Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story Book

SUMMARY:
An effective, accurate and captivating account of Anna May Wong's childhood, young adulthood and early career. Yoo efficiently details Wong's inspiration to become an actress, her struggle (against biases of her family and Hollywood racism) to become successful, and her mid-career commitment to take on only those roles depicting Chinese- and Asian-Americans in a respectful light. Lin Wang's engaging illustrations help animate the experiential dimensions of Yoo's biographical narrative.

WHAT I ENJOYED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
:: The energy of the narrative remains upbeat, even as the story is sort of a downer. I admire how Yoo balanced the Wong's hardships with the actress's fortitude and personal inspiration. The choice worked, conveying the story effectively for the anticipated younger reader while not diminishing the facts of the situation. This is an upbeat book, but it doesn't actually sugar-coat Wong's experience. And Yoo calibrates this with incredible grace & intelligence.
:: The ending point was a bit abrupt (the book stops just as Wong returns from China and as her career begins to change) but the biographical note at the end permits an interested student to follow-up on the story.