New Releases by Ji-li Jiang

As long as he can remember, Xian has wanted to be a great calligrapher, like his father. When he turns six, he''s finally old enough to start studying. Calligraphy is more than writing--it''s painting--and Xian learns how much work and creativity go into what look like effortless strokes. Based on stories still told about Xian and his father, famous calligraphers of the 17th century, Eighteen Vats of Water is about determination, creativity, and learning how to see, as well as the importance of family traditions.

A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter''s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl''s reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that''s not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.

When Tai Shan and his father, Baba, fly kites from their roof and look down at the crowded city streets below, they feel free, like the kites. Baba loves telling Tai Shan stories while the kites--one red, and one blue--rise, dip, and soar together. Then, a bad time comes. People wearing red armbands shut down the schools, smash store signs, and search houses. Baba is sent away, and Tai Shan goes to live with Granny Wang. Though father and son are far apart, they have a secret way of staying close. Every day they greet each other by flying their kites???one red, and one blue???until Baba can be free again, like the kites. Inspired by the dark time of the Cultural Revolution in China, this is a soaring tale of hope that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to love from a distance.

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.

Autobiografischer Roman über die Schrecken der Kulturrevolution Chinas aus der Sicht der 12-jährigen Chinesin Ji-li.

En 1966 Jili Jiang, una estudiante sobresaliente, tiene doce anos y un futuro prometedor en la China maoista. Pero nada volvera a ser lo mismo para ella tras el advenimiento de la Revolucion Cultural, cuando los criterios personales se convierten en un crimen y un pasado familiar dudoso supone ser perseguido. Durante los siguientes anos, Jili y su familia son humillados e injuriados por sus amigos y vecinos, y viven bajo el continuo temor de ser arrestados.En medio de la angustia y el sufrimiento, Jili tiene que enfrentarse a la decision mas trascendental de su vida: traicionar al Partido Comunista o ser desleal con su propia familia.Narrada con sencillez y candor, La chica del panuelo rojo es un testimonio equiparable a las memorias que Anna Frank escribio ocultandose del terror nazi: un nuevo recuerdo de una infancia subyugada.