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Gr 4 Up–Based on her childhood experiences, Na Liu and her husband have created a rich, multilayered memoir, incorporating history, geography, language, culture, and mythology into eight short stories; then weaving them together to create an exquisite tapestry of life in China during the 1970s. The work follows a logical progression, capturing youthful experiences against a broad Chinese landscape. Background information establishes each story and seamlessly segues into personal reminiscence, with excellent interweaving of each section. For example, t...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Wife-and-husband team Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínez use a graphic-novel format to bring Liu’s childhood in 1970s Wuhan, China, to life for contemporary children. Much will seem the same -- family life with a younger sister, school, a visit with a semi-scary grandmother -- but the particulars in the eight vignettes included here make all the difference. Liu recalls her uncontrollable (and uncomprehending) sobbing at the death of a "grandpa" she did not really know, Chairman Mao; creativity and finally subter...Log In or Sign Up to Read More