FROM THE PUBLISHER

Du Nguyen is finally home. Except he's never even met his family. And home is an ocean away from everything he's ever known. Du's mother, father, brother, and two sisters immigrated to California when he was just a baby. Du and his grandmother had to stay behind in the Philippines.
But now, 10 years later, Du has finally joined his family. And the trouble begins.
What's so great about this place, anyway? Du wonders. Kids at school call him Doo-doo, and it's hard to muster a good comeback when he can't think of the right words in English.
Only his grandmother understands who Du really is. "You are a dragon," she says. But for Du to feel like a dragon, he must untangle the trouble he finds himself in and call upon the strength he knows he's always carried inside.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Lauri Berkenkamp

Du and his grandmother are the last members of Du's family to emigrate to the United States. He and his grandmother have lived in the Philippines since he was a baby and he does not remember his parents, sisters, or brothers. When Du and his grandmother join his family, miscommunication and cultural differences abound. Du finds coupons for free chickens in an alley near a store and thinks he will bring home food for his family, but he is accused of trying to cheat the grocery store. He is offended when he is put into a lower reading group and refuses to acknowledge that he can read or speak English. Du's next-door neighbor is a mean old man who spies on him, and Du's parents and brothers and sisters think he is a lazy boy who only brings trouble to the family. Every time Du tries to make friends or help his family, his plans backfire. He feels very much alone until he finds a stray cat that he secretly feeds. The cat has kittens in his mean neighbor's shed. When he brings food to the mother cat and her babies, he discovers that his mean old neighbor has sad memories tucked away in the shed. Over the course of the novel, Du becomes more familiar with his family, his surroundings, and his neighbor. When a fire in the shed threatens his cat and her babies, Du and the old man rescue the cat and share a new bond. Du's struggle to be accepted and find a place for himself in his family and his community is inspiring. The happy ending of this book is well deserved and very satisfying. Young readers will identify with Du's misinterpreted efforts to do the right thing. Many adults will recognize themselves in Du's parents, who are so focused on providing for their family and fitting into theircommunity that they overlook the spirit of Du's efforts to help out and, instead, only see the mishaps that result. 2005, Delacorte Press, Ages 9 up.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-After fleeing their native Vietnam and spending years in the Philippines recovering from TB, Du Nguyen and his grandmother have come at last to the United States to be reunited with Du's parents and siblings. The 11-year-old's life is filled with adjustments to his new family, school, language, and lifestyle. He finds refuge in a storage shed where he hides a cat and plots mischievous revenge on his spying neighbor. Du is rambunctious, impulsive, and stubborn. He harasses his brother and sisters, torments his neighbor, and frustrates his overworked father. At school, his lack of effort and sullen attitude mask his struggles with self-identity and assimilation. Only his grandmother sees Du as a "dragon," lucky, smart, and resourceful. When he salvages parts to rebuild a bike, he is accused of theft. The elderly neighbor comes to his rescue and Du learns valuable lessons about truth, tolerance, and helping others. When his math prowess is revealed to the class, his annoying behavior and hyperactive demeanor begin to improve. Good deeds and positive thinking fuel his emotional growth. Du's voice is energetic, descriptive, and direct. His reflections on refugee life and coming to America are unadorned. His bond with his grandmother is strong. Du's perspective and story may help sensitize readers to the cultural and emotional hurdles facing many immigrant classmates. While his disruptive behavior belies his abilities, in the end he begins to mature, accepting and demonstrating his family's values of respect, hard work, and honesty.-Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Left behind when his family emigrated from Vietnam, fifth-grader Du Nguyen rejoins his parents and three older siblings after ten years and finds the U.S. a strange and difficult world. At home, his brother calls him bad-luck kid and his father is angry all the time. In the neighborhood, the kids are all hiding and the man next door is a spy. At school, he's called doo-doo, the work is boring and he's in the dumb reading class. Time after time he gets in trouble because of his small-boy energy and inability to understand. In the Philippines, he was a leader, and he took care of his ailing grandmother; here, he can do nothing right. Luckily he still has his grandmother, who gently corrects him with stories, and assures him that inside he really is a brave, strong dragon. This is a completely convincing picture of the immigrant experience from the point of view of a small boy. The first-person narrative reveals his growing understanding of the world around him. Both funny and moving, Du's story will captivate middle-grade readers while it introduces them to a new way of looking at their world. (Fiction. 8-12)