This was great! I loved it. I think it’s so fantastic to focus on the dynamics of the boys versus girls in terms of friendship and strength and gender norms. I also really loved the cultural tie in with the warriors. I’m excited to read the next one!

Thank you Annick Press and Net Galley for the ARC.

This second book in the charming early chapter book series continues exploring Vietnamese culture and identity through the eyes of the Nguyen siblings. A great follow up to The Secret of the Jade Bangle and perfect for KN-2nd grade classrooms.

I did not have the pleasure of reading the book prior to this but I really enjoyed reading this and can see it resonating with a number of students for different reasons. The big portion of the book is social emotional learning, our main character who has had a really good relationship with her best friend who is male now has to deal with the fact that there is a new kid who has hijacked her friendship and is boxing her out. It is doubled by the fact that the boy has sexist values telling our main character that she cannot play with them because she is a girl or that the things that she enjoys is more male orientated. She later is put in a position where she learns to work with him and he decides that she isn't that bad and her friend who treated her badly suddenly feels bad about it. Overall I think for a narrative that is written for children it is fun, fresh, and appealing, but as an adult there are a number of things I would have liked to see more of. The main character going to an adult about the issues, or more adult interaction, our main character being mad at their best friend and staying mad for a while. It was very much he did something wrong and that's okay which I think is a bad lesson for girls, we are often taught to take abuse from our male relationships and to not hold them accountable and I would have liked to have seen more of that in this story. What he did is something that many relationships end over and it just felt very brush over. I am excited at the prospect of getting this book in my library and reading more about the Nguyen kids.
Story: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Worldbuilding/Illustrations: 4/5
Thank you to Netgalley, Linda Trinh and Annick Press for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I received a electronic ARC from Annick Press Ltd. through NetGalley.
Book Two in this series picks up about a year after their grandmother's death. The middle child, Liz, also has some of their grandmother's jewelry - pearl earrings. When she wears them, she hears two of her ancestors affirm that she is important and loved. Unfortunately, as the middle child, she feels left out at times so spends more time with her best friend, Rohan. The dynamics change when a new boy moves in and joins their class. He pushes the nonsense that boys are better and girls cannot do what they can. It's an interesting and frustrating view of what still happens when this attitude comes out and catches on. I appreciate Trinh spotlighting this and opening it for discussion. By the end, Liz has learned to stand up for herself and that it doesn't boost her to make someone else feel small.
Looking forward to Jacob's story in 2023.

A great follow up to The Secret of the Jade Bangle! A new kid joins Liz's class and forms a No Girls Allowed Club. Her best friend, Rohan, is the vice president of the club and ignores her. The boys don't want to play with her. Though Liz initially tries to win over the new kid, she ends up finding her voice and power through conversations with her mom and aunt about feminism and what it is like to be an Asian American woman in the world. These conversations are weaved within the story and written in a way that younger audiences would understand. While Liz's grandma has passed, her message to Liz comes up throughout the book: "You are like Trưng Trắc. You are important. You are like Trưng Nhị. You are loved." I can't wait for Jacob's book and it is so, so awesome to see Vietnamese representation in early chapter books.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a quick yet fun read. Even though Liz faces some ups and downs in the book when dealing with her friends and classmates; she still perseveres. She knows she is strong and loved. I like that you can easily pick Rhys book up and get lost in the story without having to have read the first book.

Linda Trinh does it again! A beautiful early chapter book that showcases another set of tough topics. This book focuses on gender stereotypes, kindness, and friendship.

Liz is the middle Nguyen sibling and faces criticism and exclusion based on her being a girl. Having to tackle these barriers in an appropriate manner without also putting others down, Liz showcases experiences many children will face growing up.

The Power of the Pearl Earrings is an engaging and empowering illustrated chapter book for grade school age readers by Linda Trinh and is the second book in the Nguyen Kids series. Due out 18th Oct 2022 from Annick Press, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

This is such a fun and respectfully written book which will engage, entertain, and inform young readers. Despite the action filled plot (protagonist Liz really wants to do martial arts instead of ballet), the author manages to delve into deeper and meaningful themes such as integration and isolation, respect for culture, honesty, integrity, dealing constructively with potentially unwitting racism, activism, and family in an age-appropriate manner.

The art by Clayton Nguyen is expressive and colorful and is full of small details which invite a closer look.

Five stars. Representation is important for *everyone*. Highly recommended for public and school library acquisition, home library use, reading circles and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Power of the Pearl Earrings is an engaging and empowering story that tackles issues of gender bias (sexism) and embracing one’s ancestry. The main character, Liz isn’t perfect and grows as a person throughout the story. This makes her relatable and realistic. I did not read the first book, but found that didn’t hinder my understanding or enjoyment of the story. The ease of getting into the series without having to read them in order is handy, especially when you don’t have the budget to buy multiple copies of each book. Students can start anywhere and read at their leisure without the pressure of someone waiting anxiously for them to finish.

Both the author and illustrator are Canadian, which is a big selling point for me. It’s not easy to find quality books that created by or representing the Canadian BIPOC community. This series is one I will be adding to our school library. The language is clear and would be accessible for English Language Learners in upper elementary. I also like that it’s a Vietnamese family, many of whom use traditional names. The only thing I’d love to see is a pronunciation guide. When doing read alouds, we should aim to read characters names with an accuracy than honours them. I’m looking forward to reading book one and to seeing the finished print of TPOTPE with illustrations.

This early chapter book is part of a 3 book series, all coming out in 2022 and 2023. Each of the three books focuses on a child in the Nguyen family who receives a magical item from their grandmother. In this story, Liz, the middle child, receives a pearl earrings. The books are written by a Vietnamese-Canadian from Winnipeg (where I live!) who understands the challenges young children may face growing up as part of a minority culture in Canada. The books tackle issues like microaggressions, stereotypes and racism as well as exploration of one's identity, in a way that is accessible and relatable for young readers.

As an early chapter book, this novel contains 13 chapters, with about 7 pages per chapter. There are full page pictures, usually at least 1 per chapter, as well as a few partial page pictures along with text. Full pages of text are in an accessible size of font, with about 100 words per page. As a grade 3 teacher, I would recommend this book to children in grades 2-5, with a target audience probably being about Grade 3. I could definitely see my students reading this book and would definitely recommend it to other teachers in my grade range. I love that the characters are Vietnamese and that the issues approached in this series are common for IBPOC children. It is important for children to see themselves in the books they are reading, and going further to address issues related to racism is even more valuable. Additionally, being written by a Canadian author and set in Winnipeg, this is also a great opportunity for Canadian families and teachers to support a local author. I will definitely be buying a set of this series for my classroom once they are officially published! Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book!

The Power of the Pearl Earrings is the second in a delightful and imaginative series of books by Linda Trinh. It is a short chapter book for young people. The series revolves around a family of Vietnamese heritage who recently lost a much-loved grandmother. Each of the children is given a special gift that belonged to their grandmother. Liz is the middle child and receives her Grandma Nôi’s pearl earrings. Liz was told stories by her grandmother about the Trung Sisters who were freedom fighters in ancient Vietnam. Liz wants her taekwondo classes to show that she is as important and brave as the Trung Sisters. She takes these classes and practices with her best friend.
A new boy arrives at school and immediately makes Liz feel upset and competitive. This new boy doesn’t think girls are good at anything and in short time ropes Liz’s best friend into his Boys Only Club. While the bias against Vietnamese culture figured strongly in the first book of this series, it is more a sex bias in the second. The connecting factor in the two books is the power of the gifts from Grandma Nôi to instill confidence in their new owners. This is a wonderful book for teaching self-confidence, love of family, and pride in one’s heritage.