Taiwanese siblings face racism in emotional graphic novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
Feng-Li and her siblings face racism and bullying at school: Kids mock their English, ask if they eat dogs, slant their eyes while saying things like "ching-ching-chong-chong" and "ping-ping-pong-pong," and more. Bullying kids beat up a boy at school, and he later ends up in the hospital, unconscious with a concussion and broken bones. A character makes fun of a boy and his friend, calling them lovebirds and saying that's why "Chinamen" are sissies. A girl gets scammed by someone pretending to be from INS (the Immigration and Naturalization Service). Feng-Li and her siblings argue and sometimes punch each other.
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There's talk about crushes and dating. A girl kisses a boy on the cheek. A character is told by family members that boys don't kiss or marry boys. A boy remembers the first time he kissed a boy and attempts to kiss his male friend.
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Brands and pop culture mentions include Disneyland and the Glass Mask manga series. Ke-Gāng's friends steal popsicles, and Feng-Li gets caught stealing an Intendo game that she thinks will help her fit in at school.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Minors smoke cigarettes.
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The author was born in Taiwan and immigrated to America as a parachute kid when she was 10. There are Taiwanese, Chinese, and Chinese American characters in the story. Ke-Gāng is gay and struggles with his identity throughout the story.
Readers will learn about parachute kids, the immigrant experience, and racism. The author's note at the back of the book explains that the story is loosely based on her experience as a parachute kid and her immigrant friends' stories.
Positive Messages
some
Family, friendship, communication, compassion, integrity, and perseverance are important themes. You can overcome any challenge if you face it with your family. Learn to care about others' feelings.
Positive Role Models
some
The Lin siblings are strong, smart, and determined. Although they sometimes make bad decisions, they help each other adjust to life in a new country. Jenny is a great friend to Jia-Xi. The Tians look out for the Lin siblings when their parents return to Taiwan.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Betty C. Tang's Parachute Kids: A Graphic Novel is an emotional tale about three Taiwanese siblings learning to navigate life in America without their parents. Readers will also learn about racism and the parachute kids' immigrant experience. The story is loosely based on her own experience as a parachute kid and her immigrant friends' stories. Important themes include family, friendship, communication, compassion, integrity, and perseverance. Diverse representations include Taiwanese, Chinese, and Chinese American characters. There's also one gay character who struggles with his identity throughout the story. Feng-Li and her siblings face racism and bullying at school: kids mock their English, ask if they eat dogs, slant their eyes while saying things like "ching-ching-chong-chong" and "ping-ping-pong-pong," and more. Bullying kids beat a boy up at school and later he ends up in the hospital, unconscious with a concussion and broken bones. A character makes fun of a boy and his friend, calling them lovebirds and saying that's why "Chinamen" are sissies. A girl kisses a boy on the cheek. A character is told by family members that boys don't kiss or marry boys. A boy remembers the first time he kissed a boy and attempts to kiss his male friend. Characters steal popsicles, and Feng-Li gets caught stealing an Intendo game that she thinks will help her fit in at school. Language includes variations of "shut up," "crap," and "stupid." Name-calling includes "dumb," "jerk," "coward," "idiot," and "lazy piggy." Teens smoke cigarettes.
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What's the Story?
In PARACHUTE KIDS: A GRAPHIC NOVEL, 10-year-old Feng-Li Lin is excited about her vacation in America. After an initial visa mishap at the airport, she and her family explore all the sights Los Angeles offers. But the Lin family vacation has an unexpected ending: Feng-Li, her 14-year-old brother, Ke-Gāng, and her 16-year-old sister, Jia-Xi, will stay in America for school while their parents return to Taiwan. The Lin siblings must now learn how to take care of themselves in a new country with only each other to lean on. But with her siblings constantly fighting, Feng-Li has difficulty adjusting and making friends at school. Little does she know that her brother and sister are also struggling. When all three kids find themselves in bad situations, can Feng-Li find a way to save her family?
Author Betty C. Tang tackles identity, racism, and the immigrant experience in her fast-paced and emotional graphic novel. Loosely based on her experience and her immigrant friends' stories, Tang realistically depicts the many challenges that parachute kids face while adjusting to life in another country without their parents. Being the new kid in school is hard, but even more so when you can't communicate with others. Readers will love the bright, bold colors and how Tang brilliantly uses different colored speech bubbles to indicate what language the characters are speaking. Although the end of Parachute Kids feels rushed, and Feng-Li's brother isn't allowed to share his true identity with his family, readers will appreciate how the Lin siblings come together and learn the importance of communication, perseverance, integrity, and compassion.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Parachute Kids deals with immigration, racism, and bullying. How do these issues affect the characters?
Why do you think author Betty C. Tang decided to write a story that mirrors her own life? What kind of power do immigrant stories hold?
Talk about the various kinds of diversity in the novel. Why are diverse representations important in children's and young adult literature?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Amanda Nojadera
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
