Apple Pie Fourth of July

Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie 4th of July. Orlando FL: Voyager Books/Harcourt, Inc., 2002.
This book begins with a young girl who is very frustrated that her parents' have opened their chinese food restaurant on July 4th. She thinks no one will want chinese food on the fourth of July; after all you are supposed to eat ice cream, soda, chips and of course apple pie. You are supposed to enjoy the parade and firewords and lounge in the sun. All day she can smell apple pie from her neighbors house and hear the parade passing her by. I really enjoyed how subtle the message was in this book. We see her upset that she has to restock the shelves and frustrated with her parents that they don't understand the American customs. As the story progresses you see her face in the pictures change. As people come in to the store she sees that the whole day was not a waste and the frown begins to turn into a smile. I did like how the story ended with her whole family going on the roof to watch fireworks and eat apple pie, because even though her family did not close their business on this day they celebrated it in their own way!