Yep compares his life to a jigsaw puzzle and describes the process of growth and maturation as a search for all the pieces--some sought out intentionally, others found by serendipity but recognized at the moment of discovery as pieces of the puzzle. The absorbing autobiographical narrative introduces facts about this highly-regarded author's San Francisco childhood and Chinese-American heritage to readers who already know some of his many novels, including CHILD OF THE OWL (Harper, 1975) and DRAGONWINGS (Harper, 1977). (Ages 9-14)

Young Laurence didn't really where he fit in. He thought of himself as American, especially since he didn't speak Chinese and couldn't understand his grandmother, who lived in Chinatown. But others saw him as different in the conformist American of the 1950s. In this engaging memoir, the two-time Newbery Honor author tells how writing helped him start to solve the puzzle.