Ting Ting

I bought this book on a recommendation from a blog and thought it would be a nice read for my daughter. I read it first as I was interested to see how the author had handled the big issues of why the family had had to leave China and also how well it worked being written from the little girl's point of view. I loved it. The story was well written and the subject matter handled well. And the character Ting Ting was so well written, the eight year old's perspective was so real, from her relationships with family in China, to her fascination with donuts and the awkwardness of starting a new school in a new country. Her struggles to learn the language and the cultural nuances and how she had to help her parents was insightful and, from our perspective, quite educational.There were sad moments, funny ones, humiliating and loving interactions. I have given it to my daughter now and she is really enjoying it too.I am planning to buy another copy to give to our school library as it is an important read for young (and old) to help them gain a little more understanding, respect and empathy for those forced to leave their homes due to political changes. Ting Ting was a very positive character and a great role model for children.

I purchased Ting Ting directly from the publisher, Sono Nis and I found it to be a really well written story about a young girl, Ting Ting, who is forced to relocate with her family from China to Vancouver, Canada, after the Tinanmen Square incident in China. Ting Ting has spent her entire life in China, being the top student in her class, much loved by her parents and extended family, and she even has an annoying cousin Junjie who likes to irritate Ting Ting by pulling pranks on her. Kristie Hammond brings her characters to life, developing them so that they seem like real people in real life situations, so that you can just imagine Ting Ting's daily life and adventures first in China, then in Canada,and the people she interacts with. You develop real empathy for Ting Ting when her world is turned upside down and she comes to a distant, unfamiliar land in a new country with a totally new and unfamiliar language, people and customs from what she is used to. Ting Ting goes from being the top student in China to someone who cannot even understand anything that is being said in a Canadian classroom. Food is completely unfamiliar too and one can just imagine eating a doughnut, or a turkey dinner for the first time with Ting Ting. Ting Ting goes from life in China with a doctor mother and engineer father to being a refugee with a totally different standard of living in her new country. I really enjoyed reading about Ting Ting's adventures and I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what happens next. This is a really good story for everyone, from about 8 years old to 98 years old. Kristie Hammond has really captured what it must feel like for immigrants new to Canada, plus it is great for non-immigrants like myself to read too because it is an eye opener for the rest of us to see Canada (or it could be the U.S. too) through the eyes of someone new to the country. This is truly a richly written story with well developed characters that is a pleasure to read and I look forward to new publications from this author.

I need to say upfront that I've been a follower of Kristie Hammond's blog for years and am probably biased in favor of her succeeding as an author. That being said, I enjoyed Ting Ting so much that I read the entire book in one sitting on the day it arrived in my mail box. The writing is geared toward pre-teens/young adults, so it only took a couple hours to read. The trials and triumphs of this little Chinese girl made me alternately smile, laugh out loud, and shed a few tears. And that's how I know a book is worth reading -- it touches the emotions and makes you think about things (in this case, the life of a new immigrant). I'd recommend it for all ages, not just the youngsters.

Ting Ting is an endearing story about a young girl adjusting to major changes in her life. Her parents travel to a country far away in distance and culture leaving Ting Ting with extended family. While Ting's parents are gone, Tiananmen Square protests cause upheaval and violence and Ting's parents have an opportunity to stay in the country they are visiting. This is an engaging story and I was caught up in the choices and decisions that Ting Ting's parents made and Ting's adventures along the way. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Ting's life in China and how she adapted to life in North America. I was left wanting to read more about Ting.I loved this book. I have bought copies for my grandchildren and I can't wait to share Ting Ting with them.