
A parent might reach for this book when their imaginative, slightly anxious child is preparing for a new sibling and starting to ask questions about their mixed-race identity. Cilla Lee-Jenkins, a funny and heartfelt half-Chinese, half-Caucasian girl, is convinced the new baby will erase her from the family. Her solution: write an epic memoir to achieve literary greatness before she's forgotten. The book deftly blends laugh-out-loud humor with sincere explorations of jealousy, family love, and what it means to belong. It’s an excellent choice for normalizing the big, complicated feelings that come with family changes and for providing a mirror for biracial children navigating their place in the world.
The book deals directly with navigating a biracial identity. Cilla confronts microaggressions like being asked, "What are you?" and feels caught between the different cultural expectations of her grandparents. The approach is secular, gentle, and filtered through a child's authentic perspective. The resolution is hopeful, as Cilla learns to embrace the unique blend of her heritage as a source of strength and personal identity.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThis book is perfect for an 8-10 year old who is creative, a bit dramatic, and grappling with the arrival of a new sibling. It is an especially crucial read for a biracial child (particularly of East Asian and White heritage) who is beginning to notice they are different and needs language and validation for their experience.
The book can be read cold. However, a parent should be prepared for conversations about race and identity. Cilla's experiences, like when a classmate points out her eyes are "slanty," provide gentle, organic entry points to discuss microaggressions and what it means to be proud of one's heritage. A parent has just heard their child express fear of being forgotten when a new baby arrives ("Will you still love me?") or confusion about their mixed-race background ("Why don't I look like Grandma?"). The child might be feeling overlooked or is struggling to articulate their place in the family or world.
A younger reader (8-9) will primarily connect with the universal humor of Cilla's antics, her friendship troubles, and the relatable jealousy toward a new sibling. An older reader (10-12) will better appreciate the nuanced exploration of biracial identity, the cleverness of the memoir-within-a-book format, and the subtle ways Cilla asserts her own narrative.
Its primary differentiator is the seamless and humorous integration of new-sibling anxiety with the exploration of a biracial identity. While many books tackle one or the other, this story shows how they are intertwined in a child's life. The first-person narrative, presented as Cilla's own 'memoir,' is charming, funny, and deeply authentic, making complex topics feel accessible and lighthearted.
Eight-year-old Cilla Lee-Jenkins, who is half-Chinese and half-Caucasian, is worried that the impending arrival of her new baby sister will make her invisible to her family. To secure her place in history, she decides to write her memoir, documenting her quest for literary greatness, her observations about her biracial identity, her relationships with her family (especially her Chinese grandmother, Nai Nai), and the everyday dramas of school and friendship.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.