The Jade Bracelet

When the girls at school show off their shiny new bracelets, newly arrived immigrant Tien is embarrassed by the plain jade bracelet she wears as a symbol of her Vietnamese heritage.

Although Tien loves the Vietnamese traditions her family celebrates, more than anything she wants to fit in at school and be just like her classmates. So, when all the girls start wearing brand-new sparkly bracelets, Tien tries to hide the simple jade bangle her mother gave her in memory of her grandmother. Now her bracelet looks like an old green thing and an embarrassed Tien runs home crying, flinging it on the floor.  Her sympathetic mama understands and takes Tien to the shop to buy the popular bracelet. But at the last minute, Tien remembers her grandmother’s love and decides to wear her jade bracelet proudly.

   The Jade Bracelet is based on the author’s own experience of being the new kid at school and wanting to blend in. Now an elementary teacher, Hà Dinh encourages her immigrant students to share and honor their family’s traditions.

Hà Dinh wanted to be an author from the moment she first held a book in her hands. In addition to her writing, she is the founder of the Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Blog and an educator. Hà hopes to inspire children to share their own stories and make a positive impact in the world.  She lives with her husband and two children in Texas.

Yong Ling Kang was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore.  Her formal education is in animation where she developed her love of storytelling.  When she was a child, she remembers being given a special piece of jewelry as part of a family tradition. The illustrator of numerous picture books, Yong Ling Kang now lives in Toronto.