In this post, we feature author Traci Huahn. You can hear her speak about her debut picture book, Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School: Based on a True Story, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School: Based on a True Story
- Written by Traci Huahn and illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan
- Published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House
- Release date: May 7, 2024
Meet Mamie Tape, an eight-year-old Chinese American changemaker who fought for the right to go to school in San Francisco in the 1880s. Mamie’s mom always reminded her that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So when Mamie wanted to go to school, even though Chinese children weren’t allowed, she took her first step and showed up anyway. When she was turned away at the schoolhouse door, she and her parents took another step: they sued the San Francisco school board and won! Their case, Tape v. Hurley, made its way up to the California Supreme Court, which ruled that children of Chinese heritage had the right to a free public school education. But even then, Mamie’s fight wasn’t over. Mamie Tape Fights to go to School is the story of one young changemaker’s brave steps on the long journey to end school segregation in California. It began with a single step.
Explore Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School
Listen to Traci Huahn talking with TeachingBooks about creating Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to author Traci Huahn pronounce her name.
- Sample an e-book of Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School on Overdrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Traci Huahn.
Imagination Activity with Traci Huahn
Think of a time when you have seen or experienced something that you thought was unfair. What is one step you took, or can take in the future, to help change it? Write or draw about your idea!
Finish This Sentence . . . with Traci Huahn
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Traci Huahn’s response.
“While working on this latest project, I was surprised to learn that…”
While working on this book, I was surprised to learn that Mamie Tape’s father changed his name when he and Mamie’s mom got married. His Chinese name was Jeu Dip, but in an effort to become more Americanized, he changed his name to Joseph Tape. This was especially interesting to me because my own mom and dad changed their last name when they got married. My dad’s original last name was Wong, but he and my mom changed it to Huahn and that became our family name. When writing or speaking Chinese, our last name is still Wong because Huahn doesn’t exist as a Chinese word.
“My favorite books as a child were…”
One of my favorite books as a child was Bread and Jam for Francis, written by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban. I loved the childlike voice of the main character, Frances, and how she would sing jump rope songs that reflected her changing moods—in fact, that inspired one of the scenes in my book where Mamie chants a skipping rope rhyme with her friends!
More Connections to Traci Huahn and Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School
- Discover books like Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School on TeachingBooks.
- Penguin Random House’s page about Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School, written by Traci Huahn and illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan.
- Buy Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School, written by Traci Huahn and illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan.
All text and images are courtesy of Traci Huahn, Michelle Jing Chan, and Penguin Random House and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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