Little Cricket by Jackie Brown
WAW 2006 Award Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
December 30, 2006
The relationship between grandfather and grandchild is the
essence of this novel that is full of lessons about life and what
is truly important in life. The story begins in faraway Laos, where
remnants of the Vietnam War rages on. The setting soon transposes
to Minnesota where the Laotian characters immigrate as refugees of
that war. They are sponsored by a church group and must learn to
assimilate into the American culture. That, of course, is not an
overnight transformation, but the old and the young each find their
own ways of dealing with their new environment.
Stories and advice from grandfather attempt to ease tension or
disarm feelings of conflict, such as those faced when confronted by
feelings of discrimination: "Remember, what people say, Little
Cricket, is not important. It is how you act when they say these
things that is important." (pages 234-236)
Readers will learn a little bit about the Hmong language and
culture by reading this book. A Hmong proverb also provides the
preface of the book: "The stripe of a tiger is apparent to the eye,
but the character of a person is hidden deep inside."
Look for examples of figures of speech, such as this simile: "Your father was a playful as a river otter when he was a child."
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