Cultural Comparisons

 Having students do a cultural comparison between their own culture and one represented in a book they are reading is an efficient way to combine reading and writing skills.  Three books that lend themselves to this exercise explore Chinese, Korean and Indian traditions. The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach finds Francine Zhang enlisting the help of Ollie Tran to stand in as her dying grandfather's male heir.  In the Chinese culture only a male can ceremonially honor ancestors. The Name Drop by Susan Lee enlists K-drama tropes to tells the story of two Korean teens who switch identities for a summer internship.  He is the son of the corporation's CEO and she is the daughter of an employee who worked to create the internship program. Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel follows two feuding teens to Dubai where they are celebrating Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights with their families. Copious details about Dubai and Diwali make this an informative, as well as entertaining read. In all three books the struggles females face to achieve in their culture are explored. 

In The Boy You Always Wanted Francine Zhang's dying grandfather, A Gung, regrets having no male descendants to honor their ancestors, so she comes up with a plan.  She ask Ollie Tran, who like Francine is a Chinese/Vietnamese American, to become A Gung's honorary heir.  Although Ollie is at first opposed, he realizes their families have know each other since before they came to the U.S., and A Gung provided for Ollie when his father died and left his family destitute. In return Francine will help Ollie beef up his extracurriculars for college applications. They join the multicultural club where he's responsible for a booth at their annual fundraising event, showcasing his family history, about which he knows little.  As he researches and pours over old pictures Francine has provided, he discovers an alarming secret.  Told from alternating perspectives, the story highlights two teens growing romantically involved as they investigate their heritage and the ties that bind.

Switched identity, ala The Prince and The Pauper, is explored in The Name Drop. Jessica Lee is a top southern California high school student who earns a summer internship in New York with her father's employer, the Korean tech company Haneul Corporation.  Elijah Ri is the son of Haneul's Seoul-based CEO and will reluctantly be spending the summer as an executive trainee there. Because their Korean names Yoo-Jin Lee are the same, the airlines confuses them and puts Jessica in first class and Elijah in coach.  When they arrive, Jessica is whisked off to a townhouse and Elijah ends up in a cramped apartment with the interns.  By the time the two figure out what happened, Elijah, who has been yearning to live a less sheltered life, proposes they continue with the switch, and Jessica, who turns out to be an excellent leader, agrees.  The two bond while working together on a company event, but differing perspectives on life threaten their budding romance.  Told in Jess and Eli's alternating perspectives, peppered with classic K-drama tropes (demanding parents, an elite male attracted to a low status female, a Cinderella makeover) this humorous and romantic tale is filled with rapid-fire banter and a relatable emotional connection where the lovers give each other the strength to follow their hearts.

Sleepless in Dubai introduces former best friends, Nikki, an aspiring photographer, and Yash, a graphic artist, who are neighbors whose parents are also best friends. The kids had a falling out when, confronted by her parents, Yash confirms Nikki had been sneaking out with friends to go clubbing.   She is furious and gives him the silent treatment for most of the school year. To complicate matters he accidentally drives over her most prized possession, a camera gifted to her by her dad.  When their parents plan a trip to Dubai for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, Nikki realizes that her parents are hoping she will let go of her grudge and make up with Yash.  Arriving in Dubai, Nikki attempts to mend fences, especially since her parents will not allow her to go out alone.  When Yash presents her with a new camera, they begin taking excursions and Nikki realizes she's developing romantic feelings for him.  Nikki confesses her crush, but Yash reveals a secret that has her reeling.  The elaborate descriptions of Dubai and the constant smorgasbord of Indian delicacies delightfully illustrates a culture that readers will devour. This book comes out October 24, 2023.