| Fourteen-year-old Chu Ju and her family live in modern rural China, where a strict policy of two children per family is enforced. When Chu Ju's mother becomes pregnant again, the family hopes for a boy, because sons are strongly preferred. But when the baby is born, it is another girl, who is named Hua. When Chu Ju learns that her grandmother plans to sell baby Hua to an orphanage so that there will be room in the family for another child, hopefully a son, Chu Ju decides to run away from home to spare her sister this terrible fate. Chu Ju's journey brings her to a fishing boat, a silkworm factory, a rice paddy, and the bustling and modern city of Shanghai. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Kids: - struggling to earn a living to survive Ethnic/Regional/Religion Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14 Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school Wild kid(s)? - runaway! Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - a teen Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - society Age: - long-lived adults Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 () Asia/Pacific Yes Asian country: - China City? Yes City: - dangerous Farm/Ranch? Yes Farm/Ranch: - farm Writing Style Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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