Spike, the Amazing Chicken: A Story from Out West Book

Here I am reading another Andrea Cheng book. Having reread my ratings/reviews for others I see that my opinions have varied. With the reading of this earlier work (2004) I see how certain themes come up again in Year of the Book. Here she has two different Chinese girls becoming acquainted after Sarah's neighbor friend Victoria moves suddenly. Victoria's story is confusing and troubling, and not written, but it seems like it will be on a happier path. Sarah is Chinese-American and speaks no Chinese. Ting is given the name Tina when she joins her parents in the United States. Both girls feel isolated in their school - the prejudice bubbles up without thought. Both are dealing with stress at home as Sarah's father travels a lot for work and Tina's father is away a lot trying to acquire a green card. The girls are wary of becoming friends. I really like the character development in such a short work.