Parachute kids: a graphic novel

Ten-year-old Feng Li Lin is so excited for her family's first trip to the United States! Their amazing whirlwind tour of Los Angeles-including Disneyland and meeting Mickey Mouse!-is sure to make her the envy of her friends back home. But after an action-packed two weeks, she and her siblings-16-year-old sister Jia Xi and 14-year-old brother Ke Gang-learn that they will remain indefinitely in California while first their father and then their mother returns to Taiwan. Suddenly Feng Li and her siblings are thrust into an alien world where even the local Chinese restaurant tastes nothing like home and the fear of being discovered by Immigration become a daily reality. As they navigate a new school, new names, a new language, and making new friends, they also contend with bullies and racism, the pressures of running a household, and the challenges of getting along with one another. But there are funny times too, as well as the generosity of neighbors and the kindness of new friends. With humor and insight, Parachute Kids digs deep into the hardships and psychological challenges of being left to fend for yourself in an unfamiliar place, while celebrating the comical moments and the incredible strength and courage it takes to make a life on your own.