A review by mldavisreads
Peter Lee's Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn

adventurous reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Middle grade contemporary realistic fiction.  Peter Lee lives with his parents, his younger sister L.B., and has his grandparents Hammy and Haji nearby.  He has dreamed of being a  paleontologist, long past the age where most kids outgrow their dinosaur phase.  He practices digs in his grandparent's yard, knows countless facts, and has multiple pairs of dinosaur underwear.  So when his sister finds out about a camp for kids that lets participants go on a real dig, Peter is beyond excited.  The whole family (including the grandparents) sets out across Canada to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.  On the trip, it becomes increasingly clear that his grandmother Hammy is not well.  Once they return, Peter and L.B. are determined to find out the truth about what's wrong with Hammy and how they can help.

This book had a lot of interesting observations on being Korean in Canada. It also had a wonderful example of a three-generation family.  While Hammy and Haji had their own house, it was very clear that they were a big part of everyday life for Peter and his family.  As Hammy's condition grew clear, it was wonderful to see how the family pulled together to help. Seeing Peter's dreams confront with reality was a bit painful, but handled carefully.  This book ended up being much deeper and much less about dinosaurs than I had anticipated.  
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