You are invited to join us for the third NNLM Book Discussion. From November 1, 2022 until January 31, 2023 we will read
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang.
In Chinese, the word for America, Mei Guo, translates directly to "beautiful country." Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. In China, Qian's parents were professors; in America, her family is "illegal" and it will require all the determination and small joys they can muster to survive.
In Chinatown, Qian's parents labor in sweatshops. Instead of laughing at her jokes, they fight constantly, taking out the stress of their new life on one another. Shunned by her classmates and teachers for her limited English, Qian takes refuge in the library and masters the language through books, coming to think of The Berenstain Bears as her first American friends. And where there is delight to be found, Qian relishes it: her first bite of gloriously greasy pizza, weekly "shopping days," when Qian finds small treasures in the trash lining Brooklyn's streets, and a magical Christmas visit to Rockefeller Center-confirmation that the New York City she saw in movies does exist after all.
But then Qian's headstrong Ma Ma collapses, revealing an illness that she has kept secret for months for fear of the cost and scrutiny of a doctor's visit. As Ba Ba retreats further inward, Qian has little to hold onto beyond his constant refrain: Whatever happens, say that you were born here, that you've always lived here.
After acquiring the book in your preferred format, you can join us any time between November 1 until January 31 to participate.
NNLM Book Discussion offers librarians and library staff interested in better understanding health issues faced by people in the communities that they serve an opportunity to explore topics with other professionals and earn Continuing Education Credit.
Participants can complete the book and earn CE credit on their schedule. A new book is selected each quarter. Participants can acquire the book in their performed format and have three months to complete the requirements.
Requirements to earn CE.
- Complete the book in your preferred format
- Log into the Moodle
- Explore the related resources
- Do ONE of the following
- Answer the required discussion question in Moodle
- Attend one of the two live discussion sessions and participate (December 9, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. PT or January 24, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. PT, please check your time zone)
It is not necessary to engage in Moodle discussions for all three months, although you are welcome to do so.
Register Here.
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Bobbi Newman, MLIS, MA
she/her/hers
Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 6
Wellness Ambassador, Senior Librarian, University of Iowa
bobbi-newman@uiowa.edu------------------------------