Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine

Reviewer: Deb Alig, Circulation Assistant

Genre: Fiction

Suggested Age: 8 – 12

What is this book about? This captivating novel begins in January of 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China – the location where the virus is said to have originated. Mei, the main character, is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with just her father ever since her mother passed away unexpectedly. Mei’s father is the doctor who is in charge of the respiratory department at the local hospital. Since the onset of a very contagious respiratory illness, Mei’s father has been working long hours at the hospital often leaving her home alone to fend for herself. One day after school, Mei comes home to find the house empty, but the refrigerator and cupboards are packed with food. Her father left her a note on the refrigerator door reminding her to wear a mask at all times when out in public and not to go near the hospital because of the contagious virus. When Mei looks out of her window, she sees people lined up outside of the hospital and she wonders if they are sick with this new virus. To help distract from worry, Mei plays an online video game called Chop Chop. It’s a virtual cooking game that she loves to play because she loves to cook, and she is quite good at both the game and cooking. In Chop Chop, players must cook for soldiers who protect them from zombies. The goal is to make the soldiers strong by cooking delicious food that they like and will eat. Mei plays the game with two boys, Ming and Hong. Ming’s grandmother becomes ill with the virus and Mei tries to get to her father at the hospital hoping he can give her some medicine for Ming’s grandma. When Mei leaves the apartment, she can’t believe what she sees. The streets are jammed with traffic.  People are wearing make-shift masks, trying to get into the hospital. The lobby is crowded and people are coughing. The nurses and doctors are dressed in hazmat suits. The hospital smells of strong disinfectant. Mei’s father scolds her for coming to the hospital and sends her home. A Public Safety Alert appears on Mei’s phone announcing that Wuhan will be closed down due to the new coronavirus. All schools, offices, and shops will be closed and all residents should stay home. Because stores and market places are closed, people must rely on their community directors to get them food. Mei asks her friends who she plays Chop Chop with to help out. The group is called the Phoenix Group and together they help Mrs. Fong, their Community Director, deliver food to people in their complex. As the virus spreads, city officials board up doorways, forcing the people inside to quarantine. An emergency kitchen is set up in Wuhan to help prepare meals for frontline workers. Mei’s Aunty is in charge. Mei asks her Aunty if the emergency kitchen can prepare meals for neighbors who are too sick to do so and she volunteers to help. Mei helps cook, and the Phoenix Group helps deliver the food. Though Mei is so busy volunteering, she can’t help worrying about her father who works the frontline. Time passes and by Chinese New Year 2021, the lock down has been lifted. Mei and her family and friends come together at a restaurant to watch the New Year’s parade and to view a broadcast recognizing Mei and the Phoenix Group for their efforts in fighting COVID-19.

My Review: I enjoyed reading this novel for many reasons. Each chapter began with a Chinese proverb. The proverb is written in Chinese and English. Each proverb was selected by the author to help give perspective to the events of the chapter. Each chapter ended with an easy-to-follow recipe of a dish that was made in the chapter. The author also began each chapter with a date starting Chapter One in January of 2020 and ending with the Epilogue in February of 2021. I think providing this timeline authenticated the story. Morning Sun in Wuhan is a great novel for middle level readers. It is based on a true story about a young woman from Wuhan who led a group of volunteers who fed frontline medical workers during the pandemic, and it shares with young people what the pandemic was like for their peers in China. I highly recommend this book for educators and their middle school students. It teaches that young people can make a significant difference in the world and that the sun always rises even during the darkest times, just like in Wuhan.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  captivating, poignant, and dramatic

Give this a try if you like: Other books by Ying Chang Compestine such as Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier, Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, or A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts.

If you read Morning Sun in Wuhan and enjoy the recipes, I recommended Ying Chang Compestine’s cookbook Ying’s Best One-Dish Meals.

Rating:  5/5

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Goblin Market by Diane Zahler

Reviewed by: Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant

Genre: Fantasy

Suggested Age: Middle School (5^th-8^th)

What is this book about? Lizzie and Minka are two sisters who are incredibly different from each other. While Minka is beautiful, social, and outgoing – Lizzie is quiet and introverted. Because of their differences, duties assigned to them at home vary: Lizzie helps in the garden and fields with her father, while Minka goes to the town market every Friday to sell their stock of vegetables and bread. It is on one of these trips to town that Minka meets a very interesting boy who she becomes quickly enamored with. But her sister Lizzie is very suspicious of this new acquaintance and his wonderous fruits- especially when Minka suddenly falls ill and begins to lose her hair after eating some. Lizzie is determined to discover the truth of this boy and just why her sister has become so sickly, yet still devoted to the creepy and questionable “Emil.”

My review: This book was a fun, spooky read. The setting and tone of the story is what really drew me in. I love the feel of a fairy tale, and the setting of this book in a historical Slavic era helped solidify that sense of a Grimm-like myth. The characters were round and realistic, and I was supportive of their mission as Lizzie tried so desperately to overcome her introverted tendencies for the good of her sister. Though the tone is slightly dark, the content of this story doesn’t go too far for children – it is an appropriate introduction to dark fantasy for middle grade readers who aren’t ready for something too scary. It also serves as a good reminder to be wary of strangers, no matter how alluring they may seem or how delicious their fruit!

Three words that describe this book: Creepy, Mysterious, Fantastical

Give this a try if you like…  Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani, Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola, The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Rating (out of 5):  3/5

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World of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager

Genre: Nonfiction

Suggested Age: Kids (Ages 7-12)

What is This Book About? “To this day, I have never gotten over the excitement of molten glass…” (p. 14)

Dale Chihuly started his life in Washington drawing with crayons, exploring gardens with his mom, and searching for sea glass on the beach, and grew up to be one of the most notable glass blowers in the world. He is notable not just for his non-traditional techniques but also the color and texture he puts into his work as he finds inspiration from organic materials and gardens. His work has been displayed in cities and gardens across the country and as far as Israel and Japan. This book walks kids through his life’s story, telling them about how he struggled at points until he found his passion in blowing glass, and pivoted whenever he experienced a set-back in his art. There are lots of photos of his colorful and expressive work, and the back matter has a list of places you can visit to see his art in person.

My Review: My parents took me to see one of Chihuly’s installations at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago as a kid, and I’ve been in love with his glass work ever since. When I first picked up this book, all I did was page through it looking at the photos of his amazing glass sculptures. From the first page, Greenberg and Jordan paint Chihuly as an artist who genuinely cares about his work, gains inspiration from the natural environment, and wants to learn from artists around the world. I learned a lot about his early life and his personal struggles – most people are familiar with him and his eyepatch as a result of a car accident, but I didn’t know that he also has bipolar disorder. He decided to come forward about it because seeing a person with bipolar disorder be so successful “might be helpful for other people.” (p. 49) This book did a great job of teaching me about how unique Chihuly’s art is, and encouraging me to look at the environment differently (and maybe to go visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle).

Three Words that Describe this Book: nature, glass blowing, inspirational

Give This A Try if You Like… Netflix’s Blown Away, books about creative gardening, crafts using objects found in nature, artist biographies

Rating: 5/5

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Chef Yasmina and the Potato Panic by Wauter Mannaert

Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager

Genre: Science fiction (graphic novel)

Suggested Age:  Kids (7-12)

What is This Book About? Yasmina loves cooking delicious food every day for her dad. She gets fresh vegetables from her friends’ gardens and sends him to work every day with a beautiful lunch. Life is going perfectly until Tom de Perre buys up her friends’ gardens to start industrially farming some suspicious potatoes. Everyone in town starts acting strange except Yasmina and her friends, and when Yasmina’s dad comes home behaving like a dog she has to get to the bottom of those funky spuds.

My Review:  I really enjoyed this Dutch import because of its focus on family, friends, and good food. Yasmina is a scientifically-minded and energetic kid who only wants the best for her dad, even going so far as to write him notes in his lunch every day. As science fiction goes this is very accessible, so readers who prefer other genres don’t need to find Yasmina intimidating. This was a neat way to start conversations about different gardening practices, including genetically modified crops and industrial farming. All in all, a fun book to read that’s sure to get you hungry (though maybe not for these French fries).

Three Words that Describe this Book: delicious, fresh, community

Give This A Try if You Like… cooking with your family, Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venerable, Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

Rating: 4/5

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