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justicepirate's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book to my 13 and 11 year olds. I don't suggest reading it to younger kids, as there is talk about the policies in China during, what seems to be, the 1980s. Chu Ju is a young pre-teen girl who's mother is about to have a baby. If it is a girl, she will be sent away. If it is a boy, the family can keep him. Through certain situations that happen in her family, she runs away in order to help them. She is a hard working girl, and that is shown throughout the book. She is such a great kid. You might have to explain certain things about the culture of China while reading this. We have done past studies so I didn't have to really explain much. Things like what a silk worm is, about sampan fishing boats, maybe advice about why running away is not a healthy choice anywhere, things like that.
Our family fully adored this book. It was well written and kept our attention the whole time.
Our family fully adored this book. It was well written and kept our attention the whole time.
rachemouse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kristinjones28's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great coming of age story that deals with universal values like family loyalty, honesty, and sacrifice. I also like it because it presents those ideas through a different cultural lens. Set in rural China, it portrays the challenges of being a young girl in a country where families were striving to have boy children.
laequeens's review against another edition
5.0
Short but fulfilling story. This is a story of a girl's selfless love for her family and others as well as a story of luck. Chu Ju, although was seen as " worthless " in the eyes of her grandmother and China's view of women before, was full of luck, love and knowledge. The world is a vast place and surely the river will take her to where she belongs and that is exactly what happens in the story. I felt very optimistic reading the entire thing and although some parts of it were sad, like the part where a woman believes her son would never be free no matter how much they pay ever since he was sent to a reeducation center for speaking the " truth ", the story still gives out hope. Mostly, it shows the beauty of agriculture and caring for one's own land rather than the materialistic beauty of the city. All in all, such a good read. I hoped it was longer but the way it ended was perfect as well.
crizzle's review against another edition
5.0
This will be a book for the girls to read in a few years!!
Chu Ju is a brave heroine who does the right thing, even when completely terrifying. {SPOILERS}
She runs away at 14 in communist China to save her baby sister, the second-born. I love the journey the author takes us on, and the skills and lessons Chu Ju picks up along the way. From killing fish to feeding silkworms to harvesting rice paddies... and learning that there are good people everywhere, and even the 'bad guys' have some sort of redeeming quality if you look hard enough. (Although I'm not sure about her grandma...) I love that she came back to her family as an 18 year old woman, showing how successful she is and showing that she left out of love. I love the lesson that because she had schooling and learned to read, she was able to do so much in her life. I just love the whole girl empowerment vibe.
My one beef is the time frame of the book... all of a sudden, she'd been with the fishing family for a year within like a couple paragraphs. Then she was with the orphan girls for another year... but then when she was with Han Na, it said something about it'd been "nearly two years" since she left her home. What? I would've guessed at least 2 and a half years. But then later she was 18, and having left at age 14, depending on when she left that'd be at least 3.5 years. Anyway.
Chu Ju is a brave heroine who does the right thing, even when completely terrifying. {SPOILERS}
She runs away at 14 in communist China to save her baby sister, the second-born. I love the journey the author takes us on, and the skills and lessons Chu Ju picks up along the way. From killing fish to feeding silkworms to harvesting rice paddies... and learning that there are good people everywhere, and even the 'bad guys' have some sort of redeeming quality if you look hard enough. (Although I'm not sure about her grandma...) I love that she came back to her family as an 18 year old woman, showing how successful she is and showing that she left out of love. I love the lesson that because she had schooling and learned to read, she was able to do so much in her life. I just love the whole girl empowerment vibe.
My one beef is the time frame of the book... all of a sudden, she'd been with the fishing family for a year within like a couple paragraphs. Then she was with the orphan girls for another year... but then when she was with Han Na, it said something about it'd been "nearly two years" since she left her home. What? I would've guessed at least 2 and a half years. But then later she was 18, and having left at age 14, depending on when she left that'd be at least 3.5 years. Anyway.
teyahdawn's review against another edition
4.0
I flew through this book during a break on my school librarian day. It was refreshing and sweet. I might even seek out more Gloria Whelan books when I need easy reading...
runnersue73's review against another edition
4.0
Max and Oliver read this for school and I read it so we could discuss it.
dandelionfluff's review against another edition
4.0
Really wonderful insight into the plight of girls post Cultural Revolution. Though I'm sure Chu Ju's situation is extremely unique, the story is wonderfully told. I highly recommend this in a classroom setting.