Girl Under a Red Moon: Growing Up During China’s Cultural Revolution (Scholastic Focus)

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Sisi’s grandfather was a landowner. At the time, that meant he was wealthy and happy. Now, communism has spread into China, and that means his land is taken, he is sentenced to a decade of labor, and even his grandchildren are looked upon with disgust. But Sisi is a hard worker, the school monitor, an excellent student, and sure of her place in the world. She is excited for the upcoming Red Guard ceremony, thrilled at the prospect of being chosen and happy that her family’s past will no longer shadow her future. But when her name is called, they do not select her. Instead, they insult her, saying she should never have come this far, and push her off the stage. Sisi cannot stay anymore; she must leave until it is safe for her to return. She will go and stay at a friend’s school, her mother says. But she cannot hide from the revolution forever, it is everywhere, and she can either play it safe or stand up for what’s right.

Told from her younger brother’s point of view, Girl Under a Red Moon is an eloquent tale of China. I enjoyed this book. It is nonfiction, but quite entertaining. Unfortunately, this book is ABSOLUTELY NOT for younger readers. One of Sisi’s friends gets raped(!) and several of the characters are beaten. I was shocked by the mention of the raping, as I was under the impression that this was a children’s book. But older children (and adults) will love this quiet but powerful story, with empathy, friendship, and love. I think that any book (especially nonfiction) that can make you feel such emotion is a good book. Read it. You simply must.


Reviewed By:

Author Da Chen
Star Count 4/5
Format Hard
Page Count 208 pages
Publisher Scholastic Nonfiction
Publish Date 2019-09-03
ISBN 9781338263862
Amazon Buy this Book
Issue September 2019
Category Tweens
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