Contemporary Authors

• Bird ( novel) Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2014
• All That I Can Fix ( novel) Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2018

1. All that I can fix LCCN 2017039196 Type of material Book Personal name Chan, Crystal, author. Main title All that I can fix / by Crystal Chan. Edition First Simon Pulse hardcover edition. Published/Produced New York : Simon Pulse, 2018. Projected pub date 1806 Description pages cm. ISBN 9781534408883 (jacketed hardcover) Item not available at the Library. Why not? 2. Bird LCCN 2013002377 Type of material Book Personal name Chan, Crystal. Main title Bird / Crystal Chan. Edition First edition. Published/Produced New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, [2014]. Description 295 pages ; 22 cm ISBN 9781442450899 (hardcover) 9781442450912 (pbk.) CALL NUMBER PZ7.C359116 Bir 2014 LANDOVR Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Crystal Chan -

  ABOUT CRYSTAL CHAN
  Crystal Chan watched with amazement at the exotic zoo outbreak in Zanesville, Ohio in 2011, where scores of animals—hungry lions, panthers, and tigers—ran loose around the county. That incident helped inspire her most recent novel, All That I Can Fix.

  When Crystal isn’t writing, her passion is giving diversity talks to adults and kids alike, telling stories on Wisconsin Public Radio, and hosting conversations on social media.

  Her debut novel, Bird, was published in nine countries and is available on audiobook in the US.

  She is the parent of a teenage turtle (not a ninja).

• The Pirate Tree - http://www.thepiratetree.com/2014/08/21/bird-an-interview-with-crystal-chan/

  Bird: An Interview with Crystal Chan
  by E.M. Kokie • August 21, 2014 • 0 Comments
  Bird image“Grandpa stopped speaking the day he killed my brother, John. His name was John until Grandpa said he looked more like a Bird with the way he kept jumping off things, and the name stuck. Bird’s thick, black hair poked out in every direction, just like the head feathers of the blackbirds, Grandpa said, and he bet that one day Bird would fly like one too. Grandpa kept talking like that, and no one paid him much notice until Bird jumped off a cliff, the cliff at the edge of the tallgrass prairie, the cliff that dropped a good couple hundred feet to a dried-up riverbed below. Bird’s little blue bath towel was found not far from his body, snagged on a bush, the towel that served as wings. From that day on, Grandpa never spoke another word. Not one.”

  So begins Crystal Chan‘s debut middle grade novel Bird (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014), planting the seeds that will grow into a story that explores weighty topics like the fallibility of parents and friends, the pain of silences, and the way death can cause fractures in a family only love and time can heal, all in age-appropriate and tender ways. Through the eyes of Bird‘s mixed-race main character Jewel, Chan examines the at times confusing intersection of religion, superstition and culture — sometimes even within a family — that often colors a child’s experience of the world. Twelve-year-old Jewel’s humor, heart, and love of science, as well as her exploration of the everyday and sacred in her midwestern home, all lend important texture and context to the story.

  “Nothing matters. Only Bird matters. And he flew away.
  Jewel never knew her brother, Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow.
  She lives in a house drenched in silence. Filled with secrets.
  Then one night, a boy in a tree changes everything…”

  I’m thrilled to talk with Crystal about her debut novel, Bird:

  E. M. Kokie: Your main character, Jewel, is a mixed-race kid growing up in the midwest. How much of your own experiences infused or inspired Jewel’s experiences?

  Crystal Chan: I drew on a ton of my experiences growing up as a mixed-race kid! I’m half-Chinese, half-white, and in my small-town Wisconsin in the 80’s there was no mixed race anything – we really stuck out. I got a lot of the racism from being of Chinese descent, which my dad (from Hong Kong) could relate to, but then I also had the mixed-race experience (and perpetual “what are you?” question) that he couldn’t relate to, not in that way. So while Jewel is of a different mix than myself – she’s Jamaican/Mexican/White – and though I had to do a lot of research on Jamaican and Mexican cultures, I felt very much at home writing about how she straddled multiple worlds and multiple sets of expectations at home and in her hometown.

  EK: I found the intersection of religion, spirituality and superstition in Bird really interesting, especially the idea of how people of faith view the faiths of others. What inspired you to tackle such weighty themes in Bird?

  CC: Well, you know how they say to write the book you wanted to read as a child? (laughing) I’ve always been interested in the realms of faith and conflicting belief systems. My father was very superstitious, but we could never talk about death, for example.

  In Bird, there are conflicting belief systems in Jewel’s family that come from her mixed heritage. Actually, I think that conflicts in belief systems happen a lot in families – maybe not to the same degree, but they’re there – and that leaves kids confused as to how they should understand their world. Hopefully, this book helps kids form their own questions, questions that they’re probably already having. I was an advanced reader growing up, and I completely believe in the capacity of kids’ understanding and questioning and their desire to stretch themselves, to take a step toward being a grown-up. And that means tackling weightier issues, like belief and doubt. Never underestimate the depth of children, I say! And so I wrote a story that believed in children’s depth.

  EK: Jewel has adopted the cliff where her brother Bird died as her own sacred place. Do you have sacred places, now or as a child?

  CC: I totally had a sacred space, and to get there I had to trek through some farmers’ fields; it was a little forest grove with a stream running through it. That space was my sanctuary through some rough years, and having a sacred space like that – where I could just be me – fully informed the sacred spaces in Bird. No doubt about that.

  EK: John’s feelings about being adopted is a perspective I haven’t seen represented very often in literature for children and teens. I wondered what inspired his perspective?

  CC: I read a scholarly essay once entitled “Raised by White People” – talking about the experience of the transracial adoptee, and as I was reading it I was struck at how many similarities there are between transracial adoptees and those who are mixed race. For instance, the children both don’t look like their parents and don’t have their parents’ racial experiences. And so forth. In writing Bird, I knew that a transracial adoptee would be the perfect friend for Jewel (the protagonist), both of them sticking out, not fitting neatly into any defined box. Of course, there are differences between a transracial adoptee and mixed race kid, and Jewel and John explore some of those differences, but I thought the two kids’ experiences would complement each other really well.

  EK: I read that Bird has already been published in a number of countries outside the United States. How many languages has it been translated into? Were you surprised that such a culturally specific story, rooted firmly in the midwest United States, has found such a large international audience?

  CC: As of now, Bird is in nine countries and out on audiobook domestically. Yeah, I was shocked when we landed Australia, the first country. I was like, But the book is so strongly set in Iowa – in cornfields! The Midwest! How does this even translate to another country? But then other countries started rolling in, across different continents, too. I was confused for some time…but after a while, their excitement started to make sense. Some of the countries that were the strongest supporters – like Australia, the UK, Brazil, Turkey – have very diverse and mixing populations, and kids who have to deal with larger identity questions as a result. Other countries surprised me – like Korea, which has a reputation of being more mono-cultural – but the truth is that racial mixing is happening everywhere, and these questions about race and identity aren’t going to go away. In fact, these questions will only deepen, no matter the stage where the society is at. And I’m honored and proud that Bird is a book that can deepen that conversation.

  EK: The cover for the U.S. edition of Bird is beautiful, and so representative of Jewel’s relationship with her world. Are there any of the foreign covers that you especially love? Any that you were surprised by?

  CC: I haven’t seen all the covers just yet, as different countries have different timelines for publication, but I have to say, I was surprised by the starkness of the French cover, and then the cheeriness of the German cover. It’s like, is this even the same story? And as beautiful as the Dutch cover is, the girl featured on the cover does not represent the Jewel I wrote (Jewel has frizzy, black hair, while the girl on the cover has straight, flowing hair). All of the other countries thus far have chosen the U.S. cover. In that respect, just as the story is touching a universal nerve, the cover image is, too. It still strikes me as remarkable: as precise as this story is, with the setting and culture, it’s tapped into a common language, a common sentiment. I cannot think of a greater honor.

  German coverFrench cover

  Thank you, Crystal! It’s wonderful to see Bird, flying far and wide, and finding its way into the hands of young readers around the world and here at home.

  Crystal headshot, color

  Crystal Chan grew up as a mixed-race kid in the middle of the Wisconsin cornfields and has been trying to find her place in the world ever since. Over time, she found that her heart lies in public speaking, performing, and ultimately, writing. She has given talks and workshops across the country; facilitated discussion groups at national conferences; is a professional storyteller for children and adults alike; and contributes to Wisconsin Public Radio. In Chicago, where Crystal now lives, you will find her biking along the city streets and talking to her pet turtle.

• Nerdy Book Club - https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2018/06/13/crystal-chan-takes-on-complex-issues-for-teens-in-new-ya-all-that-i-can-fix-interview-by-kate-hannigan/

  QUOTED: "I felt that with All That I Can Fix, not only could I address some of these issues—like the gun debate, prescription drug abuse, child PTSD from gun violence and even dark humor—and I could take off the 'kid gloves' in doing so. There’s a lot that goes on in the story, a lot of different ways that it ties back into our world today, and I didn’t want to draw any pedantic conclusions, but to help formulate the question for the readers and trust the readers to tackle the questions themselves."

  CRYSTAL CHAN TAKES ON COMPLEX ISSUES FOR TEENS IN NEW YA ‘ALL THAT I CAN FIX’ – INTERVIEW BY KATE HANNIGAN
  POSTED BY CBETHM ON JUNE 13, 2018 IN AUTHOR POSTS | 1 COMMENT
  Chicago author Crystal Chan doesn’t shy away from challenging subjects. With her debut novel, the enchanting Bird (Atheneum, 2014), she explored loss, grief, and the meaning of family through the eyes of an inquisitive girl, Jewel. The book resonated with middle-grade readers and adults, and was picked up for translation and publication in nine countries around the world.

  Venturing into the darker waters of YA with her new title, All That I Can Fix (publishing June 12 with Simon Pulse), she grapples with more complicated material like drug addiction, suicide, and gun control. In this her second book, Crystal writes from the perspective of a teenage mixed-race boy named Ronney, whose already demanding world gets turned upside-down when snakes, big cats, monkeys, and other exotic animals are released from a local private zoo. This original setting, inspired by a real event, is the backdrop for Ronney’s tumultuous journey.

  As an author shifting from writing for younger readers to now addressing tougher issues geared for older students, Crystal charges into the fray and never looks back. And her book, which has earned starred reviews from Kirkus, the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, and School Library Journal, serves as a powerful conversation starter for discussions of current events with teenage audiences.

  Question: Your debut novel Bird was written for a middle-grade audience, but All That I Can Fix is for older readers in the land of YA fiction — complete with profanity, f-bombs, and romantic longing. Can you talk about the change to more mature and challenging material? How does it feel to write for older readers?

  Crystal Chan: Bird and All That I Can Fix are two completely different books. In that sense, it was really fun and refreshing, although in the beginning it was kind of nerve-racking, knowing that I might lose some of the audience from the first book. Once I really got into it, though, I realized that audience be damned, I needed to write Ronney’s story, come what may. I really did enjoy being able to sink my teeth into a lot of substantial issues with this YA book. Don’t get me wrong, Bird also has its weighty issues, but I felt that with All That I Can Fix, not only could I address some of these issues — like the gun debate, prescription drug abuse, child PTSD from gun violence and even dark humor — and I could take off the “kid gloves” in doing so. There’s a lot that goes on in the story, a lot of different ways that it ties back into our world today, and I didn’t want to draw any pedantic conclusions, but to help formulate the question for the readers and trust the readers to tackle the questions themselves.

  When I write, I hear voices. For Bird, Jewel’s voice spoke to me, loud and clear, and basically she dictated the entire first chapter of the book — I did very little editing on that chapter, it came out as is. For All That I Can Fix, again, I heard a voice, and this time it was Ronney’s. And it was an entirely different voice — cynical, darkly humorous, smart in an edgy way. Honestly, Ronney’s voice took me by surprise, but I needed to go with it. And likewise, the first chapter of this new book was also almost exclusively Ronney’s voice with minimal editing. (grinning) Of course, after that first chapter I needed to stop being the transcriber and actually do some writing work. But, like Bird, I knew that an entire novel had been packed into that first chapter and that my job as the writer was to unpack it.

  Question: You take on mental illness, drug addiction, and guns in this book. Did you set out to tackle such enormous social issues?

  Crystal: I didn’t set out to tackle these social issues, not really. As I was developing my character profiles, though, these issues did impact my characters, and so I had to work with that. In developing characters, I try to get out of the way: My characters tell me about their life, not the other way around. And so, when I was investigating my characters’ pain and burdens, these things surfaced.

  Question: Ronney is a flawed but likeable main character. How did he come to be? Have you known a Ronney?

  Crystal: I have known a lot of Ronneys, actually. In fact, I have a feeling there are more Ronneys out there than I thought initially. One of my beta readers — a guy who I had specifically asked to read the book with an eye toward giving me feedback on the male perspective — when he read the books, he said, “How did you know that my dad and I fought like this? Were you in the living room watching us?” So perhaps Ronney is not as particular as one might think at first.

  Question: The supporting characters in your story are richly drawn and feel like living, breathing people. Can you share your creative process in bringing little sister Mina, friends Sam, George, and Jello, as well as the parents to life?

  Crystal: From a technical perspective, I create a character profile file for each person and go through a list of standard questions: What is their background? What do they want most? What do they fear? That sort of thing. From an artistic perspective, I really key into their strongest emotions; what are their go-to emotions? In a way, creating supporting characters is very similar to creating the main character — it takes just as much time, intention, and work.

  Question: Your story took seven years to bring into the world. What do you want readers to gain from reading it? What do you hope to accomplish with this book?

  Crystal: I want young adults to understand that I think the world is a ludicrous place to grow up in right now; we expect these kids to solve all of our problems — environment, politics, guns — problems that we adults have not been able to solve for generations. And there are so many examples of adult hypocrisy and double standards: On the one hand, adults tell kids to be kind on the playground, and on the other hand the adults demean each other and call each other names based off of political opinions. This is terrible. This is embarrassing. This is not how I want to do my part to make the world a better place. And in a way, in writing my book, I want kids to understand that I see this hypocrisy, the absurdity of the world we have given them. Adults are acting like children, and the children are acting like adults. I want them to know that I’m with them, I’m on their side. And I’m doing my best, fixing what I can fix.

  Chicago author Kate Hannigan writes fiction and non-fiction for young readers. You can read more about her writing A Lady Has the Floor in her January 2018 Nerdy Book Club post. Her historical novel The Detective’s Assistant, based on America’s first woman detective, won the Golden Kite Award for best middle-grade. Kate is a proud recipient of a Nerdy Book Award. Visit her online at KateHannigan.com.

• Hypable - https://www.hypable.com/interview-crystal-chan-bird/

  QUOTED: "There’s a lot of myself in Bird. First of all, I’m mixed race: I’m Chinese and White, and growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, my family really stuck out. There was no one like me, no one who could really understand what being mixed was like. And of course, I got that question: What are you? … just like Jewel gets it, too. Also, there is a silent and mysterious grandfather in Bird. ... My own grandparents ... are also silent and mysterious."

  Twelve-year-old Jewel was born on the same day that her brother Bird died, and her grandfather has not spoken since. Jewel is used to silence, but when John arrives in town, Jewel can’t help but question everything that she knows.
  Bird is a startling debut. A poetic mediation on grief, it will have you reeling from the very first line. The fact that the novel is targeted at middle-grade should not deter older readers – this is no doubt one of the most lyrically beautiful books you will read this year.

  The audiobook is read by Amandla Stenberg, who is best known for her portrayal of Rue in The Hunger Games.
  Interview: Crystal Chan

  Hypable: My first reaction when I finished ‘Bird’ was that I had somehow intruded on someone’s grief. Were there elements of this story that were based on personal experiences of yours?

  Crystal Chan: There sure were – there’s a lot of myself in Bird. First of all, I’m mixed race: I’m Chinese and White, and growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, my family really stuck out. There was no one like me, no one who could really understand what being mixed was like. And of course, I got that question: What are you? …just like Jewel gets it, too.

  Also, there is a silent and mysterious grandfather in Bird who plays a large role in the story. My own grandparents – all four of them – are also silent and mysterious. On my Chinese side, they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Chinese, and on my White side, my grandfather died when I was a child and my grandmother, while she lived well into my twenties, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when I was about ten.
  So I grew up with this woman who couldn’t remember my name or who she was, but I kept hearing stories of this strong, courageous woman who danced on the table tops in bars and got into fights with men. And I remember listening to those stories and then looking at my grandmother and wondering how she could have possibly done those things, how she could have possibly been that person.
  So having inaccessible grandparents is something that hits home for me – and it was one of my joys having Jewel, the protagonist, develop a relationship with her silent and mysterious grandpa.
  Your characters talk about being linked in close binary systems with each other, but many of them also seem to be linked with a particular place. Can you tell us about how and why you decided to incorporate these elements in your story?

  Sacred spaces are everywhere in Bird – those spaces that seem to hold you, listen to you, give advice, calm you down. People move around a lot these days and in that moving it’s hard to be connected to a place, to feel the heartbeat of a boulder.
  I love the spaces in my life – I live across the street from Lake Michigan and sit out there a lot. I find great solace and wisdom in my own sacred spaces, and I did as a kid, too. I didn’t really decide to incorporate these spaces into the story; the characters themselves told me where they go, and the only thing I could do was follow them there.
  The connection with place is also shown through the incorporation of different cultures. What was it about these different beliefs that sparked your interest?

  I just knew that Jewel was mixed race, and that she was Jamaican, Mexican, and White. I didn’t make any decision or have any rationale – I mean, what rationale do I give for being half Chinese, half White? It just is. And once I found out what her cultural makeup was, then I did the research into Jamaica, into Mexico, and the story evolved from there.
  The first line of ‘Bird’ gives readers a heartbreaking introduction to your world. Which do you find easiest to write – the first or the last line of a book?

  A cool question! The last line to write was easier, as it shows Jewel finding a pathway out of her grief. The first line reveals the pathway into it.
  ‘Bird’ is about so many things: Grief, isolation, superstition, faith, and forgiveness, to name only a few. If readers are to take one thing away from this book, what do you hope it is?

  I can only hope that readers come away with the transformative power of love and forgiveness – that no matter how deeply people are entrenched in their pain and isolation, healing can come and connections can be deeply made.
  Finally, can you give us a recommendation of a book that you are loving at the moment?

  I’m loving Far Far Away by Tom McNeal. He’s written an amazing book with an amazing voice and unforgettable characters, and I’m savoring every word of it.
  Bird by Crystal Chan is available now through Atheneum Books for Young Readers in the United States and Text Publishing in Australia, with additional international releases coming soon.

• Writers' Rumpus - https://writersrumpus.com/2018/06/01/all-that-i-can-fix-crystal-chan-on-writing-race-and-her-new-ya-novel/

  ALL THAT I CAN FIX: CRYSTAL CHAN ON WRITING, RACE, AND HER NEW YA NOVEL
  June 1, 2018 Joyce Audy Zarins Book Reviews, Book Reviews - Young Adult, Interviews, Interviews - Authors & Illustrators 7 comments
  all-that-i-can-fix-9781534408883_lgAll That I Can Fix opens with squirrels raining down from trees during a windstorm. And someone has uncaged a menagerie of hungry carnivores into the neighborhood where Ronney, the fifteen-year-old protagonist, and his family live. Well now. The plot of Crystal Chan’s new young adult novel accelerates right from the onset.

  First the book; then, stick around for an interview with Crystal Chan–author, speaker, and compassion activist.

  In All That I Can Fix, Ronney’s life is fraught with challenges. He is stalked by a boy who inexplicably demands Ronney’s distinctive jeans, which are decorated with question marks. Apparently the pants formerly belonged to the boy’s beloved runaway older brother and Ronney struggles to help. Ronney’s father’s attempted suicide left this head of the family emotionally damaged and with a bullet in his shoulder. Ronney’s mom has been coping with life by popping pills. His bright fourth-grade sister Mina gives him some focus. His other emotional outlet is home repair. He may not be able to fix his family, but he can deal with a leaking roof or seal coating the driveway.

  Our hero’s female friend George and male friend Jello are his smart, idiosyncratic best buddies, although Ronney craves a more personal relationship with George. Could one possible complication be that Ronney and his family are mixed-race while George and Jello are white? The story does not make obvious which races are in Ronney’s heritage, although at one point he is mistaken for Latino. Perhaps the message is that simply not being white is problem enough.

  birdUnlike Ms. Chan’s first book, a middle grade novel titled Bird, Ronney’s lineage is left open in her young adult novel All That I Can Fix. In Bird, the protagonist Jewel’s family heritage includes Jamaican and Mexican, with many cultural references to both belief systems. Another difference is that race is definitely a factor in Jewel’s family life, whereas the race of Ronney’s family does not play as direct a role in the problems Ronney faces, which mainly revolve around his parents’ behavior. That is, until Ronney realizes that George only wants to be “friends”. Will young readers decide that is actually more about his being of a blended family than because of his personal traits? Ronney is smart, yet he skips a lot of school, has a trashy vocabulary, and responds to his damaged father in abrupt and sometimes insulting ways. George loves Ronney’s creative and logical thinking, but perhaps draws the line at the other stuff he dishes.

  All That I Can Fix is more about dealing with difficulties that could affect anyone’s life without regard to the color of the characters’ skin. This surprised me. I have read some of Crystal Chan’s wonderful self-described “compassion activist” conversations on line about race. Like her protagonists, she is of mixed race since her father is from Hong Kong and her mother, from Wisconsin, is of Polish-American descent. Like Ronney’s desire to fix everything that is wrong with his family home, Crystal would like to repair relations between white and non-white readers. This novel achieves that by showing a non-white family struggling with being themselves, as much a part of their Makersville, Indiana town as anyone else.

  Oh, and about those ravenous lions, tigers, boas, etc.? They skulk throughout the story, inspiring clashes between gun rights people and gun control supporters and throwing mortal fear into everyone. The dramatic climax involves the tiger, a gun, and declarations of bravery. Young readers will surely feel that this novel is packed with intriguing drama and fascinating characters.

  Crystal Chan headshot

  Crystal shared her thoughts with us about running, writing, and race.

  Joyce Audy Zarins: Crystal, Thank you for all that you do to build understanding within our community of readers. Any chance you will be running for office in 2020? We certainly could use a “compassion activist” leading this country!

  Crystal Chan: (Laughing) I won’t be running for office in 2020 because I don’t like to run. Maybe I would “walk quickly” for office. Or “saunter”. But seriously, one of the things that grieves me most about this country is the lack of leadership – and I’m not talking about partisan politics. I’m talking about leaders who have the moral courage and integrity to do what’s right, to make hard decisions, and not to be afraid to compromise. With our country’s leaders too entrenched to even listen to each other, how can we be guided with wisdom? If our leaders aren’t listening to each other, if the adults aren’t listening to each other, how are we preparing our children to be leaders who can listen to the other side? This whole theme – the failure of adults – is woven into the book. And like I said, I’m not talking partisan politics. Adults all across the board have failed our youth in this respect. And I wanted to write a book that reflects this.

  JAZ: Your first novel, Bird, which I have been listening to in its audio version, is more directly about race than All That I Can Fix is. What was your goal?

  C.C.: (See above)

  JAZ: You have chosen to explore bi-racial or multi-racial themes in your books. Is this to fill in what is missing or to change a culture?

  C.C.: I wrote about a multiracial protagonist because there’s very few of them in our literature today, and I wanted to write a story that I could relate to.

  JAZ: Your anti-gun stance is also evident in this novel.

  C.C.: It’s funny you say that, because I have had some readers tell me that the book is actually very pro-gun! I take that as a compliment, that people are seeing the book’s stance on guns in different ways – it means I’ve done my job in depicting both sides of the debate. That was my goal regarding guns: Not to give my personal viewpoint, but to have a piece of literature that can hopefully open up honest, open discussion on both sides. I do have a strong viewpoint on guns, and it took a very long time for me to be able to be ready to give equal space to both sides. But if we are approaching this as mature adults, with substantial emotional capacity, we should be ready to explore how the “other side” sees and feels, because that is what will allow us to cross the divide and come to real solutions to these very real problems.

  JAZ: What is your hope for the role that books can play?

  C.C.: I would love for All That I Can Fix to open up conversations on the gun debate, on what real leadership necessitates in this country, on mentorship, on growing up too fast, on child PTSD, on loyalty and loss and second chances. (grinning) That’s all. Not much.

  JAZ: What is your view on white writers including diverse characters in their stories?

  tiger-

  C.C.: Of course! That’s the million-dollar question. My question to you is, “What kind of ‘white writer’ are we talking about?” Because if you’re white, and if you’re writing about characters of a different race, I fully expect you to spend years – years – doing research. And not just research of the mind, but research of the heart: How does it feel to be oppressed in this country? How does it feel to live in a country that lynched your ancestors, that passed laws against the immigration of your people? How does it feel to tell a six-year-old black child that society doesn’t view them with the same worth that it does a six-year-old white child? How does race-related anger, rage, shame, struggle, pride feel? Those kinds of things. Not every white writer can delve into this, and so not every white writer should be writing about diverse characters. That’s not to say that a white writer can’t grow – in fact, that’s the challenge that I put to white writers: You must grow, and grow a lot, and I believe you can – but most white writers have a long, long, long way to go. I would say 99% of white writers aren’t ready.

  JAZ: What is your view on diverse writers including white characters in their stories?

  C.C.: POC writers definitely should do their homework when researching and writing about white characters. The same standard should apply – are you writing from the heart or from an intellectual standpoint only? What elements of the culture are you highlighting, and are these elements stereotypes? It is different, however, because white culture is everywhere – everywhere – every movie, TV show, billboard, history books, and so on. So white culture is much easier to tap into and research than would be a specific racial background. Why? Well, in part because our country has done a remarkable job in trying to erase different, various backgrounds. So white writers writing POC backgrounds will need to do some digging, and sensitive digging at that, even more so: Self aware, sensitive digging. POC writers writing white backgrounds will have to do much less digging because white culture is front and center, all the time.

  However easy or hard it is to do research into the various cultures, the same quality and standard applies, no matter the race of your character.

  JAZ: Your path to publication was different for each book. How so?

  C.C.: Well, Bird took me about two years to write, and All That I Can Fix has taken me almost seven. Also, Bird is a very international book – it was published in 10 countries – but here in the United States it didn’t really get any starred reviews. On the other hand, All That I Can Fix has not sold internationally yet, but it has already raked in three starred reviews, and we’re not done yet. And the voice of each story is so completely, utterly different. They are two different creatures.

  JAZ: Do you have suggestions for writers seeking representation?

  C.C.: Write the best story your heart can muster, and don’t be afraid if it takes longer than you thought. If you want to be published, know that you’re swimming in the big kid pool now, and this is not about your ego, this is about the story. Sacrifice everything for the story. Especially your ego.

  JAZ: What will your next book be? Its theme?

  C.C.: No idea! I’m focusing right now on author talks and doing my “compassion activist” thing. That’s my fire in the belly right now.

  Crystal-10-1-731x1024

  Kirkus gave All That I Can Fix a starred review, as did School Library Journal. Published by Simon & Schuster, the book will be released June 12th.

• Teaching Authors - http://www.teachingauthors.com/2014/02/crystal-chan-soaring-student-success.html

  Crystal Chan: A Soaring (!) Student Success Story
  Posted by Esther Hershenhorn

  Oh, how I am beaming as I write today’s post. J
  I’ve been cheering on my former Newberry Library

  Workshop student and fellow SCBWI-Illinois Chicago kin Crystal Chan since I first declared her a Writer and specifically, a Novelist.
  And now you can do the same, once you learn her story and how she came to write her just-released well-reviewed debut middle grade novel Bird (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster).

  Our TeachingAuthors Bookgiveaway of a signed copy of Crystal’s Bird keeps me beaming. Be sure to read the Rafflecopter details that follow my interview. The deadline is February 14 at midnight.

  Bird’s cover showcases blurbs by Newbery Honor Medalist Kathi Appelt and Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadahota. Kathy called the novel “a mysterious, lyrical, and thought-provoking novel from an important new voice in children’s literature.” Cynthia wrote, “Crystal Chan has written an enthralling first novel about the darkness, light, and beauty that make up the human condition.”

  Crystal offers this synopsis of Bird on her website.
  “It’s only natural to have silence and secrets in your family when you’re born on the same day that your brother died. At least, that’s sure what it seems like for twelve-year old Jewel. Add to that the fact that you’re the only mixed-race family in your rural Iowan town, and well, life can get kind of lonely sometimes. But when a boy named John moves into her town, his courage and charisma immediately stand out and the two kids instantly click. John’s presence, however, has an unsettling effect on her family. As the thick layers of silence in her family begin to unravel, Jewel finds that her life is not as stable nor her family’s expectations as certain as she once thought. Suddenly, Jewel needs to choose whether to stay loyal to the person her family wants her to be or to claim her own identity, no matter the cost.”

  Be sure to check out Crystal’s website where you can read the opening pages of Bird - as well as – listen to part of the Listening Library Audiobook recorded by Amandla Stenberg, who played Rue in the Hunger Games.

  You can learn more about Crystal at The Class of 2k14 website.
  You can also click here to read Goodreads reader reviews.

  And now, here’s Crystal!

  (1) Five and a half years have come and gone since we first worked together in my 2008 Newberry Library Picture Book Workshop and I declared you a Novelist of the first order? Do you recall what you were hoping to learn – and – what you indeed took away – about writing, the Children’s Book World, publishing and most of all, your story?

  (laughing) I sure do remember when you declared me a novelist – and how heartbroken I was about it! I just wanted to be a picture book writer…so then I did NaNoWriMo to prove you – and more importantly, myself – wrong, as in, See? I’m not a novelist. So then imagine my surprise when a month later, I had a novel. Not one that will ever be published, but a novel nonetheless, which was astonishing. Like, I did it. And the thing I realized in that whole process was that I had a story to write in the first place. I had something to say. And that was so shocking that I decided to write a second novel, see where it would take me.

  (2)We’d met earlier at Chicago’s Cenacle Retreat Center when I was booking and planning a weekend Retreat for our SCBWI-Illinois Chapter. Once you learned about our most vital children’s book community, you jumped in fully-clothed and pronto, connecting and then helping others connect. How did those connections and learning opportunities help you connect to your own writing and eventually, the writing of Bird?

  I was Chicago’s co-Rep for SCBWI-IL, yes. It was so great, getting out and being the first person to meet folks, to be the contact person for speakers (authors, illustrators, agents, editors) – it was a lot of work, and totally worth it. And it was through the SCBWI network that I learned about the downstate Words in the Woods workshop, where Kathi Appelt, a guest speaker, read my novel The Messenger, fell in love with it, and helped introduce me to agents.

  (3)Your gorgeous promotional postcard captures Bird in these words: “Entrenched secrets, mysterious spirits, and an astonishing friendship weave together in this extraordinary and haunting debut. Nothing matters. Only Bird matters. And he flew away.”
  How did this story of twelve-year-old Jewel come to be? What was its spark? What were your challenges? What do you hope your readers take-away from Jewel’s journey?

  I had just finished reading Keeper, by Kathi Appelt, and was sick at home from work. I had also finished my first manuscript and was fretting that I might not have another idea for another novel. Ever. I was thinking about this for hours, and finally I got so sick of myself that I said, Crystal, either you get up out of bed and write your next book, or you go to sleep because you’re sick. But you’re not going to lie in bed thinking about not writing your next book.

  And then I started thinking more about Keeper, and how I loved that story; it’s about a girl who thought her mother turned into a mermaid and goes out to sea in search of her. And I thought, A girl who thinks her mother was a mermaid - that’s such a great idea – I wish I had thought of that! But what if… instead... there was a girl whose brother thought he was a bird, but then he jumped off a cliff because he thought he could fly … Then the voice of the protagonist, Jewel’s voice, started speaking and I got out of bed and wrote the first chapter.

  (4) Readers love to know a Writer’s Next Steps. Once you completed Bird, how did you go about connecting with your agent, Emily van Beek of Folio Literary Management (www.foliolit.com)? And once the book sold to Atheneum Books for Young Readers, what was the revision process with your editor?

  I actually didn’t complete Bird first! I went to a full manuscript writing workshop with Namrata Tripathi, which was at this lady’s house and ran for an entire weekend (it was really cool). I was about to submit my first novel, The Messenger, and only had a partial to submit to Namrata for this workshop. I had maybe 50 pages, no ending, nada. About four months after the workshop, when we submitted The Messenger to her, she basically said, Thanks but no thanks – but I want to acquire the partial of Bird, because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I read it. And so we jumped. And she worked with me from the very first draft.

  (5) Your website (www.crystalchanwrites.com) speaks volumes as to what you hold dear, including the links to mixed race resources. The homepage reads – “Imagine beyond boundaries.” What did you want this website to do for you, your readers and the book itself?

  I love that image on the landing page – of being in the woods under a starry night sky. The stars and sky play an important role in Bird, and Bird also has this feel of mystery, of possibilities – I felt that this image captured an essential part of the book. When I first saw that picture, it took my breath away for a moment, made me pause a moment, and I realized that’s what I wanted to give to my visitors: a quiet moment. We rush around so much – no more so than on the web – and I wanted that image to be a gift, where I’m not saying Buy this or Do that but just giving the visitor something, even if they just click away after seeing the picture. And the thing is, if someone really connects with the image, hopefully they’ll connect with the book, as the tone and themes of the book are actually quite similar.

  (6) Foreign rights to Bird have sold to Text Publishing (Australia), Random House UK (United Kingdom), Intrinseca (Brazil), Magellan (Germany), Kluitman (Netherlands), Helium (France), RAO Publishing (Romania) and Epsilon Yayinevi (Turkey. Can you share how this pinch-yourself-to-know-it’s-real experience has altered your life?

  (laughing, again) Yeah, right? It’s been quite a whirlwind of activity, and this whole writing trajectory has happened quite fast. It’s been stressful – I’ve needed to be more agile than I’ve ever been. I mean, at conferences people stand up on stage and say, This is how the submission process works, this is how the acquisition process works, and none of that has applied to me. In fact, it gave me such wrong impressions of “how things work” that I wish someone would have just said, The path to publication is different for each person, and here is the range of experiences…That would have been more helpful.

  (7)Finally, can you let readers in on what you’re currently writing and/or your next book?

  Ooph! I’m writing a YA story, but other than that, my lips are sealed. J

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  Thank you, Crystal, for sharing Bird and your story with our TeachingAuthors readers.

  And readers: be sure to return Wednesday, February 5 for Crystal Chan’s Wednesday Writing Workout.
  You can win an autographed copy of Bird by entering with Rafflecopter, below. The contest will end February 14, 2014 at midnight. Please add a note in our comments section telling us why you hope to win the book. Thanks!

  Happy soaring!

  Esther Hershenhorn

• Rich in Color - http://richincolor.com/2018/06/interview-with-crystal-chan-all-that-i-can-fix/

  QUOTED: "I was transfixed at the exotic zoo breakout in Zanesville—it was like, serious? There are lions running around OHIO? Of all places! It was so surreal, and I guess that stuck with me: Sometimes curveballs happen that throw us way out of our realm of experience, whether it be a zoo outbreak or, in Ronney’s case, that your dad tried to kill himself."
  "For many people, we can point to at least a couple things that have destabilized us, for better or for worse—but in either event, it lends to it a surreal experience. It was that surreal feeling that I really wanted to explore in the story."

  Interview with Crystal Chan – All That I Can Fix
  POSTED ON12 JUNE, 2018AuthorAudrey

  Everyone, please welcome Crystal Chan to Rich in Color! Crystal’s newest book, ALL THAT I CAN FIX, is out today from Simon Pulse.

  In Makersville, Indiana, people know all about Ronney—he’s from that mixed-race family with the dad who tried to kill himself, the pill-popping mom, and the genius kid sister. If having a family like that wasn’t bad enough, the local eccentric at the edge of town decided one night to open up all the cages of his exotic zoo—lions, cheetahs, tigers—and then shoot himself dead. Go figure. Even more proof that you can’t trust adults to do the right thing.

  Overnight, news crews, gun control supporters, and gun rights advocates descend on Makersville, bringing around-the-clock news coverage, rallies, and anti-rallies with them. With his parents checked out, Ronney is left tending to his sister’s mounting fears of roaming lions, stopping his best friend from going on a suburban safari, and shaking loose a lonely boy who follows Ronney wherever he goes. Can Ronney figure out a way to hold it together as all his worlds fall apart?

  Sound like the book for you? Read on!

  I read an excerpt of ALL THAT I CAN FIX, and between the squirrels falling from the trees and the animals on the loose, Ronney immediately caught my attention with the tidbits we got about his family. What can you tell us about Ronney and his family?

  You know how sometimes a relationship can crash and burn? How do you even start to pick up the pieces? That is the heart of the story between Ronney and his dad, because his dad recently tried to kill himself by gunshot. In the meanwhile, yes, there are squirrels falling from the trees and animals on the loose: Sometimes the chaos of the world can parallel the chaos that’s going on in your heart and in your family.

  I remember hearing about the 2011 exotic animal outbreak in Zanesville, Ohio! What was it about the incident that inspired you to include a fictional version of it in ALL THAT I CAN FIX?

  I was transfixed at the exotic zoo breakout in Zanesville – it was like, serious? There are lions running around OHIO? Of all places! It was so surreal, and I guess that stuck with me: Sometimes curveballs happen that throw us way out of our realm of experience, whether it be a zoo outbreak or, in Ronney’s case, that your dad tried to kill himself. For many people, we can point to at least a couple things that have destabilized us, for better or for worse – but in either event, it lends to it a surreal experience. It was that surreal feeling that I really wanted to explore in the story.

  What did you like most about writing Ronney’s character? What are his relationships like with his best friend and the girl he has a crush on?

  Believe it or not, I really liked writing from the male perspective. My debut novel had a female protagonist, and in this novel, Ronney is squarely a cis male. His voice just popped out of me. I had very complicated male dynamics in my family, so I have always been interested in the male perspective, always observing groups of guys, asking my guy friends why guys thought X, etc. but it was in writing the story from the male perspective that I realized how… liberating it was. For instance, Ronney can be a jerk, sometimes an asshole. And you know what? It was fun. You see, I was raised as the “dutiful Chinese daughter”– the nice, demure, obedient one. And I realized in writing the book, having the dual restraints of gender and race – I never gave myself permission to be an asshole (laughing). It is much harder in our society for females to be jerks. And the more I explored this freedom, the angrier I got – why is female “jerkiness” socially unacceptable? Why must females be perfect while males can be jerks, even assholes, and get away with it? That kind of a thing. And you know, I didn’t even realize the weight of those expectations until I didn’t have them anymore in writing this book.

  You’re tackling some heavy topics in ALL THAT I CAN FIX—suicide, mental illness, gun control, etc. What do you hope your teen readers will take away from the book?

  I guess I’d like to clarify your question and say, “What do you hope cynical and disillusioned teen readers will take away from the book?” I hope these teens will, first and foremost, see a mirror held up, reflecting back a portion of their society: A world in which grown-ups act like children and children act like grown-ups. A world where adults scream at each other and dehumanize each other and yet expect kids to reconcile on the playground. A world that reflects the hypocrisy of adulthood and how leaders are simply not leading – and I’m not talking about partisan politics, I am talking about huge swaths of adults across this country. For instance, why do we have fun games on our phones but can’t balance our state and national budgets? The answer: Grown-ups are having more fun creating fun games. Balancing budgets isn’t fun and so grown-ups have opted out of it. I want these teens to know that I support their questions and frustration. Just as important, I want these teens to know that I have hope in them, to pick up the ball that has been dropped and to run with it.

  Both you and Ronney are mixed-race kids from the Midwest. Were there any experiences in your life that found their way into Ronney’s?

  Oh, sure! I lived in a small-ish town in Wisconsin, and my family totally stuck out. Much like Ronney’s. Also, I received a lot of food harassment at school – like when I would bring chicken feet or beef tripe for my lunch and received absolute rejection from my peers because of that. Things like that.

  What 2018 YA books by or about people of color or people from First/Native Nations are you looking forward to reading?

  OMG, I am totally itching to get my hands on a copy of Nnedi Okorafor’s AKATA WARRIOR. She is one of my favorite authors. Daring and bold – she’s been a great role model for me.

  Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about ALL THAT I CAN FIX?

  I started writing this book seven years ago, and in many ways it feels like it was a different world. In these past seven years, more and more of the news headlines are lining up with the plot points of the book: Prescription drug abuse, children protesting school gun violence, leaders refusing to lead, and so forth. At first it freaked me out. (grinning) Now it’s more of an acknowledgment of how art works: Many times the artist really has to listen deeply within herself and to the world to hear the whispers, and just sometimes, the art goes beyond the artist. Actually, I think that is an artist’s deepest wish.

  Crystal Chan watched with amazement at the exotic zoo outbreak in Zanesville, Ohio in 2011, where scores of animals—hungry lions, panthers, and tigers—ran loose around the county. That incident helped inspire her most recent novel, All That I Can Fix.

  When Crystal isn’t writing, her passion is giving diversity talks to adults and kids alike, telling stories on Wisconsin Public Radio, and hosting conversations on social media.

  Her debut novel, Bird, was published in nine countries and is available on audiobook in the US.

  She is the parent of a teenage turtle (not a ninja).

• Alpha Reader - http://alphareader.blogspot.com/2014/02/interview-with-crystal-chan-author-of.html

  QUOTED: "Growing up in a small town in the 80’s, no one around me was bi-racial. No one looked like me, and no one shared my experiences. In a way, I was lonely and didn’t even realize it. ... Until I got older. ... They (at writer’s conferences) always say to write the book you wanted to read as a child, and I knew that if I’d had a book like Bird as a child, I would hang onto it for dear life and never let it go."

  Wednesday, February 5, 2014
  Interview with Crystal Chan, author of 'Bird'

  Crystal Chan is the debut author of the novel Bird, now available in Australia from Text Publishing.
  This book is so beautiful, and I'm so glad that I was given the opportunity to ask some questions of the very talented author-to-watch, Crystal Chan.

  ◙ ◙ ◙

  Q: How were you first published – agent or slush pile?

  Agent, kind of. I went to a writers’ conference and submitted my first 20 pages for a critique, and the reader loved my manuscript and wanted to read the whole thing! After that, she put me in touch with her agent and other agents she knew. So that’s how I got my agent. BUT fast forward about a year: I went to another writers’ workshop with this editor, who read the first 50 pages of my second manuscript, which was (then) a WIP, when we went out with my finished, original manuscript, the editor said thanks but no thanks; I want to acquire the WIP I read – I can’t stop thinking about it. So we sold the second manuscript as a first-draft partial, which was crazy process, let me tell you. It just underscored for me how individualized each person’s path to publication really is.

  Q: Are you a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’ - that is, do you meticulously plot your novel before writing, or do you ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ and let the story evolve naturally?

  I let the story evolve naturally, until a certain point – usually midway through, and then I start plotting it out.

  Q: How long did it take you to write ‘Bird’, from first idea to final manuscript?

  About a year and a half.

  Q: Where do story ideas generally start for you? Do you first think of the character, theme, ending? Or is it just a free-fall?

  It’s a total free-fall – I like that word to describe the process, btw. In fact, for me (and I know this sounds weird) but for the stories I’ve written, the voice just comes to me – I can hear it so distinctly in my mind – and the first chapter is basically writing down what I’m hearing. The subsequent chapters aren’t necessarily like that, but the voice remains strong.

  Q: Jewel is half-Jamaican, a quarter white and a quarter Mexican. The boy she befriends, John, is African-American adopted by white parents. You yourself are of Chinese/Polish descent – why was it important to you to write about mixed-race characters and families?

  Growing up in a small town in the 80’s, no one around me was bi-racial. No one looked like me, and no one shared my experiences. In a way, I was lonely and didn’t even realize it – I didn’t know what it would be like to have someone understand the questions I faced…that was so outside my realm of experience that I didn’t even long for it. Until I got older, as in, college-age. They (at writer’s conferences) always say to write the book you wanted to read as a child, and I knew that if I’d had a book like Bird as a child, I would hang onto it for dear life and never let it go.

  Q: John has dreams of being as astronaut, and Jewel wants to be a geologist when she grows up –the book is full of interesting facts about astronomy and geology. I wonder if there were already two areas of interest for you, or did you have to do copious amounts of research when you decided on those ambitions for Jewel and John?

  I’ve always loved geological formations, but not in a scientific way. Same with astronomy. So I had to do a LOT of research, which was fun and interesting – and challenging, as I’m not really a scientist, I don’t have a scientist’s mind.

  Q: In the book, Jewel talks a lot about ‘duppies’ - evil spirits from Jamaican mythology. How did you first learn about duppies, and what sort of research did you do into their origins?

  I first encountered duppies when, after college, I was working as an AmeriCorps volunteer at a college in New Jersey, and one of my interns was from Trinidad. He was totally chill, very laid back – until you got him talking about duppies and ghosts and curses. Then his eyes would get big, his voice would deepen and tense up – you could really tell that this affected him deeply. That was my first encounter with the duppy. But more than that, I just knew that Jewel was part Jamaican, and I found the duppy again when I was researching Jamaican worldviews/beliefs. I did tons of research: books, websites, interviews with Jamaicans, and I explored different belief systems city v. country, etc. I really wanted to get the culture as accurately as I could; I myself have often been misrepresented, and I wanted to be as accurate and respectful as possible.

  Q: What’s the appeal in writing for younger readers?

  Writing for younger readers isn’t intentional on my part – it’s just the story that comes out. But I do love the fact that kidlit is so family based, and I can really explore the intricacies of family dynamics. Writing for kids really lends itself to that.

  Q: Favourite author(s) of all time?

  Always hard! Madeline L’Engle, Kate DiCamilo, Kathi Appelt, Neil Gaiman, Adam Rex, Cynthia Kadohata, Angela Johnson, Junot Diaz, Joy Harjo, Sherman Alexie

  Q: Favourite book(s)?

  Always harder! A Wrinkle in Time, The Tiger Rising, The Underneath, The First Part Last, Blasphemy

  Q: Do you have any advice for budding young writers?

  Accept whatever emotions come up inside you – don’t push them down or ignore them, even if it’s uncomfortable. Because if you don’t allow yourself to feel anger, sadness, grief, or loss, how can you possibly write about these emotions for your characters?

  And write from your heart, always. When you write, remember you’re writing from a special space inside, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Practice telling stories – tell stories all the time. When you’re not telling stories, practice listening to others tell their stories. Because that’s all that writing really is: telling a story.

QUOTED: "At a time when high-school students are campaigning for change, this book is sure to be in demand."

Print Marked Items
All That I Can Fix
Jeanne Fredriksen
Booklist.
114.16 (Apr. 15, 2018): p49.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text: 
All That I Can Fix.
By Crystal Chan.
June 2018. 320p. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, $18.99 (9781534408883). Gr. 7-10.
Ronney is a mixed-race 15-year-old whose world deteriorates every day. His family depends on him to take care of everything from roof leaks to
laundry to his 10-year-old sister, Mina. His mother pops pills to avoid conflict, and his father has been in a deep depression ever since his failed
suicide attempt. When the eccentric in their small Indiana town releases his exotic zoo animals before killing himself, angry Ronney must calm
Mina and talk his best friend out of stalking the dangerous animals. Just when Ronney thinks he couldn't care about another stinking thing, Sam, a
lonely neighborhood boy, finds a way to soften Ronney's heart. Despite Ronney's ire, he's a storyteller possessed with a wicked and honest sense
of humor about reality and relationships. Chan takes a measured approach to controversial topics like suicide and addiction, the news media, gun
control and rights, and animal activism, most of which are relevant to today's teens. At a time when high-school students are campaigning for
change, this book is sure to be in demand.--Jeanne Fredriksen
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Fredriksen, Jeanne. "All That I Can Fix." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 49. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537268157/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5561a14e. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537268157

QUOTED: "a superbly entertaining read that weaves issues of mental health and gun control with adolescent angst."

Chan, Crystal: ALL THAT I CAN FIX
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Chan, Crystal ALL THAT I CAN FIX Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster (Young Adult Fiction) $18.99 6, 12 ISBN: 978-1-5344-0888-3
Ronney kept believing his dad would snap out of it and shape up--until his hope turned into anger.
In Makersville, Indiana, a local eccentric with a collection of neglected exotic zoo animals sets all the animals free and then kills himself. But 15-
year-old Ronney is focused on keeping things together for his precocious, sensitive younger sister, prescription drug-addicted mother, and
suicidally depressed father. He's also in love with a perfectionistic girl who only wants to be friends, and he has a best friend whose desire to go
viral with photos of the escaped animals veers into death-wish territory (both characters are light-skinned). Ronney is deeply flawed, with a rage
that simmers close to the surface, but readers will sympathize with his burning resentment toward his father's mental illness and its impact on the
family. He doesn't much care about flunking algebra, not with half the town arming themselves with guns and a motley crew of animal rights and
gun (pro and con) activists descending in protest. Ronney is refreshingly and defiantly multiracial (his family's exact heritage is not specified, but
he is at one point mistaken for Latino), and readers will fall hard for him in this novel that balances the heartbreak of a parent's emotional
abandonment and a child's fear of violence with plenty of absurd, laugh-out-loud moments.
A superbly entertaining read that weaves issues of mental health and gun control with adolescent angst. (Fiction. 13-18)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Chan, Crystal: ALL THAT I CAN FIX." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530650714/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a2ad3d1e. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530650714
Bird
Karen Coats
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.
67.7 (Mar. 2014): p352.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Coats, Karen. "Bird." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Mar. 2014, p. 352. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A367017529/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a8d01350. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A367017529

QUOTED: "This is a slow read—thoughtful and introspective ... and contemplative readers will be rewarded."

Bird
Ann Kelley
Booklist.
110.7 (Dec. 1, 2013): p66.
COPYRIGHT 2013 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text: 
Bird. By Crystal Chan. Jan. 2014. 304p. Atheneum, $16.99 (9781442450899). Gr. 4-7.
"In my house we wield silence like shields and swords: We use it to push people away or injure them." Ever since 12-year-old Jewel's brother
died by jumping off a cliff on the day she was born, her grandfather hasn't uttered a word. He's the one who gave his grandson, John, the
nickname "Bird" and told him that, one day, Bird would fly. Jewel's Jamaican grandpa and her dad believe in duppies, or harmful spirits, and
think grandpa's nickname attracted one. Now, Jewel is living in a house of fear, silence, and guilt. Jewel returns to the cliff where her brother died
in order to connect with him and feels the place, unlike her family, speaks to her. When she meets a boy in town for the summer, she, a geology
lover, and he, obsessed with space exploration, become friends. But this boy has secrets of his own, and, eventually, someone is going to have to
talk. This is a slow read--thoughtful and introspective about the dynamics of a grieving family--and contemplative readers will be rewarded by
Jewel's journey.--Ann Kelley
Kelley, Ann
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Kelley, Ann. "Bird." Booklist, 1 Dec. 2013, p. 66. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A353751901/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=74182f49. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A353751901

QUOTED: "Though it loses momentum halfway through, the strong opening bodes well for future endeavors."

Chan, Crystal: BIRD
Kirkus Reviews.
(Nov. 15, 2013):
COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Chan, Crystal BIRD Atheneum (Children's Fiction) $16.99 1, 28 ISBN: 978-1-4424-5089-9
Jewel Campbell's life began the day her older brother John's tragically ended, a coincidence that's shaped and shadowed her family since. Her
Jamaican-immigrant grandfather nicknamed John "Bird," encouraging him to imagine he could fly with disastrous results. He hasn't said a word
since and, along with Jewel's dad, blames the catastrophe on evil spirits from Jamaica, duppies. Both have gone to great lengths to repel future
supernatural harm (Jewel's white-Mexican mom retains some skepticism). Largely ignored, Jewel is equally in thrall to the family narrative. After
the family visits Bird's grave on her 12th birthday, she steals out to climb a tree in a neighbor's field and meets a boy who tells her his name is
John. Like Jewel, whose passion is geology, he's a budding scientist with a complex heritage--African-American, adopted by white parents. They
exchange secrets. Both feel out of place, moved by forces beyond their control, like the erratic granite boulder Jewel climbs. Jewel's observant
reflections on her rural-Iowa world give this debut its considerable charm. As brutal antagonism intensifies among the adults, the focus shifts to
characters and events before Jewel's birth, making Jewel less actor than bystander in her own story. For young readers especially, the resolution is
uncomfortably vague. Though it loses momentum halfway through, the strong opening bodes well for future endeavors. (Fiction. 10-14)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Chan, Crystal: BIRD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2013. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A348856322/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=15c66008. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A348856322

Fredriksen, Jeanne. "All That I Can Fix." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 49. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537268157/ITOF? u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 15 July 2018. "Chan, Crystal: ALL THAT I CAN FIX." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530650714/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 15 July 2018. Coats, Karen. "Bird." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Mar. 2014, p. 352. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A367017529/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 15 July 2018. Kelley, Ann. "Bird." Booklist, 1 Dec. 2013, p. 66. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A353751901/ITOF? u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 15 July 2018. "Chan, Crystal: BIRD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2013. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A348856322/ITOF? u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 15 July 2018.

• London Guardian
  https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/may/14/review-crystal-chan-bird
  Word count: 870

  May 14, 2014
  Bird by Crystal Chan - review
  'We also found awesome, we related to the characters especially because we are a very multicultural group and our world in London is very multicultural'
  JDbookgroup
  Wed 14 May 2014 07.00 EDT First published on Wed 14 May 2014 07.00 EDT

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  Bird is about a girl called Jewell who had a brother called John who died on the day she was born. His grandpa kept calling him Bird until he actually thought he could fly and jumped off a life and died. Grandpa stopped speaking the day John died.

  Jewel is ignored by her parents, by anyone really until she meets John, a strange boy who shares her brother's name and might even look a bit like him if he'd grown to be John's age and that starts everything unraveling.

  Not all of us read books like this usually, more going for adventure and horror but we were mainly gripped by Bird and in the end found it was full of adventure and mystery. To quote one of our group "It was sick".

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  Some of us found the book boring at first but actually it became more interesting and we got to understand it more, so that's why we liked it.
  We would describe the book as strange and mysterious. It's not exactly scary but the characters do talk about ghosts (called dupes) a lot. We aren't going to give the ending away but the main boy character (also called John at first, like Jewel's brother) is thought to actually be a duppie by Jewels' Grandfather. Some of us are interested in ghosts so we really liked the duppie angle and and the grandad's strange superstitious behaviour. One of us is not in to reading any book that has everyone alive in it, so particularly like this book because someone who is dead is so much a part of it.

  Some of us found Bird to be a hypnotising read and wanted to read it over again and again. Even though we don't really go for emotional books normally, this could be the start of us reading serious books now we are 10 and 11 years old.

  The main character in the book Jewel is half Jamaican, a quarter Mexican and a quarter white. We also found awesome, we related to the characters especially because we are a very multicultural group and our world in London is very multicultural. We like to read books with characters in them that look like us, not always white.

  Most of us in the group give it 9/10s. Most of us adored everything about this book, from the amazing writing, to the setting, to the characters. Only one of didn't like it because they found it just too serious. Others of us liked it because it was serious and we got to learn stuff. Some of us have experienced death of family members as Jewell did and it was a chance to think and this and learn stuff. We got to think more about race issues as well which some of us enjoyed. We are definitely the youngest children who can read this book, definitely not for anyone under 10.

  We really liked the ending (spoiler alert) because we love a happy ever after. One of us actually hates a cliffhanger like Private Peaceful. We don't like being left hanging there.! You can follow our book group on twitter @jdbookgroup if you like.

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• Bookbag
  http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Bird_by_Crystal_Chan
  Word count: 613

  QUOTED: "You sympathise so much with this little girl who is bright, independent, and curious about the world, that you get right inside her skin."
  "Bird is a lovely story."

  Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2016: Younger Fiction

  Grandpa stopped speaking the day he killed my brother, John.

  That was also the day Jewel was born. Birthdays for Jewel are miserable affairs during which her parents' grief for their son trump their joy in their daughter. In fact, Jewel doesn't see that her parents have any joy in their daughter at all. She's quite certain that nobody will ever love her as much as Mom, Dad and Grandpa loved John. Until, one day, she finds a mysterious boy sitting in one of her favourite trees. Grandpa doesn't like this new John, but Jewel does. She finally has someone that she can really talk to, who really understands the way her mind works. But John isn't everything he says he is. And his arrival is about to change Jewel's life forever...

  Oh, man. Man, man, man. Poor Jewel. There is a huge amount of grief and pain in this novel and Jewel is bearing the brunt of it. Yes, Grandpa doesn't talk. Yes, Mom and Dad are griefstricken and bitter. But Jewel really does suffer the most. And this is because nobody is telling her the whole truth. She knows that her brother died on the day she was born. She knows that he jumped off a cliff because Grandpa nicknamed him Bird and he thought he could fly. She knows that nobody in her family - or in the whole town - has really got over it. But she senses that vital pieces of the puzzle are missing and that she's excluded from those secrets. And this makes her feel unloved, unwanted, and guilty.

  Dad and Grandpa are superstitious. They believe in curses and evil Jamaican spirits. Mom doesn't. Who is right and how does it all fit in with Bird's death? Jewel needs her questions answered. So when she finds that her new friend has also lied to her, it's a particularly painful betrayal.

  The story is told from Jewel's perspective and, as a young child, she can be a slightly unreliable narrator. What she sees, and so what the reader sees, is a child's eye view. And you sympathise so much with this little girl who is bright, independent, and curious about the world, that you get right inside her skin. If you love science, as Jewel does, then believing in evil spirits doesn't really make sense. So perhaps Mom is right. But then, you have the evidence of a dead brother and a dumb Grandpa, so perhaps Dad is right. Jewel copes with these conflicts by creating rituals and worlds of her own where her love of geology and her respect for superstition can coexist. And they're quite beautiful, especially when seen through the prism of her growing friendship with the boy who wants to escape the world altogether and become an astronaut.

  Bird is a lovely story. It starts out with a veritable mess of unspoken pain but it ends on an upnote (I won't tell you how) taking in the joy of discovery, the unbreakable ties of family, and a genuine celebration of the cycle of life.

  If Bird sounds good to you, you might also enjoy Heaven Eyes or Secret Heart, both by David Almond. And for another little girl with the weight of other people's pain on her shoulders, try the gorgeous Shine by Candy Gourlay.

• School Library Journal
  https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=can-fix-crystal-chan-slj-review
  Word count: 282

  QUOTED: "This quirky coming-of-age novel is full of hardships that the protagonist must endure, while still maintaining a lighthearted tone."

  All That I Can Fix by Crystal Chan | SLJ Review

  by SLJ
  Apr 25, 2018 | Filed in Reviews+

  redstarCHAN, Crystal. All That I Can Fix. 320p. S. & S./Simon Pulse. Jun. 2018. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781534408883. Gr 7 Up –Exotic animals have been released by the owner of a local zoo, moments before he shoots himself dead in the small town of Makersville, IN. This is probably the last thing that teenager Ronney needs in his neighborhood. As newsworthy an event as this is, it is nothing compared to the harsh realities of his own life. Ronney is from a mixed-race family, and since Makersville is small, Ronney knows that all eyes are on him. That is, when they’re not on his father, who previously attempted suicide and now lives in a depressed state; or his mother who can’t deal with anything and instead pops pills; or his fourth grade sister, who is certifiably a genius but is dreadfully afraid of the escaped animals. Ronney deals with his family that is slowly falling apart, his best friend who wants to capture all the animals, and a lonely boy who asks him to take on an impossible quest. This quirky coming-of-age novel is full of hardships that the protagonist must endure, while still maintaining a lighthearted tone. VERDICT A strong choice for YA collections, this complex selection with a variety of relatable characters in extraordinary circumstances will win over teens.–Caitlin Wilson, Meadowdale Library, North Chesterfield, VA This review was published in the School Library Journal April 2018 issue.

• BookPage
  https://bookpage.com/reviews/16183-crystal-chan-bird#.W1diqC2ZOt8
  Word count: 460

  QUOTED: "Bird is a fast read but will stay with you. You’ll remember Jewel’s spirit, what John teaches her about space and the message that there are plenty of ways to show you love someone."

  Web Exclusive – February 07, 2014

  BIRD
  Putting a family back together
  BookPage review by Molly Horan

  Twelve-year-old Jewel has never liked her birthday. Celebrating the day she was born is just another reminder to her family of the brother she never met, 5-year-old John, nicknamed Bird by her grandfather, who tried to fly off a cliff and fell to his death while her mother was in labor with Jewel. It’s more than loss and grief that surrounds Bird’s death; it’s superstition and blame that Jewel has never fully understood. Her grandfather hasn’t spoken since the day Bird died, and her father is sure the nickname “Bird” attracted a Duppy, a Jamaican spirit, that convinced him to jump.

  Sick of living in the shadow of a ghost and never living up to her parents’ expectations, Jewel is ecstatic when she meets a new kid in the neighborhood who shares her love of science and climbing trees, who listens to her problems and worries and seems to understand. But when she brings him home, her parents are unnerved, and her grandfather is livid—because the boy's name just happens to be John.

  Bird is a heartbreaking story of a girl trying everything she can to fill the hole her brother left in her family. While the majority of the book shows her parents as incredibly sad, too wrapped up in their own grief to notice the love and needs of the child they still have left, the most powerful sections describe their fleeting happiness. Each smile from her mother terrifies Jewel, because she never knows when the next one will come or exactly how to bring it about. Every declaration of pride from her father is hard-won and treasured.

  Author Crystal Chan also paints a vivid picture of what it means to grow up in a mixed-race family. Jewel takes pride in her father’s Jamaican garden, but she’s frustrated when her neighbor expects her to be able to speak Spanish, and even more frustrated when strangers ask what she is instead of who.

  Bird is a fast read but will stay with you. You’ll remember Jewel’s spirit, what John teaches her about space and the message that there are plenty of ways to show you love someone without actually saying those three words.

  Molly Horan has her MFA in writing for children and young adults from The New School.

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