(The Greatest Book in History!) debbie yamada visited our school
her book has so much history in it
did you know that the 2 kids in the story are the names of her children I just finished reading "Striking It Rich," and I think it's a wonderful book. Using the story device of finding old letters from the 1850s worked very well; it brought the characters to life. I learned many things about Chinese immigrant life in the U.S. that I didn't know before--the novel is very informative.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone (both adults and students) who wants a greater understanding of the reasons why the early Chinese immigrants would risk so much to come to a distant land and the hardships they faced upon their arrival.
I hope that the author, Debbie Leung Yamada, continues to write and produce more books such as this one. I think she has a fine talent and a voice that is needed to be heard.
This book is one of the most facinating books that I have read in a long time. It was captivating from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. This book taught me much about the history of Chinese-Americans during the Gold Rush Era. I recommend this book for all ages to read. This is an exciting historical fiction book. The story starts when two kids visit their grandma's house and find a mystery room. Many exciting chapters await you as the secret unfolds. I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't wait to see what happened! Ms. Yamada brings this story to life! I enjoyed this book immensely. Christie and Michael are visiting their grandparents' old store outside Oakland, California. For years they've heard stories from Auntie Mei about a mysterious room hidden somewhere in the store, but although they've looked, no one has ever found it. Its just a story. Or so they think, until the day they actually discover the hidden room. Hoping to find treasure, Christie and Michael find that they stumbled across letters written by early Chinese pioneers during the California Gold Rush. The letters offer a treasure that Christie and Michael never imagined.
With flashbacks that take them back in time to the lives of the letter writers, Christie and Michael "meet" some of the earliest Chinese immigrants and discover a rich sense of their own history and heritage as Chinese Americans.