Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang

Ages 12-adult

When Ji-Li was a small girl in Shanghai, China, she believed that Chairman Mao and the Communist Party had saved China and that she was very lucky to live there. She was happy, smart, a star pupil admired by her teachers and fellow students. Her family was financially secure and had good standing. Then in 1966, when Ji-Li was 12 years old the Cultural Revolution began and her world began to crumble. It was interesting to read how the government began systematically restricting more and more freedoms and the devastating effect it had on the people. This book is written from the perspective of a child who grew up very quickly as she had to become the care taker of her family. Despite all that the author has been through, she still considers herself quite blessed. She says, "After surviving the Cultural Revolution, I find myself more sensitive to the beauty of the human spirit". Ji-Li faced her trials with courage. This book is a quick and interesting read.

Jungle Doctor (Series) by Paul White

Ages 9-12 years

Paul White is an Australian doctor who went to Africa in 1938 to work as a doctor and serve as a missionary to the people of Tanzania. This series of books is based on his experiences in Africa and began as a radio show in the 1940's and was later compiled into these 20 books. The book I read is called Jungle Doctor's Enemies and was about a little blind boy Mubofu who secretly brought children from a hostile village to the hospital for treatment during a measles outbreak. He selflessly helped save many lives, but then mysteriously disappeared. What a touching story to read about the compassion that this little blind orphan had for the suffering of others. I don't want to spoil the story, but this is a good book to read with a tissue in hand.

Out of Darkness by Russell Freedman

Reading level: 3rd grade-

76 pages

This is a brief biography about Louis Braille and his development of the Braille system of reading for the blind. Louis was three when he was blinded by an infection in his corneas. I learned a lot from reading this book and it really opened my eyes.

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Reading Level: Adult
Number of pages: 363
Publisher: W W Norton and company paperback 2007

After their zoo was bombed, Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding them in animal cages and other buildings in the Warsaw Zoo during WWII. This is a true story, exuberant and absorbing. By the end of the book I felt that Antonina was someone I would love as a friend and I was so inspired by her efforts to keep a home and normal atmosphere for her children during the atrocities of war. She had a gift for nurturing animals in her role as the zookeeper's wife. Those gifts were magnified as she was thrust into the role of caretaker of hundreds of human souls who took refuge in the home she created, depending on her for survival. The author, a naturalist, beautifully weaves details into the story that capture all the senses and breathe life into the retelling. This book is poignant, and beautifully written. The author reminded me of a modern Gene Stratton Porter. (That is high praise coming from me) This will be on my reread list for years to come.

The Diary of Ma Yan the Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl edited by Pierre Haski

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Collins; Tra edition (May 31, 2005)

In a poor rural area of Northern China, lives a young girl named Ma Yan who understands all too well that education is the difference between a life of crushing poverty and the hope of a better future. The low wages paid her family for back-breaking work aren't enough to pay for school fees for Ma Yan and her brother. Her diary begins with her mother telling Ma Yan that they can no longer afford to send her to school. What follows is the courageous and often heart wrenching account of her determination to become an educated young woman. The story of how her diary is passed off to a foreign journalist by her mother (who cannot even read) is captivating. This is a quick read that gives great insight to living conditions in rural China and a spunky little girl determined to live a better life. Proceeds from Ma Yan's diary are used to pay for education fees for Ma Yan and other children like her who live in rural China. Highly recommended for ages 10 and up.