Apple Pie 4th of July

Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie 4th of July. Illus. Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Orlando FL: Voyager Books/Harcourt, Inc., 2002.

Apple Pie 4th of July is a cute story about a little girl whose parents own a Chinese Restaurant. She is trying to fit in with the American holiday, 4th of July. However, she feels that her parents do not understand American tradition because their Chinese restaurant is open even though nobody is coming inside. The girl feels that nobody would even think about eating Chinese food on the 4th of July.

I think this is a good story for all children because it tells the story from the perspective of a person coming from a non-traditional background. This way, the story shows children that people do have different histories and traditions, as well as showing other children that some backgrounds are just like their own. I think that it is good for children to see that we can find similarities and differences in almost anyone.

At the end of the story, people finally decide to come in and get some Chinese food. The character also gets to eat her apple pie and enjoy the fireworks, just like everybody else on the 4th of July. The author even mentions that fireworks are Chinese. I like this incorporates that part of Chinese tradition (fireworks) are used in American traditions as well. This helps kids to understand some of the similiarities that our cultures share. It also shows how our cultures and traditions have been intertwined in the fact that her Chinese parents participate in the 4th of July, while still remembering their heritage.