Need book recommendation. Anything set in China. Fiction or Nonfiction.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

It doesn't really matter age range. My next book club selection can be anything having to do with China. I enjoy good children's books (and I might be more likely to make it through a children's book at this point :lol:). I've already read Safely Home by Randy Alcorn and Homesick by Jean Fritz. Any other suggestions?

[Caitilin]

Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom, by Katherine Paterson; also by her, The Master Puppeteer (ETA: drat, this one is Japan--it's been a while, obviously. :blushing:)

 

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, author escapes me

 

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie

Edited December 10, 2010 by Caitilin

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom, by Katherine Paterson; also by her, The Master Puppeteer (ETA: drat, this one is Japan--it's been a while, obviously. :blushing:)

 

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, author escapes me

 

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie

 

All three of these look great! Maybe I'll read more than one this next month...

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

[daffodil]

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

 

The Last Days of Old Beijing by Michael Meyer

[Amira]

I've enjoyed all these books about China. Most are nonfiction (only Balzac, Vagrants, and Snow Flower aren't).

 

Wild Swans

Balzac and the Little Seamstress

China Road

Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper

The Vagrants

Invisible China

Fried Eggs with Chopsticks

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Shadow of the Silk Road

The Mummies of Urumqi

From Heaven Lake

[Jean in Newcastle]

The Joy Luck Club has part of it taking place in China and part of it in the US to Chinese Americans.

[SonshineLearner]

Raymond Moore... homeschool pioneer man, now gone, has a story about his life as a Christian Missionary in China :) He gave a copy to me... way back when I was homeschooled.... (I was 12) It's one of the books I've kept all these years :)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

It doesn't really matter age range. My next book club selection can be anything having to do with China. I enjoy good children's books (and I might be more likely to make it through a children's book at this point :lol:). I've already read Safely Home by Randy Alcorn and Homesick by Jean Fritz. Any other suggestions?

 

Yep is a Chinese American who has written books set in China as well as titles set between China and the US and others that are purely about the Chinese-American experience.

[Ibbygirl]

Ay, this book might be too childish for your group, but I really love this one. I have such fond memories of reading it to my dd when she was little. :) http://www.amazon.com/Tikki-Tembo-Arlene-Mosel/dp/0312367481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291970673&sr=8-1

[lmrich]

someone already mentioned it but Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin would lead to an excellent discussion.

[AmyP]

I learned about River Town on these boards, and REALLY enjoyed it. It's non-fiction, about the experiences of a foreigner teaching English (I think) in China.

[Word Nerd]

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)

 

ETA: The description of foot binding in this book is quite graphic. Horrific.

Edited December 10, 2010 by WordGirl

[Melinda in VT]

Not a children's book, but Life and Death in Shanghai is a powerful book about an amazing woman, and it makes for great discussion.

 

I have Mao's Last Dancer on my list of books to read.

[Laura Corin]

I have a list on Amazon for children up to high school age. I also recommend the Shanghai detective novels of Qiu Xiaolong. For me, they are the best picture of (fairly) modern China in novel form.

 

Laura

[Onceuponatime]

It doesn't really matter age range. My next book club selection can be anything having to do with China. I enjoy good children's books (and I might be more likely to make it through a children's book at this point :lol:). I've already read Safely Home by Randy Alcorn and Homesick by Jean Fritz. Any other suggestions?

 

I don't see The Good Earth mentioned.

[Rhonda in TX]

I want to put a plug in for Sparrow Girl. It's a picture book, but my 12 yo DD loved it and insisted we all read it. It's a nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award. (she's in a book club at the library that is reading all the nominees for this award)

[Farrar]

I love that you've read Homesick by Jean Fritz. Such an unknown little book!

 

Seconding Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Or, it's not fiction, but I didn't see anyone mention Red Scarf Girl, which is a good children's memoir. Also seconding, Balzac and the Little Seamstress by Dai Sijie. That's not a children's book, but it is short.

 

Also seconding The Joy Luck Club - or most anything by Amy Tan. You've gotten lots of good rec's here. There are more I can think of, but these are all good places to start if you haven't read them.

[ColoradoMom]

I don't see The Good Earth mentioned.

 

This is my most favorite book of all time. When I assigned it to my DD in high school she complained and whined and huffed and puffed.

 

Then one days she said "Poor Olan."

 

:) She was hooked and she still loves it to this day.

 

The Good Earth is a beautiful book.

[6packofun]

I enjoy everything by Ha Jin. Waiting and The Crazed very good and I enjoyed the short stories in The Bridegroom.

[JFSinIL]

Check out Pearl S. Buck's works!

[6packofun]

Oh, I forgot! I read Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok and really enjoyed it. It's a young adult selection, I think, but a good story of the immigrant Chinese experience for a young person.

[Miss Sherry]

"A Boy's War" is set in China.

http://www.moorefoundation.com/transaction_detail.php?id=122

 

My son read this book and enjoyed it. We purchased this book from "Moore Homeschooling". Dr. Raymond Moore was in the concentration camp as a child that is in this book.

 

"A true story of a boy in China in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. It is an account more about children and their adventures than the atrocities of a death camp. Includes glimpses of Olympic Gold Medallist Eric Liddell. Gr. 9-12. SB, 170 pages "

[Murmer]

Chinese Cinderella is an interesting one.

[Mommyfaithe]

well, this one (series) is really young, but my children and I LOVED them and learned so much about China. Little Pear by Eleanor Francis Lattimore.

 

Faithe

[6packofun]

When We Were Orphans, by Kazuo Ishiguro, is set in China even though he is Japanese-British.

 

And, if you like mysteries, Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong is really good because the investigation is hindered by a suspect whose family is high up in the Party and you can see how frustrating the politics in that country must be to a detective who wants to discover the truth.

[ScoutTN]

City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell

a lovely, evocative story based largely on the author's maternal grandparents.

[Catherine]

but they do much to illuminate Chinese culture. The Hundred Secret Senses probably does this the most. Also The Good EArth by Pearl S Buck, one of my all time favorite books.

[yucabird]

...Also The Good EArth by Pearl S Buck, one of my all time favorite books.

 

Mine too! It is a simple, beautifully written work which would make a terrific club selection.

Edited December 10, 2010 by yucabird

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I love that you've read Homesick by Jean Fritz. Such an unknown little book!

 

 

 

I love Homesick. It not only has an incredible look at a tiny sliver of the Western encounter with China, but it does a great job of describing the anticipation, disappointment and adjustment of being between two cultures.

 

In the last decade, we've lived on three continents plus Hawaii. I got cultural whiplash going from our little 13th century stone church with pipe organ to an open walled church with flip flops and hulas (not to mention the lady who always brought one of her parrots along).

 

Homesick is a great book.

[Mothersweets]

Check out Pearl S. Buck's works!

 

 

Yes! Her writing is beautiful. The Good Earth is one of my favorites.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I don't see The Good Earth mentioned.

 

I was just coming to post this. I can't believe I passed this one up on high school. One of my all time favorites. O-lan!!!

[Janna]

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)

 

ETA: The description of foot binding in this book is quite graphic. Horrific.

 

I second this book (or 3rd? Or 4th even? I know others mentioned it in this thread, too). It's just an outstanding story about friendship. I don't remember the foot binding being graphic in a sense that I was disgusted - just very interested. And sad, of course. I think it's a perfect book club choice; the discussions that could come from this would be great, I think.

 

I know so many have suggested Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I must be missing something because I didn't care for that book at all. :confused:

[MaMa2005]

I second this book (or 3rd? Or 4th even? I know others mentioned it in this thread, too). It's just an outstanding story about friendship. I don't remember the foot binding being graphic in a sense that I was disgusted - just very interested. And sad, of course. I think it's a perfect book club choice; the discussions that could come from this would be great, I think.

 

I know so many have suggested Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I must be missing something because I didn't care for that book at all. :confused:

 

Another vote for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. A really outstanding book.