Shirley Temple Wong has sailed from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is in Brooklyn, New York where her dreams are confronted by difficult realities-Shirley doesn't speak English, and American ways and customs confuse her. Then a miracle happens. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, is everyone's hero. He is proving that America is the land of opportunity for everyone. Shirley becomes such a big fan, not even ice cream can lure her away from the radio when the Dodgers are playing. Not only is In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson a wonderful glimpse at American life in the 1940s, but it is also an opportunity to learn about life in China and what it's like to be an immigrant. Bette Bao Lord-an American Book Award nominee-based this story on her own experience as a newcomer to America. Narrator Christina Moore superbly captures the story's funny moments and its richly nostalgic mood.