All Four Quarters of the Moon

It is the night of the Mid-Autumn festival and Peijing is in the kitchen making mooncakes with Ah-Ma (Grandma). In the living room, all of the aunties and uncles are playing what is to be their last game of Mah-jong: the next day, the Guo family will be leaving Singapore to start a new life in Australia.

Written in the third person, the story unfolds from the perspective of 11-year-old Peijing, whose hopes and fears permeate every page. Peijing hopes that the family's move to Australia will work out, and she tries her best to adapt to the changes. Being the older sister, Peijing feels the overwhelming responsibility of being the emotional support for her family. She tries to rise to the challenge of guiding her younger sister, Biju, her Ma Ma (Mother), and Ah Ma through a new culture, a new daily life routine, a new and alien language, and new people. While Ma Ma and Ah Ma find the cultural transition difficult to navigate, Ba Ba (Father), becomes more relaxed, more willing to adapt to this new life, more willing to try and create rather dubious approximations of Western food.

This is a story written with heart and authenticity. Peijing is kind and family-orientated, she tries her best to keep a positive outlook but often feels like she's sinking, and failing. The Guos were a very honourable family who observe the old and formal traditions, and Peijing is determined to live up to the expected role of the elder daughter. However, she struggles not only with the new environment and language but can't seem to find her place in school. Having been popular at her school in Singapore, Peijing is now an outsider, and lonely. She desperately wants to fit in but feels that there are too many cultural differences: even her lunchtime food is different. It is only when she forms a friendship with Joanne, another outsider, that Peijing begins to feel that she might be accepted, but she also begins to question everything that she had previously believed.

Woven throughout the story are the stories that Biju tells her older sister: stories that have their roots in traditional Chinese tales and myths of creation. While Biju tells the stories, Peijing, the paper art artist, creates the physical elements of the 'Little World' within which their stories exist. These 'Little World' episodes beautifully illustrate the deep bond between the sisters. Throughout the book, issues of immigration, cultural differences, neglect, and age-related illness are gently tackled and perfectly pitched for upper KS2 readers

332 pages / Reviewed by Tracy Parvin, consultant

Suggested Reading Age 9+