China

Materials from China

Wildlife (China: Land, Life, And Culture)

Young readers will learn all about China in this fascinating series. Each book covers one aspect of this nation that is as large as a continent and ever growing in influence and importance. Readers of this series will learn about the history of China; its government, wildlife, arts, and culture; and all the things that grow in the countryside and are produced in the cities. Easy-to-understand text and lots of photos and special features bring this nation alive. with the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the eyes of the world are now on China. This series will help students better understand that part of the globe.

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party

Nine-year-old Ling is comfortable; her parents are both dedicated surgeons in the best hospital in Wuhan. But when Comrade Li, one of Mao’s political officers, moves into a room in their apartment, Ling begins to witness the gradual disintegration of her world. In an atmosphere of increasing mistrust, Ling fears for the safety of her neighbors and, soon, for herself and family. Over the course of four years, Ling manages to grow and blossom, even as she suffers more horrors than many people face in a lifetime. Drawing from her childhood experience, Ying Chang Compestine brings hope and humor to this compelling story for all ages about a girl fighting to survive during the Cultural Revolution in China.

Little Green: Growing Up During The Chinese Cultural Revolution

This first-person memoir tells the story of Chun Yu, who was born in a small city in China, during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The streets were filled with roaming Red Guards, the walls were covered with slogans, and reeducation meetings were held in all workplaces. Every family faced danger and humiliation, even the youngest children. Shortly after Chun’s birth, her beloved father was sent to a peasant village in the countryside to be reeducated in the ways of Chairman Mao. Chun and her brother stayed behind with their mother, who taught in a country middle school where Mao’s Little Red Book was a part of every child’s education. Chun Yu’s young life was witness to a country in turmoil, struggle, and revolution — the only life she knew.

Red Land Yellow River: A Story from the Cultural Revolution

In 1966 Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution swept through China and transformed the life of Beijing teenager Ange Zhang. Ange longed to join the Red Guard with his classmates, but was denied membership after his father, a famous writer, was arrested and charged with being a counter-revolutionary. As Ange struggled to maintain his friends’ respect, he began to question the Revolution and his role in it.

Tales from within the Clouds: Nakhi Stories of China

South of the clouds, in the land of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, dwell the descendants of a once pastoral people, the Nakhi. In ancient times, family names were passed from mother to child, there were no marriages, and women alone raised children. In the Nakhi language, there is no word for “father.” Today there are still Nakhi who follow these traditions, and Nakhi folktales reflect these beliefs. In the legends presented here we are introduced to a fantastic cast of characters: plants, insects, animals – all of them female! (Nakhi people, Naxi language)

Trick of the Tale: A Collection of Trickster Tales

An illustrated collection of tales featuring notable trickster characters such as Raven and Hare, from the folk traditions of many countries.