Girl Under a Red Moon by Da Chen - OPTIONAL

Girl Under a Red Moon : Growing Up During China's Cultural Revolution by Da Chen, 193 pages. NON FICTION. Scholastic, 2019. $17.            

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: R (rape) ; Violence: PG-13 (scenes of graphic torture)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE        

Da and his older sister, Sisi, grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution. Sisi was a model student, but because the grandfather was a landowner, she was not chosen for the Red Guard. Sisi and Da fled to a small village where Sisi worked in a school. For a while things seem better in Bridge Town, but the revolution caught up to them. Sisi watched people around her be falsely accused she must decide if she will take the easy route and to stand with the accusers or if she will stand up for the accused and tell the truth. The consequences for going against the regime is dire.            

This was an amazing book. I have read a lot about life during the Cultural Revolution in China and know that the awful things described in the book really happened. I think the book gives insight into what it was like to be a child in China during this time. The story was fascinating, spellbinding and heartbreaking all at the same time. I could not put the book down. The book is written in very simple language and I thought it was meant for elementary school students. However, the graphic violence in the book makes it more suitable for high school students studying China.             

Ellen-Anita, Librarian