Chinese-American teenager April Chen is happily planning to go away to college, and she has a great new boyfriend, Steve. But April, the only girl in the family, must take care of Grandma--the Dragon Lady--who hates Steve and has other plans for April. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr. 7-12. April Chen, a Chinese American high-school junior, lives in Seattle with her widowed father; her brother, Harry; and her Grandma, the "Dragon Lady." Harry, the first-born son, is very much favored by Grandma, but as Grandma's health begins to fail, it is April who must relinquish important activities, one by one, to care for the elderly woman. April's story, rich in authentic detail, tells of a young woman's journey from one culture to another as she simultaneously travels from childhood to adulthood. The conflict between April and her grandmother, interwoven with several subplots, forms a complex but very readable novel. April must contend with her family's disapproval of her Caucasian boyfriend. She also struggles with the constraints of her traditional female role, enviously watching her indulged brother's total freedom. April's surprise ally is her father, Grandma's elder, but not favored, son, who falls in love with Ellen, also a Mandarin-speaking Chinese, but a divorced college professor and not liked by Grandma. As both April and her father escape Grandma, leaving Harry to contend with the source of his lifelong pampering and adoration, April receives a jade bracelet from Grandma, a symbol of love and the beginning of change. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1994)0152766448Merri Monks From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.