Red Scarf Girl

Review by Diana Gentile, Valley Middle School
The red scarf girl follows Ji Li, a bright girl with a bright future until the Cultural Revolution begins in China. Once her name is marred by the fact that her grandfather was a landlord, she slowly watches her life fall apart. Throughout the story, Ji Li watches helplessly as her chances of going to the school she’d always dreamed of slip away, her house is searched and ransacked by ‘authorities’, and her father is arrested. She eventually is faced with a decision between choosing her family or a chance at a successful future.
I teach 7th grade World History in the New Kensington-Arnold School District, and I think that this book would be a great addition to a history course for this age group. Topics of bullying, surviving in the face of adversity, and courage are always a welcome addition to the classroom setting. I feel that Ji Li gives a ‘face’ to the struggle of the Chinese people during the Cultural Revolution. I highly recommend this book!