Only One Year
Basic Information:
Illustrator: Nicole Wong
Publication Year: Apr 2010
Publisher: Lee and Low Books
Book Type: Chapter Book
Grades: 2nd to 5th
ISBN-10: 1600602525
ISBN-13: 978-1600602528
About the Book:
Sharon can hardly believe the news. Di Di, her two-year-old brother, is being taken to China to spend a year with their grandparents. Why can’t he go to day care or be watched by a babysitter when Mama goes back to work? Sharon wonders. But her parents say it is better for relatives to take care of little children.
After Di Di first leaves, Sharon and her younger sister, Mary, pore over the photographs their grandma sends, trying to keep their little brother fresh in their minds. As the year passes, the girls become involved with school, friends, and hobbies. They think of Di Di less often. Then one day he is home again, and it feels as if a stranger has entered their lives. The children struggle to sort out their mixed emotions but soon discover that the bonds among siblings hold strong.
This reassuring story is a gentle tribute to the enduring love of family, even when it is tested by a difficult choice.
Author Perspective:
Many of my stories deal with separation. Only One Year, Shanghai Messenger, The Key Collection, Grandfather Counts, Goldfish and Chrysanthemums, Eclipse, The Bear Makers all include family members who are separated by thousands of miles of ocean. Maybe this theme resonates with me because of my own family situation. When I was a child, my mother was often sad because her father lived behind the iron curtain. During the cold war, we were not able to see him; travel and communicate by mail were difficult. The sadness of my mother was transferred to me.
My husband’s family situation was in some ways similar. My mother-in-law was separated from her entire family in China, and for years she didn’t even know if her parents or siblings were alive.
Recently, I have had several English as a Second Language students from Asia, Africa, and Latin America who have sent their children back to their home countries to be raised by grandparents for a certain period of time. Only One Year comes from their stories.
Although this idea may seem strange to some Americans, in many cultures, family means extended family. Grandparents are an integral part of the lives of their children and grandchildren. In the United States, we tend to segregate people by age. Old people often live in retirement centers or nursing homes. This is rare in China where often many generations live together. One of my husband’s uncles who hosted us in Shanghai lives in an apartment with his wife and granddaughter. His daughter and son-in-law live downstairs. Extended family members share everything and make decisions together. This is also the case in Only One Year.
I hope readers see that there are so many ways to be a family. In Only One Year, Sharon and Mary have a hard time adjusting to Di Di’s absence. Later they have a hard time adjusting when he returned. But they do learn to accept and embrace the new situation. Although it is sometimes difficult, family bonds hold strong.
Awards:
Reviews:
Booklist
"Although she sometimes finds him troublesome, fourth-grader Sharon can’t bear the idea that her two- year-old brother, Di Di, will spend a whole school year with relatives in China while she and her first- grade sister, Mary, go to school and her parents work. Time passes faster than she expects, as she and Mary forge a new relationship by building a dollhouse and playing school after homework is done. Di Di returns in the summer, and after a period of readjustment fits back into the family. Soon he’s off to preschool himself. While it is not atypical for immigrant families to send children to relatives, it is an unusual subject for a chapter book. The first-person narrative opens up Sharon’s conflicted feelings, and it is clear that what is best for Di Di is not easy for anyone, including her parents. Realistically, the fitting- back-in period is even more difficult than the absence. Supportive black-and-white illustrations and a glossary/pronunciation guide for the occasional Chinese words and phrases complete the appealing package of this gentle family story." Booklist Feb. 15
The Horn Book
"Who would send a toddler far away to live with relatives? Nine-year-old Sharon and her younger sister face this question when their mother gently explains that their little brother, Di Di, will be leaving in just two weeks to live for a year in China with their grandmother. Though the girls suggest daycare or a babysitter, Mama is firm. “A babysitter is not like Nai Nai. For a babysitter, Di Di is a job. But for Nai Nai, he is a grandson.” All members of this loving family miss Di Di, and the girls understand that having a brother on the other side of the world is not the norm in America. They comfort themselves with the photos Nai Nai sends each week, poring over each new haircut and physical change. When Di Di finally returns home, the adjustment isn’t easy: Di Di misses his grandmother, the girls are not used to his crying, and the parents have to juggle everyone’s emotions. While American children might be initially surprised to read about a small boy living away from his immediate family for such a long time, Cheng’s tender story reminds us that there are many ways to raise children. Frequent, homey black-and-white illustrations and back matter such as a pronunciation guide, glossary, and author’s note add to the young reader’s appreciation of the story." Horn Book, March/April 2010
Kirkus
"Cheng, known for exploring issues of diversity (Shanghai Messenger, illustrated by Ed Young, 2005, etc.), tackles a custom that many will find disorienting. Sharon and her younger sister are upset that their two-year-old brother, Di Di, will live with extended family in China for the “only one year” of the title. . . . Those familiar with this practice will appreciate the book’s frank and thoughtful tone that never diminishes the family’s longing. For others, Di Di’s trauma upon his return, when he no longer recognizes his parents or sisters nor understands or speaks English, will resonate. . . . Wong’s graceful black-and-white sketches complement the text."
Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books
The notion of sending a youngster abroad for a year will be novel to many young readers, and the book does a solid job of matter-of-factly explaining the custom in an appended note and in the text (Mama poignantly says, “For a babysitter, Di Di is a job. But for Nai Nai, he is a grandson”), even as it allows for classmate reaction that confirm it’s a concept alien to many. Sharon’s narration believably focuses on the concrete and the specific, its style understated but still reflective of her often conflicting emotions. Wong’s monochromatic illustrations have a homey informality, and the sibs are caught in believable and telling poses as they cuddle, bicker, and play. Respectful yet accessible, this is a quietly solid family drama in early chapter-book form. "
Rutgers Project on Economics and Children
by Rutgers Project on Economics and Children
"This new addition to the literature comes at a welcome time as working families all over the country face difficult choices about child care. With the high cost of daycare and concerns about leaving young children with other people, numerous families turn to extended family members as a source of care. Only One Year provides a glimpse of the challenges that a tight-knit family experiences when they feel that their best option lies across the ocean in China. Deep issues perhaps, but clear text and a child's point of view help to make this book an ideal read for young learners."
Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books
The notion of sending a youngster abroad for a year will be novel to many young readers, and the book does a solid job of matter-of-factly explaining the custom in an appended note and in the text (Mama poignantly says, “For a babysitter, Di Di is a job. But for Nai Nai, he is a grandson”), even as it allows for classmate reaction that confirm it’s a concept alien to many. Sharon’s narration believably focuses on the concrete and the specific, its style understated but still reflective of her often conflicting emotions. Wong’s monochromatic illustrations have a homey informality, and the sibs are caught in believable and telling poses as they cuddle, bicker, and play. Respectful yet accessible, this is a quietly solid family drama in early chapter-book form. "
School Library Journal
"This slim novel opens a window into a unique cultural experience while showcasing the similarities of families. . . . This novel illuminates a family’s love and sibling dynamics and will be embraced by many young readers."
