Lauri Berkenkamp (Children's Literature)
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 their community that they overlook the spirit of Du’s efforts to help out and, instead, only see the mishaps that result. 2005, Delacorte Press, $14.95. Ages 9 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 20))
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. 2005, Delacorte, 224p, $14.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 12. Starred Review. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ruie Chehak (Library Media Connection, November/December 2005)
Upon arrival in the United States, Du doesn't recognize his own mother, one of his sisters is very loud, and his father is a short angry man. Du's arrival with his grandmother was delayed because they had tuberculosis and have spent the last 10 years in the Philippines. Now, Du can't seem to do anything right and his only sanctuary is with his grandmother. She knows who he really is, a proud dragon. Du must figure out how things work in his new world so he can find that proud dragon in his inner self. Linda Himelblau creates a world for Du that evokes many emotions in the reader. The reader readily understands the conflict of how everyone mistreats Du, and the reader wants him to succeed. Her descriptions of his misunderstanding of how things work in the United States and his treatment by the staff and the children at school are remarkably right on target. In the end Du gives the teachers a chance, and Du's father finally realizes that he is a good worker and not the bad-luck kid that his brother says he is. This book will make a fine addition to any elementary library, especially to those with a high percentage of ESOL students. Recommended. 2005, Delacorte Press (Random House), 208pp., $14.95 hc. Ages 8 to 11.

Deborah Stevenson, Associate Editor (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, December 2005 (Vol. 59, No. 4))
Du hasn’t seen his parents or older brother and sisters in almost a decade; they were admitted into America after they fled Vietnam, but Du and his grandmother lived in refugee housing in the Philippines until they were finally free of tuberculosis and able to join the family in California. Du would rather be back in the Philippines: there he ran wild, relishing the company of a host of enthusiastic agemates; here he’s forced to attend school, where he’s an outsider for his unfamiliarity with language and customs (his fifth-grade classmates nastily call him “Du Du”), and he’s a disappointment to his hardworking family. Du is a vivid contrast to the usual immigrant-story protagonist: rather than striving to be the dutiful child, he quickly rejects the humiliating mistakes that come with learning (“Try as hard as you can but it will not be right”) and mutinously follows the bad-boy path instead. Himelblau effectively and sympathetically depicts this stubborn, smart, tough-minded kid, wisely letting his adjustment quietly sneak up on readers as Du reluctantly ceases his warfare with the old man next door and gradually makes a friend at school; even when he’s aiming his efforts more positively, he remains obstinate and impulsive, so his character is consistent even as his outlook moderates. Though the story occurs fifteen years previously, the challenges Du faces are sufficiently familiar to easily elide the time gap for contemporary youngsters, who will admire Du’s boldness and root for his success. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2005, Delacorte, 224p, $16.99 and $14.95. Grades 5-7.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2006)
After years in a refugee camp, Du Nguyen and his grandmother are finally joining the rest of the family, who escaped war-torn Vietnam years ago. American life is nothing like he imagined, and Du finds himself constantly in trouble, at school and at home. Himelblau's novel is often funny and bittersweet, as likable Du creates relationships where none seem possible. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2005, Delacorte, 201pp, 14.95, 16.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.