The Amah

by Laurence Yep

Book Overview

But now she's living it. Amy feels like one of the evil stepsisters when her mother becomes an amah (a nanny) for Miss Stephanie. While her mother's at work, Amy has to watch her younger brothers and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399230408
• ISBN13: 9780399230400
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

flawless

I loved this book! Yep does a great job at brining Chinese and American cultures together and does so flawlessly. This book was a modern-day spin off of Cinderella (much like Ella Enchanted), however; this book address real issues of realistic judgments and inadequacies children feel when a new child enters the home. I thought incorporating the ballet into the development of Amy as a character was a fantastic idea. The art of ballet is extremely disciplined and it is clear that Amy needs that type of guidance to get her through a difficult time in her life. It is realistic that children might use their hobbies as a means to escape difficult situations and perhaps Amy used ballet as a way to release her frustrations.

Astounding book... Read it!

I really enjoyed this book because even though almost all of Laurence Yep's books have the same "outsider" theme, I found it great to see it from this strong-minded girl's view! This book is filled with great description from the very start and would, without hesitation, recommend it to anyone who either enjoys Laurence Yep's book or looking for an easy read with a great moral lesson. Read it, devoured it, loved it !!!

Amy and Stephanie

The AmahBy: Laurance YepReviewed by: J. ...Period: 6This book is about a girl named Amy Chin and how her family doesn't have enough money until her mom gets a new job as a amah. Amy has to baby sit her sisters and brothers, which cause her to have to miss her ballet classes. The girl Mrs. Chin watches over is Miss Stephanie. Miss Stephanie seems to be taking away Amy's family and Amy starts to get jealous. But the worst thing is that Stephanie is going to move in with the Chin's while her dad is away at a business trip. Later, Amy and Stephanie start to get along and Amy finds out why Stephanie is so kind to her family.I liked this book because it shows how friendships shouldn't be based on what the person look or acts on the outside but how the person is on the inside. In the beginning, when Amy first hears about Stephanie, she is already starting to hate her because she takes away her family, especially her mom, and also her time for ballet practices. Then when Amy is asked to go to a ballet performance with Stephanie, Amy questions about it because it's a performance that she really wants to see but doesn't want Stephanie thinking that she likes her. Then when Amy finds out that Stephanie is going to live with her and she has to clean the whole house for Stephanie, Amy becomes furious. "And I'm looking forward to staying with you," Stephanie said. When Stephanie comes to live with Amy, Amy finds out that Stephanie isn't the way she thinks she is. Stephanie is actually a really nice person that tries to get people to like her so that was why she always gave her things to Amy's family, So Amy and Stephanie become good friends.I also liked this book because it shows how a family has to work together. Since Amy found out that her mom got a new job and that she had to give up her ballet practices to baby sit her brothers and sisters she was not happy about it but listened to her mother anyway. After the first day of her mom's job Amy was already feeling sick of Miss Stephanie. Amy's mom always said good things about Miss Stephanie and it made Amy look bad. Amy soon started to question her mother's love towards her. Finally, I had a name for the ache inside. "Mama, don't you love me?" In the end, Amy and her mom started to work things out between them and everything got better.My favorite part of the book is when Amy stands up for Stephanie against Stephanie's father. After Stephanie's father found out about the things that Stephanie was taking from him to give to the Chin's, he was furious. He fired Mrs. Chin but Stephanie didn't think that was right. So Amy took charge and stepped in front of Stephanie's father and started to question him about Stephanie and he didn't know the answers. Amy finally got Stephanie's father to admit that he needed Mrs. Chin and that he needed to spend more time with is daughter. So in the end, Stephanie and her father start to get to know each other better and Amy and her mom also do the same.

Another great book by Laurence Yep

As with many of Yep's books, THE AMAH takes place in the San Francisco China Town. It is about a girl name Amy. Amy's mother has found work as an "Amah" for an American girl named Stephanie. Amy gets jealous of her mother's love for Stephanie. Amy also needs to sacrifice some of her ballet lessons for her mom to work. This book is a companion to Ribbon