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BOOKCASE
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To see complete reviews and order any book from Amazon.com, click on the picture of the cover. If you are interested in an order form, download one by clicking here.

left-flair   UPCOMING BOOKS right-flair

Conversation with a Terra Cotta Soldier (Novel)

Co-authored with Vinson Compestine. Abram's Publishing, Fall 2012

 

Cooking with an Asian Accent (Cookbook)
Fall 2012

left-flair Ying's Newest Cookbook! right-flair

ybomd-lightYing's Best One Dish Meals

Sellers Publishing, September 2011

 

"The One Cookbook You Need This Fall! Ying's simple, thoughtful approach to wholesome food is refreshing."
 — Martha Stewart's Whole Living

 

"A palate-expanding collection of flavor-packed meals that come together in a hurry.
Publisher's Weekly

 

"Simple, quick familiar dishes with a global spin."
Relish

 

"A selection of tasty and simple one-dish recipes that minimize time and effort and maximize taste and value."
ForeWord Reviews

 

"It's healthy food that  tastes good too."
San Jose Mercury News/
Oakland Tribune

 

"Effervescent, one-of-a-kind recipes that celebrate flavor and fresh ingredients."
InMamasKitchen.com

 

"Designed for working families who want to eat nutritious, home-cooked meals with fast-food timelines."
Contra Costa Times

 

Linguine and Tuna With Spicy Orange Sauce featured in
—  Washington Post

 

left-flair YA and Middle Grade right-flair

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
Henry Holt, August 2007
(256 pages ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8207-4)

 

* California Book Award for Young
   Adult Literature
* 2008 ALA Best Books For Young
  Adults
* 2008 ALA Notable Children's Books
* 2007 Publishers Weekly Best
  Children's Fiction Book List
* 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Best Children's Fiction Book List
* 2008 Chinese American Librarian Association Best Book
* 2007 New York Public Library 100
  Best Titles for Reading and Sharing
* 2007 Fall Book Sense Children's
  Picks
* 2007 Parent's Choice Silver Honor
* 2008 ALA Best Books For Young Adults

More Reviews and Awards

Discussion Guide
 

 

 


New! Revolution now available in Paperback!
Henry Holt, October 2009

* A vivid account of one of the sad follies of history, made rich with details that only an impressionable young witness could supply
The Christian Science Monitor
 

* In her spare, lyrical style, [she] vividly portrays a world turned upside down 
San Francisco Chronicle

 

* A "gripping account of life during China's Cultural Revolution"
Publisher's Weekly Starred review

 

* "The Chinese Revolution is up close and personal in this touching historical novel"
Book Sense Picks for Autumn 2007

 

* Lyrical yet gripping
Kirkus Reviews


* "An excellent addition to historical fiction about this period in China's history." — School Library Journal
 

* More Reviews and Awards

* Discussion Guide

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts
Henry Holt, October 2009

 

 * Selected as a Notable Book for 2010 by the Children's Literary Assembly

 *Selected by the AARP as a Grandparent's Book for Children.

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories, Ying takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. From the building of the Great Wall in 200 BCE to the modern day of iPods, hungry ghosts continue to torment those who wronged them.

At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales — complete with historical notes and delectable recipes — will both scare and satiate!

 

See the full jacket here

 

"Ghost Stories with a Chinese Twist"
  —The San Francisco Chronicle

 

left-flair  CHILDREN'S BOOKS right-flair

 

ct-light copyCrouching Tiger (Picture Book)
Candlewick, September 2011

 

"Poignant but not treacly in dealing with an immigrant child's conflicting emotions toward a grandparent from the old country."
New York Times Sunday Book Review

 

"A story that can be enjoyed by all kids (and their parents)."
  — The Washington Post

 

...universal appeal... handles the complexity of those feelings with subtlety and grace... best new children's book.
 
Huffington Post

 

"Quietly brilliant" 
Chicago Tribunes, Books

 

"...a nuanced story that kids of all cultures will enjoy"

—  San Francisco Chronicle

 

"Readers will warm to the duo's growing friendship and the gifts that come as Ming Da allows himself to enter Grandpa's world."
Publisher's Weekly Star Review

 

"A celebration of family and Chinese New Year along with a simple introduction to Wudang martial arts, especially tai chi—and to the idea that strength can be gentle."
 — Kirkus Reviews

"This text will prove to be of value to your collection because there are a limited number of fictional books for young readers about Chinese New Year."
 — Library Media Connection

 

"An attraction for martial arts fans... ideal for Chinese New Year and multicultural units." — Booklist

 

"one generation to understand another... wisdom that comes from such understanding"
 Bookin' with Sunny

 

 

runaway-wok-simple copyThe Runaway Wok (Picture Book)
Penguin Dutton, Spring 2011

 

Now available in a Scholastic paperback edition!

 

Selected for the 2012 California Collections List, for elementaryschool libraries!

 

A Scholastic Book Club Choice!

 

"A captivating story capped by a recipe"

  — San Francisco
     Chronicle

 

2011 Lasting Connections list of top 30 titles
BookList
 

"... a classic retelling for any holiday celebration.

  — Deseret News,
     Salt Lake City

 

"Delicious food, giggly humor, all wrapped up in
colorful packaging."

   — BookDragon

 

Boy Dumplings
Holiday House, August 2009

  1. Begin with one hungry ghost
  2. Add a plump, delicious looking boy
  3. Mix them with an outrageous recipe!

This crowd-pleaser will make a delicious storytime alternative
    Booksense

Children will delight in the ghost's gullibility.... Compestine's haunting tale is an entertaining,not-too-scary offering.
    Publisher's Weekly

...a classic trickster tale, developing both characters and premise with humor.
Kirkus Reviews

Exciting storytelling and Chinese culinary traditions create a delicious book for young readers.
— San Francisco Chronicle


See how to make dumplings!

 

The Real Story of Stone Soup
Dutton/Penguin Putnam Spring 2007
(32 pages ISBN: 0-525-47493-5)

 

A Junior Library Guild Selection!
 

In this delicious tale, Ying's latest offering sets the record straight on the origins of stone soup!

 

 

The Runaway Rice Cake
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001
(40 pages, ISBN: 0-689-82972-8)

 

Now in it's seventh printing!

"Compestine's engaging tale brims with intriguing details of the traditions that surround the holiday..."
Publishers Weekly

 

"...many libraries will want to add this, considering the depth of material about Chinese New Year." 
Booklist

 

D Is for Dragon Dance
Holiday House, 2005
ISBN: 0-8234-1887-1

 

Recommended by ALSC for 2006 holidays!

A is for Acrobats. B is for Balls. C is for Calligraphy. D is for Dragon Dance. From firecrackers to noodles, from red envelopes to the zodiac, young readers are introduced to the exciting traditions of the Chinese New Year.

"Warm [and] charming.... The artwork ... is cheerful and bright, rather stylistic, with appealing repetitive details that will draw kids right in.... [It gives] a sense of both community and ordinary life during a special time of year."
Booklist

 

 

left-flair COOKBOOKS right-flair

 

Cooking with Green Tea
Avery/Penguin Putnam, 2000
(194 pages, ISBN: 1-58333-065-8)

 

"…well written, colorful, and filled with delicious and easy-to-follow recipes that are right for every kitchen. They are certainly right for mine, and I wouldn't trade them for anything…not even for all the tea in China."
Chef Martin Yan, Yan Can Cook

 

"…a complete guide to cooking with this healthy beverage. Vegetarians will find satisfying recipes, and even meat eaters may be interested in the three-day diet and cleansing program."
Taste for Life

 

Secrets from a Healthy Asian Kitchen
Avery/Penguin Putnam, 2002
(307 pages, ISBN: 1-58333-127-1)

 

"Compestine (Cooking with Green Tea) delivers another health-oriented book specializing in Asian cuisine and culture. Filled with tips, variations, cultural notes and anecdotes the book is well-thought-out, accentuating health and applying it to a popular cuisine."
Publishers Weekly

 

Secrets of Fat-Free Chinese Cooking
Avery/ Penguin Putnam, 1997
(153 pages, ISBN:0895297353)

 

"Whether you have heart disease, hypertension, or are healthy and want to stay that way, I trust you will agree that this book provides a new chance to eat the Chinese dishes you love without sacrificing great taste. Give it a try and your heart will be happy."
Ronald B. Jenkins, M.D., Director, Boulder Heart Institute Boulder, Colorado

 

"Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will find plenty of pleasing fare…" – Women's Magazine

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