Child of the Owl by Laurence Yep

This book is about a twelve-year old Chinese girl, Casey, whose father has a major gambling problem. She ends up having to live with her grandmother, Paw-Paw, in Chinatown. The story tells about her adjustments to living there, adjustments made more difficult by the fact that she doesn't speak Chinese.

Her grandmother is a very nice person who tells Casey about a Chinese legend of an Owl that became a human. Matters become more complicated when she and her grandmother come home one day and find a burgler in their apartment. The grandmother is injured, and Casey and some others set about trying to find out who the burglar was and get back an owl charm that was stolen.

They eventually find the burglar, but it turns out to be someone Casey knows.

The story is written very well and remains interesting throughout. I also like the way the story spends a lot of its time on Casey's psychology; how she handles living in Chinatown, how she handles have a father addicted to gambling, and how she relates to others.

I liked the story quite a bit. It was one that kept my interest throughout. Definitely a book worth reading.