When Ruby's cousin Flying Duck emigrates from China to live with her, Ruby decides the best thing about Flying Duck is that she is a great new friend. BUT the worst thing about Flying Duck is that now, no one speaks English at home. Plus, there's strange food on the table every night and only chopsticks to eat it with. And Flying Duck is deaf, and Ruby doesn't know any Chinese Sign Language. As if that weren't enough, this summer proves to be even more perilous as Ruby faces the dangers of swimming lessons, the joys of summer school, the difficulty of staying with a twelve-step program, the miracle needed to keep a beautiful stray dog that wanders into her life, and much more. Is it all too much for anyone -- even the Empress of Everything -- to handle?

"Shattering the Looking Glass is a thorough, comprehensive volume that defines, analyzes, defends, and often critiques the current state of Children's Literature within American Culture. The book is designed to tackle the major concerns revolving around Children's Literature today, including: the influence of politics and political agendas on the market, quality, and themes; the disagreements over the integration of diversity and diverse ideas into books for children; theoretical and academic discourses that are feeding topics, characters, and narrative structures; and, threaded throughout all of these topics, is a discussion of how these texts can be integrated into the classroom. This book is ideal for the in-service professional who wants insights into the current cultural mindset concerning children's literature, as well as professors who integrate theory and culture into undergraduate and graduate education courses."--pub. desc.