Are You Nobody Too?

After years of discomfort as the only Chinese student at her private middle school, Emily transfers to Chinatown''s I.S. 23 for 8th Grade and ends up feeling more disconnected than ever. In this coming-of-age novel-in-verse, will Emily be able to find her way or will she lose herself completely? After a year of distance-learning, Emily Sofer finds her world turned upside down: she has to leave the only school she''s ever known to attend a public school in Chinatown. For the first time, Emily isn''t the only Chinese student around...but looking like everyone else doesn''t mean that understanding them will be easy--especially with an intimidating group of cool girls Emily calls The Five. When Emily discovers that her adoptive parents have been keeping a secret, she feels even more uncertain about who she is. A chance discovery of Emily Dickinson''s poetry helps her finally feel seen. . . but can the words of a writer from 200 years ago help her open up again, and find common ground with the Five?

Auteur

Tina Cane grew up in downtown New York City, and she draws much of her creative inspiration from her experiences as a city kid. The founder-director of Writers-in-the-Schools, RI, Tina was also the poet laureate of Rhode Island, where she lives with her family, who are a major source of inspiration.

Échantillon de lecture
I’m Nobody

I’m nobody! Who are you?
Ms. Franklin wrote      on the whiteboard
Um, you’re Ms. Franklin      the class laughed
And you already know who we are!

That was back      in seventh grade
at the Meadowlake School      where Ms. Franklin
smiled and swung      her long red hair      back over
her shoulder      before reading us      this poem
about a frog in a bog      she said was about
being humble      not seeking attention

She also made      some connection
to social media      how everyone wants
to be liked or seen      all the time      but how
that’s not      the meaning of life      how true happiness
comes from inside      and from relationships

I Understood

What Ms. Franklin      meant at the time
but it really      made sense to me      once I started
going to I.S. 23      where I want      to be seen
but also wish      I were a little bit     invisible
like a lunar eclipse      fully present
but also masked      by shadow

It Should Have Been Easy

To respond      to Ms. Franklin’s writing prompt
about      What it means to be person      but it wasn’t
I don’t remember      what I wrote      or if I even wrote
anything at all      I do remember      a strong feeling

Rising inside of me      like my heart
was full      but not      in a joyful way
I couldn’t think      of what to say
my head felt heavy      as if filled with lead
my hands got sweaty      just holding my pen

My palms smelled      metallic like they did
when I was little      after swinging      on the monkey bars
in Washington Square Park      back when life
felt less complex      just one hand      after the other
after the next      the other one      after that

Fact

One interesting fact      about me      is that
I learned to read      when I was three
not because      I am a genius      but because
I was afraid      of animals      the stuffed kind
with cold button eyes      that stared at me
as I lay      in my playpen or crib

Their plush fur      and floppy ears
didn’t comfort me      the way my parents did
so Mom and Dad      put books      in my bed instead
and I clung to them      the way other kids
cuddle teddy bears      bunnies and giraffes

Books

Each night      I’d fall asleep
with a book      tucked under my cheek
Yum Yum Dim Sum      or some board book
about Lunar New Year      or how to do kung fu
anything Chinese      because even then
my parents      were trying      to show me
how to be      more how I looked

Words

My parents      still laugh
about the first time      they saw me
turning pages      with my chubby thumbs
sounding out      words like

     Cat      Mat      Sat      Hat

in books      by Dr. Seuss
I was only three      but they could see
I was teaching myself      how to read

Baby Like Me

It blew my mind!      Mom always says
It blew everyone’s mind!      Dad always
chimes in      it’s true      not many people
know a child      who learned      to read
at the age of three      especially      an adopted baby
like me      who spent      her first months
hearing Chinese      in an orphanage      in Beijing

Someplace Far Away

Even today      we three laugh      about the time
my parents      first saw me      swaddled
in a red silk quilt      pumping my plump legs
like I was biking      to the moon      or someplace
far away      as New York      the city where
I have lived      ever since      Mom and Dad
brought me home      from China

Mooncake

That was back when      I still had      rosy cheeks
round as the mooncake      I find waiting for me
on a plate      a Post-it stuck      to its rim:

    See you at 8!

     xo Mom

On days      when she has      a late meeting
my mom      always leaves me      something sweet
from the deli      on the corner      or from her favorite
bakery in Chinatown      Hop Wen   …