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Red Scarf Girl

History has shown that during a time of political revolution, many innocent and not-so-innocent people are persecuted for being against the revolution, their voices silenced forever or for the time being. This was particularly the case when Mao Ze Dong took over as the leader of China: he began several initiatives or revolutions. One of these was the Cultural Revolution. Many of China’s people were caught up in the excitement in moving their nation towards a better future. However, there were some who criticized the initiatives and found themselves persecuted for their opinions. As more and more people sought to rid China of the counter-revolutionists, they found that the path toward the perfect soldier of China was a slippery slope.

This is a memoir of the author as a 12-year-old girl. Like many of her peers, the author wanted to join the Cultural Revolution. But her deceased grandfather, whom she barely remembered, was a landlord and thus her family was considered “black,” or against the Cultural Revolution.

This book is based on the two-year timeframe during which the author struggled to fit in, when she was a social outcast, and when she tried to reconcile current political ideology with her loyalty to her family. This is a fascinating book that zips along, but the fear and confusion is palpable; at times it is a bit overwhelming. This is a good look at what happens when a family is caught on the other side of a revolution, as many Loyalists found themselves during the American Revolution.

Grade Level: High School

Genre: Biography & Memoir

Format: Chapter Book

Content:

World History
Growing Up
Family Relationships