February 13, 2005 6:50 pm
The Flip Side
by Andrew Matthews
Teen Angst | 147pgs.
A disscusion in English class ends up with Robert Hunt having to dress as a girl and act a scene from Shakespeare's As You Like It opposite his crush Milena, who is playing the boy's part. Milena agrees to go out with him, but niether of them can forget Rosalind and they are forced to question who they really are and what they really want.
The story itself starts out good, but takes a rather dissapointing direction (I'm not saying anymore as I absolutely hate spoilers). However, the book has some very interesting observations on life and society, and, considering how short it is, may be worth reading just for that.
Dragon's Gate
by Laurence Yep
Historical Ficiton | 272pgs.
Otter lives a privaliged life in the village of Three Willows in China, but he has always dreamed of being a guest in America, the Land of the Golden Mountain. His father and uncle have told many wonderful tales of that land, and the technology it has which will free China from the Manchus. However, when Otter is forced to leave home, the reality he finds in America, working on the transcontinental railroad is vastly different from what he has been told.
A well-written and easy to read account of the Chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad, this story is inspiring, even if it may be different in some ways from the typical worker's experience.
