Laurence Yep

This picture book biography introduces young readers to Laurence Yep, the acclaimed author of 'Dragonwings' and 'Dragon's Gate.' It sensitively explores Yep's childhood experience of feeling like an outsider, caught between his Chinese heritage and American upbringing in California. The narrative highlights how he channeled these feelings into a love for reading and writing, ultimately finding his identity and becoming a celebrated author. It's a powerful story about belonging, self-discovery, and the transformative power of literature, perfect for sparking conversations about identity and perseverance.

Growing up as a Chinese American in California, Laurence Yep felt trapped between two worlds, belonging to neither one. It was this feeling of being an outsider that caused him to lose himself in books and eventually become the writer of two Newbery Honor books himself. Readers will be inspired by this simply-told biography of the author of Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate. A Words to Know section prepares readers for any unfamiliar vocabulary they may find in the text, and personal photographs and direct quotations from Yep paint a colorful picture of this important author.