Review: Parachute Kids

Parachute Kids
By Betty C. Tang
New York: Scholastic Inc., 2023. Comics. 281 pages.

After a fun trip to America, including a visit to Disneyland, Feng-li and her siblings are shocked to find out their parents plan on them staying in the United States... alone and undocumented.

This book made me feel all the emotions. I felt the anger and betrayal that Feng-li and her brother and sister felt at realizing their parents were going to leave them on their own in a new country. I felt sympathy at their frustration, embarrassment, and growing pains of learning a new language. My heart ached as they faced racism and fear of being found out as being undocumented. I was sick when they were scammed out of their life savings by unscrupulous people taking advantage of their inexperience and tenuous position in America.

This book is for anyone wanting to learn more about the immigrant experience. It's also for readers looking for a based on real-life story of overcoming obstacles, family dynamics with high highs and low lows, and the American dream being messily realized.

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