Janet S. Wong - Author of Acclaimed Children's Books - Janet Wong's Books

Comments from the Author

A Suitcase of Seaweed is my second book, and my personal favorite of my books because I was able to pay tribute to both the Chinese and Korean sides of my family in it, while also talking about "American" me.

I divided the collection into three sections: a Korean section (in honor of my mother), a Chinese section (in honor of my father) and an American section (since I was born and raised in Los Angeles). Sometimes it was difficult to decide where a poem should go, and the determining factor was as small a thing as a certain salty smell. But there was no problem at all deciding where the poem "Face It" belonged. It is about my son, who is Chinese, Korean, German and French. As the poem says, he has my grandfather's nose, and my husband's mother's eyes, but his mouth – his handsome, sweet-talking, big-talking mouth – truly belongs to him alone!

Awards and Honors

A Suitcase of Seaweed has won the prestigious Claremont Stone Center Recognition of Merit Award which has been won by a host of great people, including E.B. White for Charlotte's Web.

Other awards include:

New York Public Library Book for the Teenage
Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
William Allen White Award Master List

Reviews and Comments

"Wong was born in America of Chinese and Korean heritage,
but the basic subjects she addresses in neat stanzas of free verse
aim at the heart of any family, any race."
– School Library Journal

"Neat, well-turned poems, monologues, and aphorisms . . . The imagery is choice, the thoughts pointed and careful, the vocabulary attractive: In many of the pieces comedy and delicacy mingle in a single line."
– Kirkus

Ordering Information

A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems
By Janet S. Wong
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 0-689-80788-0

This book is available at your local independent children's book store or online at:


		A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems With a sense of pride in her Korean, Chinese, and American background, Janet Wong's poetry reflects some of the differences between Chinese and Korean customs and culture and the American way of life. Divided into three sections – Korean, Chinese, and American – and with the author's own explanation as to how the poems developed from experiences in her own life, these poems speak directly and simply to young people of many ethnic backgrounds. Click To Listen To Janet's Poem: "Albert J. Bell"
				Click here to read an excerpt from this book.
		Comments from the Author A Suitcase of Seaweed is my second book, and my personal favorite of my books because I was able to pay tribute to both the Chinese and Korean sides of my family in it, while also talking about "American" me. I divided the collection into three sections: a Korean section (in honor of my mother), a Chinese section (in honor of my father) and an American section (since I was born and raised in Los Angeles). Sometimes it was difficult to decide where a poem should go, and the determining factor was as small a thing as a certain salty smell. But there was no problem at all deciding where the poem "Face It" belonged. It is about my son, who is Chinese, Korean, German and French. As the poem says, he has my grandfather's nose, and my husband's mother's eyes, but his mouth – his handsome, sweet-talking, big-talking mouth – truly belongs to him alone! Awards and Honors A Suitcase of Seaweed has won the prestigious Claremont Stone Center Recognition of Merit Award which has been won by a host of great people, including E.B. White for Charlotte's Web. Other awards include: New York Public Library Book for the Teenage Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies William Allen White Award Master List Reviews and Comments "Wong was born in America of Chinese and Korean heritage, but the basic subjects she addresses in neat stanzas of free verse aim at the heart of any family, any race." – School Library Journal "Neat, well-turned poems, monologues, and aphorisms . . . The imagery is choice, the thoughts pointed and careful, the vocabulary attractive: In many of the pieces comedy and delicacy mingle in a single line." – Kirkus Ordering Information A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems By Janet S. Wong Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing ISBN: 0-689-80788-0 This book is available at your local independent children's book store or online at: eToys.com BookSense.com
		Copyright © 1999 Janet S. Wong. All Rights Reserved.