Sanu, who is learning how to braid her hair and to cook the same African meal her father makes.

Eric, who loves to play baseball with his dad and to dance the "merengue" with his friends and family.

April, who works hard on her Chinese writing and tries to keep up with her family's challenging games.

Their stories emphasize the seemingly minor and everyday ways heritage is transmitted: stories, songs, games, language, special occasions. They show the importance of choice and adaptation in forging a cultural identity. And they provoke readers to examine their own families -- what makes them the same, what makes them distinct, and how this uniqueness is celebrated.

This book was published 1998 by Simon & Schuster .

Susan Kuklin is the award-winning author and photographer of more than thirty books for children and young adults that span social issues and culture. Her photographs have appeared in Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. Susan Kuklin lives in New York City.