while the two prepare for
immigration tests to be administered at Angel Island outside San Francisco, knowing
that failure means deportation; only during this test do readers finally learn the boy's
name. Yep's use of the boy's perspective enables the reader to experience a spectrum
of emotions (curiosity, homesickness, fear) in tandem with learning historical facts—a
trick that lends the book both authenticity and charm. B&w photos not seen by PW.
Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

34. ―Yep has done a brilliant job weaving fact and fiction into this poignant story. He brings
to life the harsh treatment these people had to undergo just to be a part of both their
Chinese and American worlds.‖
―He also has a vivid grasp of description, bringing his pages to life ("I loved to watch the
crops grow and ripen until the land was covered by a living green fur. Then, when the
water was drained away, the fur turned a beautiful gold. And when the wind blew, it was
like a giant hand stroking a lion."). By Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY
LIGHT and THE BLACK POND


The Rainbow People
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
May 15, 1989
Here, the author of such sensitive depictions of the
Chinese-American experience as Dragonwings
anthologizes 20 folk tales told by Chinese immigrants
in California. Culled from 69 stories collected in a 30's
WPA project, the tales are organized into sections with
themes like "Tricksters" or "Virtues and Vices," each
with a thoughtful introduction placing the individual
stories in the context of the feelings and background of
the original tellers (most of them living in Oakland).
Yep's telling is vigorous, often poetic, imbued with
earthy humor and realism touched with fatalism. Most
moving are a Rip Van Winkle-like tale of a man who
gambles with the gods and comes home thousands of
years later ("Homecoming"); and the title story, about
a wanderer who sets the rainbow people free only to
lose the one among them whom he's beginning to love. In his introduction, Yep
mentions Kenneth Burke's description of folk tales as "strategies for living," a theme he
has integrated effectively here in this trenchant tribute to the resonance of storytelling in
a particular culture--a richly entertaining collection for
readers and storytellers. A handsomely designed
collection--Wiesner's understated b&w chapter
openers are beautifully composed, counterpointing
rather than competing with the stories.

The Star Fisher
The New York Times Book Review
October 13, 1991
THE STAR FISHER ByLaurence Yep. 150 pp. New
York: Morrow Junior Books. $12.95. (Ages 8 to 12)

35. For more than 15 yearsLaurence Yep has been writing accomplished fiction for young
readers about Chinese-Americans. "Drag onwings," set in San Francisco, where Mr.
Yep grew up, was a Newbery Honor book.
Mr. Yep's grandparents, mother, aunts and uncles were the first Chinese family to settle
in Clarksburg, W.Va., in 1927. He remembered the stories they told, and later kept files
of them, so that, as he says, "West Virginia has always been more real to me than
China."
After "obtaining my mother's permission" Mr. Yep, who also teaches creative writing at
the University of California, Berkeley, has written a short novel for middle grade readers
that is rich in detail culled from those family records and additional historical research.
"The Star Fisher" is a skillful mix of fact and intuited understanding about his family's
experiences, telling how the Lee family moved from Ohio to establish a laundry and
home in a former schoolhouse in Clarksburg, as his grandparents had done.
Though the school was real, it also serves as a symbol of the disparity between hope
and reality for Papa Lee, a scholar and poet who is shunned by ignorant and bigoted
neighbors. The narrator, 15-year-old Joan, American born, admires her father's
scholarly pursuits, but she too confronts disdain from her peers when she answers
teacher's questions that other students cannot.
The quality of "The Star Fisher," and the power of its message, do not lie in the plot but
in the characters. Joan's younger siblings, Bobby and Emily, for example, are energetic
and independent. Emily's first act in Clarksburg is to stomp the toe of foul-mouthed Mr.
Snuff.
Although all the Lees are lively, it is Mama Lee, based on Mr. Yep's grandmother, who
gives this book its real distinction. Mrs. Lee is sustained by her firm belief that the family
will eventually return to China. She is also the practical parent, creating her own system
of bookkeeping, which keeps the business and family in order. She has learned little
English, her wretched cooking skills end in burned pots and pans. She is befriended by
Miss Lucy Bradshaw, their elderly patrician landlady. Mrs. Lee's miserable attempts to
bake, and to eventually produce a good enough apple pie for the auction at the church
social, provide some light relief to her endless frustrations.
Yet for all her own struggle to assimilate, Mrs. Lee is filled with loving anxiety as she
sees her children become Americans. At a touching moment near the end of the novel,
she watches her children, walking to a picnic with Miss Lucy, as they turn to listen to a
mockingbird:
"As Mama watched them go, she bit her lip. From the context, she had understood
some of the exchange between Miss Lucy and Emily. 'They'll learn all about American
birds and not about Chinese ones,' she fretted. 'What'll they do when they go home?' "

36. A Chinese folk tale Joan tells to Emily provides the metaphor for the complex theme of
mixed allegiances and mother-daughter stress, and accounts for the title. Joan feels
that she herself is like the daughter of the star fisher bird, a magical creature, half bird
and half woman, who is made to marry a human and live on earth against her will.
Eventually the star fisher escapes and returns to her true home in the sky. Her daughter
joins her, but she is torn between the two worlds. Joan compares herself to the bird:
"I always seemed to be reaching out my hand [ to her mother ] and getting it slapped.
And those were the times when I sometimes looked at Mama and saw a stranger. I saw
her with American eyes: saw the little woman with the funny skin and the odd eyes.
"And suddenly I knew how the star fisher's daughter must have felt: belonging to both
the earth and the sky; she must have seen everything through a double pair of eyes.
And I wondered if she felt just as angry and mixed-up inside as I did."
Joan is not without empathy for her mother, and comments poignantly that the only
Chinese women's faces they will ever see are each other's and Emily's. This thought
helps heal their conflicts, and gives them both strength. "The Star Fisher" is a thought-
provoking, engaging novel about a fundamental human drama -- immigration and
cultural isolation.

The Star Maker
Publishers Weekly (Starred
Review)
November 15, 2010
Drawing from his rich cache of
childhood memories, Yep (The
Dragon's Child) offers an affectionate
celebration of family, cultural
traditions, and San Francisco's
Chinatown in the early 1950s. Like
his beloved, bighearted Uncle
Chester, eight-year-old Artie is the
youngest of his generation, and both
are used to getting an earful ("All the
‗grown-ups' want to do is pick on
me," Uncle Chester jokes).
Constantly belittled by his cousin
Petey, Artie boasts that he'll have so
many firecrackers on Chinese New
Year that he'll "give them away" to
family members. Uncle Chester
promises to help Artie keep his
pledge, but as the holiday

37. approaches, this seems unlikely: Uncle Chester loses money at the racetrack and can't
find work, and Artie, counting on his uncle, has spent his savings. Yep skillfully portrays
the significance and emotional nature of common childhood dramas, from fears of going
back on one's word to worries of losing a favorite uncle to a new girlfriend. Though Artie
and Chester shine brightest, Yep has crafted other memorable characters, including
Chinatown itself, which sparkles with energy and camaraderie. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Tongues Of Jade
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
November 1, 1991
An award-winning author presents a second gathering of folktales as remembered by
Chinese immigrants to California. Like those in The Rainbow People (1989), these were
collected in the 30's as part of a WPA project and originally appeared in a book entitled
The Golden Mountain. Yep arranges them into broad subject areas, prefacing each
section with a brief discussion of how the tales illustrate aspects of Chinese culture that
would be important for an immigrant (either returning to China or staying "in the land of
the Gold Mountain") to remember. The collection as a whole is informed by the idea of
jade as preserver: hence, a storyteller's jade tongue preserves a heritage. Many of
these 17 stories are unfamiliar. Yep's retellings maintain their freshness and vitality; his
essays are cogent introductions to the cultural values portrayed, reinforcing connections
between story and birthright. Wiesner provides handsome b&w watercolors, enhancing
the attractive format and making an intriguing visual hook for each story. Once again, as
entertainment and enrichment, a bravura accomplishment. (Folklore. 8-12)

When The Circus Came To Town
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
December 24, 2001
Yep leaves his oft-visited literary stomping grounds of San
Francisco's Chinatown in this heartwarming historical tale
based on real events. Ursula loves living in tiny Whistle,
Mont., or what her Pa calls the Back of Beyond. She helps
her parents run the stagecoach station, roams the wild hills
and, after reading a penny dreadful that a stagecoach
passenger leaves behind, invents a rollicking pirate adventure
game for her friends. But everything changes after smallpox
leaves her face deeply scarred. She retreats to her room:
"Pirate Ursula was dead now. There was only Monster
Ursula, and Monster Ursula did not go outside." When her
parents hire a Chinese cook, he and Ursulafind they share a sense
of isolation, and gradually they become friends. Eventualyl, Ah
Sam succeeds in coaxing Ursula out of her self-imposed exile
when he invites his cousins to stage a circus. Ursula returns the
favor: after a blizzard scuttles Ah Sam's plans to spend Chinese
New Year in San Francisco, she ralles the whole town to plan an
elaborate celebration of that holiday. Bolstered by themes of

38. compassion, community and tolerance, this story is among Yep's most assured. With
dry humor and a keen ear for dialogue, the author includes deft characterizatiosn and
offers a window onto Asian-American history and culture. Wang, who illustrated
Yep'sThe Magic Paintbrush, contributes detailed b&w drawings that underscore the
volume's more serious themes. Ages 8-10.

Butterfly Boy
Publishers Weekly
Yep's simple language is exquisite in its clarity and, like a pebble
thrown into water, creates ripples of meaning. …Quiet strength
and inner serenity pervade this masterly combination of text,
artwork and design.

39. Interviews, Biographies and More

May 16, 2008
Laurence Yep writes books that draw from his Chinese American background yet speak to
common feelings and experiences. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets,
Laurence Yep discusses his love for his work and the gratification of writing stories.
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep/

Books about Laurence Yep:
The lost garden by Laurence Yep (Book)
Presenting Laurence Yep by Dianne Johnson-Feelings (Book)
Meet Laurence Yep by Alice B McGinty (Book)
Laurence Yep by Katherine Lawrence (Book)
Laurence Yep by Hal Marcovitz (Book)

40. Marcia Baghban Conversation with Laurence Yep, Spring 2000
http://www.soentpiet.com/Baghban%20interview.pdf

43. Laurence Yep: Strategies For Living
Interview with Locus Online posted Wednesday 14 July 2010 @ 9:45 am PDT
http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2010/07/laurence-yep-strategies-for-living/
Excerpts from the interview:
“I grew up in an African-American neighborhood in San Francisco, and went to school in
Chinatown. The children’s librarians would give me their best book, and it would be something
like Homer Price and His Donut Machine. In those books every kid had a bicycle, and everyone
left their front doors unlocked. I lived in one ghetto and went to school in another ghetto.
Nobody I knew had a bicycle, and everybody had at least three locks on their door. So these so-
called realistic books seemed like fantasy to me.
“At that time, there were a few books about Asian-American children, but they were written by
white authors who had maybe done a few interviews – they did not live in Chinatown and did
not know the culture. I never could get into those books. Instead I read fantasy and science
fiction, because in those books children are taken away from our everyday world, go off to
another place where they have to learn strange new customs and even a new language, and
they talked about adapting. That’s something I did every time I got on and off the bus. So to
me, fantasy and science fiction were much more realistic.”
“I must seem like a dinosaur, but I really believe that in storytelling there are things that pull
people along a certain path with you. I learned how to write from two science fiction writers,
Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton. I loved how in three paragraphs Heinlein could create a
character you wanted to travel across the galaxy with, and I loved Andre Norton for the worlds
she could create – especially worlds on the edge of change. So I like the old-fashioned story arc.
“I say this despite having studied with John Barth, writing experimental pieces in a seminar. I
did my dissertation on William Faulkner, so it took me years to learn how to put in commas
again! But eventually I realized I didn’t belong in the avant garde. There’s a story by John
Fowles called ‘The Ebony Tower’, in which he talks about art: he feels that artists have moved
into a dead end. (One young critic goes to meet a Picasso-like artist who is very modern and yet
somehow manages to link to the energy and vitality of the past, and this young guy is trying to
understand how he did that.) I was feeling that way about a lot of experimental fiction, so I
started getting back to my roots, which was traditional storytelling.”
“Dragonwings was historical fiction but won some awards. I can translate Chinese, but only
very painfully. It takes me about an hour for four words, specially if it’s Classical Chinese! My
parents still speak Chinese at home, but I’m one of those kids who didn’t know the background.
With Dragonwings, it’s more than a narrative device when I have the story told from the
viewpoint of an eight-year-old boy. I was really that boy. If there was meat on a plate, I had to
be told that it was roast duck and prepared in a special way. If there was a picture on the wall, I
had to be told it was a kitchen god. So (for the sake of these kids) I really try, in every one of my

44. stories, to have some person who doesn’t quite know the milieu. He’s the point of view, so the
audience can connect with that person and learn along with him.”
“Originally, the adaptation of Dragonwings appeared as a school play, so I had to condense a
250-page novel down into about an hour, and we could only afford five actors. Now there are
plans to make it into a movie, and all of a sudden there’s a cast of several hundred! Cartoon
Network is also planning to do Tiger’s Apprentice as a TV movie. I’m sure they’ve made
changes, but the script was done by David Magee, who was nominated for an Oscar forFinding
Neverland.
“I’m working on the third book after City of Fire. But I also have a book that’s in galleys, about
my memories of Chinese New Years. There’s something about the smell of cordite that just
makes me nostalgic! A child’s ankles are smaller, but you’d be ankle-deep in red paper in
Chinatown. And there’s one other book I’m doing, about my grandmother. She was a wonderful
person, a very strong personality, but when we went shopping she had very liberal ideas about
the rights of a customer!”

Laurence Yep Interview with Scholastic students.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/laurence-yep-interview-transcirpt
At what age did you start writing?
I started writing at the age of seventeen, because I had a teacher in high school who said that
we had to get something accepted by a national magazine to get an A. The teacher later
withdrew that threat, but the writing bug bit me. I sold my first story when I was eighteen to a
science fiction pulp magazine called World's Fifth for a penny a word, which is what Dickens
made in his day. But pennies went a lot further then!

Where do you get your ideas for your stories?
I get the ideas from everything. Children sometimes think you have to have special experiences
to write, but good writing brings out what's special in ordinary things. So all you really need is a
brother — I actually wrote a book about the time I gave my brother a pet alligator. But really,
writing only requires taking one step to the side and looking at something from a slightly
different angle. So you can find unicorns in the garden, and monsters sitting next to you.

When you start a story, do you create the characters or the plot first?
Well, both happen. It depends on the story. Sometimes a story grows from a picture in my
head, and I'm just describing the scene. In Dragonwings, the idea came from a picture in my
head of a plane flying over a hill. I wrote that last chapter first, where that happens, and then I
had to write the rest of the book describing why it happens. I work from an outline, but the
outline isn't rigid. It's like the scaffolding around a ship — sometimes halfway through a
battleship, I realize I should be making an aircraft carrier, and so I have to change the
scaffolding.I once did a fantasy novel that was like a Narnia book. It had gone through seven
drafts, and I thought it was ready. But in the seventh draft, I wrote about a dragon and her pet

45. boy. They were such vivid characters that I tore up the first six drafts and started all over. It
turned into a novel called Dragon of the Lost Sea, and there ended up being three more books
about the adventures of that dragon and her boy.

How do you choose names for your characters?
The names come from various sources. Some of them are nicknames I hear in Chinatown,
because the Chinese Americans from a certain generation had colorful nicknames like Doggie.
Sometimes I like the sound of a name, or sometimes there's a hidden meaning. Like
in Dragonwings, Ms. Whitelaw is actually “white law.” In the novel I'm working on now, there's
a character called Purdy because I had an English teacher by that name. It also comes from “by
God,” or “par Dieu” in French.

Do you have a favorite character from your books?
That's a good question, but it's like asking a mother who her favorite child is. Different
characters have different associations. I like all my characters for various reasons. The hardest
ones to do are the villains, like my old Chinese schoolteacher. When I write about them I start
to see them from their own points of view. Then I realize my old Chinese schoolteacher
probably had reasons to whack me with a ruler.

What is your favorite kind of story to write?
Well, I like all kinds of stories, and I usually work on several stories at once. When I run out of
gas on one, I start work on the other. So I might do a contemporary novel at the same time I'm
doing a mystery and a historical fiction. Right now I'm writing four books. One is
called Cockroach Cooties and it's a sequel to the alligator book. The second one is a book about
the Gold Rush, which is for Scholastic's Dear America series. The third one is a mystery book
about Chinatown, and the fourth one is about the Rock Springs massacre in Wyoming in 1885.
Two of them are historical — one is a diary, and the other is historical fiction for young adults.
Different age groups have different problems and issues in text, so it's a challenge.

How much research do you do before writing a book?
Well, the research can be as short as six months if I'm writing about my family, or it can take 20
years. It took me 20 years to write about building the railroad — sometimes the research is like
building a house out of toothpicks. But before you can build that house, you have to find the
toothpicks scattered all over a country. So wherever I go, I check out the library. I find odd facts,
like a description of a Chinese laundry, and I just found an account of a Chinese riding in a
rodeo in 1800. I also found an account of a Chinese circus coming to Yellowstone at the turn of
the century. So it's little things like that.

Why do you write all of your books about Chinese culture?
It's what I know best, but I also write about other things. I wrote a suspense novel called Liar,
Liar about teenage kids in Silicon Valley. I got my start writing science fiction when I wrote a
Star Trek book about Mr. Sulu called Shadow Lord. I'm also writing some stories with my wife,
who's also a writer, named Joanne Ryder, and they're just funny little chapter books about
things that we've seen.

46. Were your parents immigrants, and if so, do you know what their journey to America was
like?
My mother was actually born in Ohio, but raised in West Virginia, where her family had a
laundry. She has a West Virginian accent. My father was born in China, but he's the son of an
American citizen. My paternal grandfather was born in San Francisco in 1867. We actually have
500 pages of interviews with the different paternal generations as they went back and forth
from China to America, because the immigration officials really quizzed the Chinese when they
would try to come into the country again.I've actually written a novel about my father's journey
from China to America. I have an interview of my father when he was ten, and it's like having a
window where I can look at him at that age. It's like a time machine. The interrogations were
very thorough. They would ask questions about how many windows were in a room in a typical
Chinese home, and which direction they faced. The interrogators would give them a set of
wooden blocks and ask them to arrange them like they were in a Chinese village. The person
being interrogated would have to go block by block, house by house, and say who lived in the
houses and how many animals they had, etc. It was very detailed. The Americans were trying to
send back as many Chinese as they could, so when a Chinese tried to come to America, the
interrogators were trying to prove that the person didn't belong in America. They tried to trip
up the immigrants and show that they were lying. It was very scary for my father. One of my
uncles made a mistake in an interview, and they almost deported him. If they had deported
him, they would've deported all my other uncles and my grandfather.

Were you ever persecuted or discriminated against because you are of Chinese heritage?
There were incidents when I was a kid, but for every bad incident, there are always ten good
ones. I've found that if you can get these persecutors to think of you as a person, they stop
persecuting you. Once they lose those stereotypes about you and see you as a human being,
they stop treating you poorly.

Have you ever been to China, and if you have, what is it like?
Well, my father never spoke about China. So it never seemed real to me. I always heard about
West Virginia, and so I thought of that as my real homeland. I did go back there twice, because I
wrote a book about my mother's life there. The book won a prize in West Virginia. When I went
to accept it, they loaded me down with presents for my mother. Since I started doing folklore
and picture books, China has become real to me. My wife and I have tried to set up trips to
Asia, but it just hasn't worked out yet.

Is it true that Later Gator was based on your life?
Oh, yes. It's based on Oscar, our pet alligator. Except my brother's ten years older than I am, so
I reversed the roles of the brothers in the book.

What is the importance of the word dragon in your books?
I love dragons. Dragons in Chinese mythology bring rain, so they're symbols of fertility. But
they've also come to have a deeper meaning for me. They're symbols of my own creativity.
Sometimes the dragon takes me where she wants to go rather than where I want to go. I think

47. there's a dragon inside each of us. In fact, my wife hates it when I'm doing a dragon book,
because I turn very dragonish.
Is there a real Dragon's Gate?
There is a mythical Dragon's Gate in China. For various reasons, I needed to have the characters
go to one in the novel. But the carp is a symbol of success for many reasons. You'll see it in
many forms in Chinatown.

Is Star Fisher a real Chinese story, or did you just make it up?
It's a real Chinese story. It's actually a little gorier in the original, and they actually weren't
kingfishers, they were herons, but it's a true folktale — an old folktale, that is.

Do you believe your creativity is based on a very active imagination?
I think it's part of being alive. I really think it's part of just being open to the world. We learn to
shut ourselves off from our feelings and our memories, and a writer learns how to connect all
those things together.

Do you ever base your characters on people you know?
Oh, yes, in fact, one of my family's favorite games is to guess who is which character. I've never
had a problem in my fiction. My family is very supportive. But they became very nervous when I
did an autobiography. They all wanted to see their sections. My brother, in particular, was
nervous, but he finally approved his section. But his wife got mad at me and said that I'd taken
it too easy on him. My wife also got mad because I only gave her three paragraphs. So I wrote
more about her, but then my editor asked me to cut that part out. I told my editor that was
only okay if she would agree to be co-respondent in a divorce.

In your autobiography, what do you mean when you say that many teenagers feel like aliens?
If you think about that age, you're an alien even from your own body. The hormones are
making your body change, and you can't stop the changes. Your voice changes, your body
changes, you start getting hair. So it's an age when a lot of teenage boys start getting interested
in monster movies, because they help them deal with their own reality. Steven Spielberg and
George Lucas started subscribing to monster magazines at that age.But there are larger issues
of identity and independence at that age. Growing up means growing away. You have to
separate yourself from your parents and become your own person. You have to alienate
yourself from your childhood and many of the other things that went with that childhood in
order to become a unique person. Most people I know remember that age as a miserable time
in their lives.I also think we live in a time where the pace of technology tends to make aliens of
us all. I bought my first computer in 1984, and a similar model is now in a computer museum.
My brother makes machines that make silicon chips — the machines look like jukeboxes, by the
way — and he deals with a product that he knows will be out of date within a year. Just look at
how computers have changed in the last five years. So the children of today are faced with a
pace of life that is alienating in general.

Did you look up to any heroes or writers when you were a kid?

48. Oh yes, I loved Robert Heinlein because he taught me how to write first-person narratives. In
one page he made a character come to life as if the character was whispering in your ear, and
you wanted to be that character's friend. I also loved Andre Norton. She taught me how to
create worlds of science fiction. There was always a certain sadness to those worlds, because
those worlds were always changing and disappearing — that's what I could see in Chinatown
around me.

It seems as if many of your books are written in the first person. Why?
I like the lens that it provides. It makes me focus on my own experience in a certain way when I
write in the first person as opposed to when I write in the third person as an omniscient
narrator.

What kinds of books did you like to read as a child?
As a child, I read mostly science fiction and fantasy books like the Oz books. When I was a child,
I grew up in a black neighborhood but went to school in Chinatown. So I moved back and forth
between two ghettoes. I could never get into the Homer Price novels, because in those books,
every kid had a bicycle, and every kid left their front door unlocked, and that was alien to me as
a child. You had to lock your doors, and no one I knew had a bike. But in science fiction and
fantasy, children leave the everyday world and go to a strange place where they have to learn a
new language and new customs. Science fiction and fantasy were about adapting, and that was
something I did every day when I got on and off the bus.

Are you planning to write any science fiction books for children or for grownups?
I'm planning to write a new series of fantasy books with the Monkey King and more dragons —
and maybe find a girlfriend for Thorn.

Did you study kites before you wrote Dragonwings?
My father was a kite-maker. He learned how to make Chinese kites from the old-timers in
Chinatown. He tried to teach me. My father made his kites from scratch so I actually had to find
bamboo that he would trim down to make the pieces of the kite. The rice paper had to be just
the right kind, and it was getting harder and harder to find Chinese bamboo in America. Much
of the bamboo that's for sale now in America is inferior — it won't bend right.
Some of my earliest memories of my father are flying kites with him. He always said that a good
kite-flyer never had to run to get the kite up in the air, but I always had to run. In fact, my father
objected to the cover ofDragonwings, because the kite there isn't really a kite. It looks like a sail
for a type of Chinese boat called a junk.

Are there any similarities between the behaviors of the characters in your stories and your
behavior as a child?
Well, I was always getting in trouble in Chinese school, and I wrote a little bit about that
in Shadow of the Owl.Often I'm trying to step into someone's shoes. In Dragonwings, I was
trying to understand what it was like for my father to come from China to America. In Child of
the Owl, I was trying to figure out what it was like for my mother to come from West Virginia to

49. California. The way I was raised, I was always an outsider in both areas, even though I had
friends in both. So I think I've always written about that in my books.

What is the origin of the owl folktale in Child of the Owl?
That's based on Chinese folklore about owls. They're disrespectful of their parents; they'll kick
them out of the nest, and even eat them. It's also based on a folktale about filial duty and a son
who makes sacrifices and is rewarded with a bird wife.

Do you think it's important for children's books to have a lesson?
I don't think you can do it from the top down. I don't think you can start with the moral first. If
the story is true to human experience, I think a lesson emerges. For instance in the book about
the massacre in Rock Springs, Wyoming, in 1885, I began to understand the point of view of the
American miners who were upset with the Chinese. I don't approve of the murders, but I
understand some of their motives now. So the whole story changed from a horror story to a
tragedy.

Do you think the attitude towards people of Asian heritage has changed?
Oh, yes, I've seen it all around me. When I was a kid in the 50s, I got spat on if I went into
certain areas of San Francisco. Now there are Asians all around. People cook with woks; they
use Chinese herbal cures like tiger balm. I think it's very interesting how Americans have
embraced the martial arts. When I was a kid, you were embarrassed if you were learning tai chi,
because you were an American, and you were supposed to learn how to box. Now it seems like
every third child is taking some kind of martial arts lesson. It's similar in a way to what I've
learned about Hawaii, where people were embarrassed to do the hula at one time. Now it's a
matter of pride to learn hula.

Do you have any hobbies or pets?
I would love pets, but I have asthma, so my wife has threatened to replace me with six dogs
when I'm dead. I like to walk a lot — we live two blocks from the ocean. Every time I walk by
the beach it's like looking at a different page in the same book. My wife and I watch sea otters
mate and their pups grow up. We've seen whales and coves of pelicans so crowded you can't
see the water because the pelicans are wingtip to wingtip. If I had the time, I'd love to play
computer games. I do watch a lot of Japanese animation. In America, we only get to see a little
of what's available in Japan, but through fans, I've been able to see a little bit more of what else
is out there.

What advice would you give to young writers who want to publish their work?
Well, the first thing is to write about what they know. And the second thing is to try to use all
their senses when they write. Too many writers just use their eyes. It's more striking if you can
use smells, for instance. Try and map your world by smells. Beyond that, you have to just pay
attention to the world around you — gestures that a person makes, how they change their
voice. I've taught creative writing at UC Berkeley, and it's surprising how much detail people
leave out. Once you connect these details to your memories, you can start making them come
to life.

50. Do you have any final words for the audience?
Well, it's been a pleasure talking to you. I look forward to reading your books when they come
out!