Red Scarf Girl

Publishers Weekly Best Book * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * ALA Notable Children’s Book * ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice

Moving, honest, and deeply personal, Red Scarf Girl is the incredible true story of one girl’s courage and determination during one of the most terrifying eras of the twentieth century.

It’s 1966, and twelve-year-old Ji-li Jiang has everything a girl could want: brains, popularity, and a bright future in Communist China. But it’s also the year that China’s leader, Mao Ze-dong, launches the Cultural Revolution—and Ji-li’s world begins to fall apart. Over the next few years, people who were once her friends and neighbors turn on her and her family, forcing them to live in constant terror of arrest. And when Ji-li’s father is finally imprisoned, she faces the most difficult dilemma of her life.

Written in an accessible and engaging style, this page-turning autobiography will appeal to readers of all ages, and it includes a detailed glossary and a pronunciation guide.

What would you do if you were asked to choose between your family and your future?

• A True Story of the Cultural Revolution: Follow twelve-year-old Ji-li Jiang as her bright future in 1966 Shanghai is shattered when Chairman Mao’s policies turn friends into enemies.
• An Impossible Choice: When her father is imprisoned, Ji-li must decide whether to denounce her family to the Communist Party or sacrifice everything to protect them.
• Family Loyalty vs. Political Duty: Discover a world where a “black” family background means constant terror, and a young girl’s love for her family is seen as a crime.
• Award-Winning Historical Nonfiction: Praised for its honesty and accessible style, this page-turning memoir includes a detailed glossary and pronunciation guide to bring the era to life for young readers.