Love, Love

Gr 3-7–Frances Chin is a Chinese American girl living in Detroit with her family. Her older sister Clara is losing her hair, and Frances wants to help her. She attempts to find the wig Clara wears to school but does not return home wearing, she observes her sister to see what could be making her hair fall out, and she tries to stay out of her parent’s way as they try to find solutions. Chang’s novel in verse thoughtfully addresses hair loss in children, being an immigrant in the United States, and the plight of kids who are worried but do not have the words to share their concern—whether they are too scared or too shy or just do not know what to say. Frances deals with isolation from her peers (she has only one real friend), and struggles connecting to other children who make fun of her and her sister because of their appearance and ethnicity. Frances lives in the shadow of her sister, and she has talents that her parents do not recognize because they are not strictly based in academic excellence. Her time on the tennis court allows her to be herself and forget about her worries— but that time is not always supported by her parents.