Red Scarf Girl : A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

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Summary: Wow!
Review: Today I had the privilage to meet Ji-Li when she visited my school. The book was awesome, but to hear the story in her own words, in person, was beyond amazing.

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Summary: A must read for all interested in Modern Chinese History
Review: Jiang Ji Li writes a poingant tale of a young girl who loses her innocence through the Chinese Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Very little work has been done in this arena and this story itself is enough to make people wonder why little was done to stop it. Jiang's writing style is such that both adults and adolescents alike will enjoy this novel. Very little Chinese is included in the text and a thorough glossary is provided at the end of the text as well. If you're interested in this era in Chinese history, you owe it to yourself to read this amazing book!

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Summary: It gave a lot of information about China which helped . un
Review: I thought the book was a great book for young adults because it told you how people lived in China and what they went through. I think all the schools should have this in their library. Our hardback copies did not hold up very well.

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Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: If you like Anne Frank and her diary then you will like this book. It is just like Anne Frank instead this girl did not hide and gt in trouble because of her class ratings. I reccomend it to everyone

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Summary: *Everyone* should read this book
Review: This memoir of a woman's experience as an adolescent during China's infamous Cultural Revolution puts a touching, human face on one of humanity's most mindless social exercises. Describing the feelings of a young adult witnessing her family's, her nation's and her own defilement and humiliation, this frank and personal account of Chairman Mao's creation of China's "Lost Generation" teaches history vividly and intimately. This is an excellent book for teachers and students of world history, sociology or psychology, and anyone who has an interest in freedom of speech, thought and expression. Especially today, when censorship and what we feed our children's minds is the topic of so many PTA meetings and bills brought before Congress, this is an account of what actually happened when free thought and the right to find one's own beliefs and dreams were ripped from one nation's gut. And finally, it shows a rare picture of China taken with a child's eyes, when even today China remains shrouded in mystery and colored by the uninformed journalism so often found in our own press. This two-day read is a treasure illuminating the fact that China is a land of Humans, not Communists, a land of hearts and minds, complex like our own, rather than simply ideologies and mysteries. This book would make a fantastic subject of a book report by junior high school students, and is powerful food for thought for thinking people of any age.

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Summary: Informative, catchy and easy reading
Review: I am 13 and in 8th grade. We read this book for our Language Arts class. I enjoyed reading this book, it was very informative and the author made you want to keep reading it!

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Summary: I think that Ji Li didn't deserve the treatment that she got
Review: It was a very touching book it made me realize how lucky I am. I kept on thinking to myself why couldn't they have left her alone she wasn't responsible for her background. I feel so sorry that she didn't get to grow up like a normal child. I wish her childhood hadn't been ruined by Chairman Mae. I really enjoyed the book because it let you know what happened while your parents were younger and how children got brutilized when they hadn't done anything wrong. I really feel sorry for Jiang Ji Li's family I also feel sorry for An Yi's family especially her grandmother. I think it was so sad when An Yi's grandmother and Ming Ming's father commited suicide.

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Summary: Not Just a Young Adult Book
Review: I cannot say how much I liked this book. It put me there! I felt Ji Li Jiang's fear! This book should be a must read for everyone in this country. We need to appreciate what we have!

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Summary: Through the eyes of a child
Review: I love reading books written for children. Having tried it myself, I know it is not an easy thing to explain things in the simple way that a child will understand. I was specially rewarded by reading Red Scarf Girl. I have read many books and articles about the cultural revolution, but none so compelling as the first-hand account by Jiang Ji Li. Imagine our society and what it would be like if the government suddenly supported and encouraged children to inform on their parents and teachers, even allowing them to insult and persecute those who have sacrificed so much for their well-being. Congratulations, Jiang xiao jie -- you have scored a winner first time out!

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Summary: Great young adult nonfiction
Review: After reading this book, I have a better understanding of China's Cultural Revolution than I ever gained from a history class. Jiang tells the story through the eyes of a twelve year-old, and even American adolescents will be able to see themselves in her struggles, even if they can't quite relate to the political situations causing them.