Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis

The book Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze written by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis is about a boy named Young Fu who just moved into a city from a small countryside. In the beginning, he was extremely amazed at the sight of the busy city people and buildings. Then as he started his life in the city, he made several mistakes and adventures. He was 13 years old, and was very dependent to his mother. However, as he worked as an apprentice of a famous artisan Tang, he slowly became independent and learned how to be responsible and take care of himself. When he first became an apprentice, other workers mocked him and called him a countryman. Even Tang himself didn't really care about him. After many incidents and journeys to other places, however, made Young Fu grow as a man from a boy, and everyone started to respect him as a man. This book is a story of a young boy who came to the new world and his experiences in the city.

I liked this book because through this book, I could totally picture the beginning of modern China which is the setting of the book. It has a nice story with good characters such as Fu Be Be, Young Fu's mother, and Tang. I could connect to him when he wanted to be recognized by Tang. My favorite part of the book was when Young Fu needed money desperately to pay a debt so he sold 'snow', which people believed it was 'the dragon's breath' and it brings good luck. I thought he was very creative, and it shows how many people back then didn't have knowledge and believed many silly things. This book really inspired me to work harder and be independent. It also taught me not to make foolish mistakes that will put me in trouble.

-Reviewed by Sunyoung, grade 9.