china
📖 Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang. This highly acclaimed pair of graphic novels tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion at the turn of the 20th century. Boxers is told from the point of view of Little Bao, a Chinese peasant who joins the uprising against the Westerners. Saints is written from the perspective of Vibiana, a Christian girl on the opposite side of the conflict. Beware that there are many graphic depictions of violence throughout these novels; best for upper middle and high school students. – Middle • High
📖 Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang. Read Jiang’s memoir for an excellent, memorable introduction to the Cultural Revolution. “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.” Highly recommended as a read-aloud for upper elementary or an independent read for an older student. – All
📖 Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-Li Jiang. This lovely picture book is based on a true story from the Cultural Revolution. When Tai Shan’s father is sent to a rural labor camp, and Tai Shan is sent to live in a nearby village, father and son secretly maintain contact by flying their kites to greet each other every day. The historical note gives more context. – Elementary
📖 Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu and Andres Vera Martinez. Na Liu’s memoir, told in graphic form, beautifully describes growing up in China during an important period of change, just after the death of Mao. Highly recommended. – Elementary • Middle
📖 Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan. During the Cultural Revolution, Sunflower must relocate with her artist father from the city to a rural Cadre School, a labor camp where he will be “re-educated” in socialist ideals. When her father dies, she’s adopted by a village family and together they face a range of hardships. This is a nice depiction of life in rural China during the mid-20th century. – Elementary • Middle
📖 Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine. If you’re looking for high-quality, compelling historical fiction set during the Communist Revolution, check out Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party. “Nine-year-old Ling has a very happy life. Her parents are both dedicated surgeons at the best hospital in Wuhan, and her father teaches her English as they listen to Voice of America every evening on the radio. But when one of Mao's political officers moves into a room in their apartment, Ling begins to witness the gradual disintegration of her world.” – Middle • High
🔗 Content Connection: Ancient China. Find General Resources on the history of China.
🔗 Content Connection: The East in the Middle Ages. Trace the history of China back to the Middle Ages.
▶️ China’s Revolutions from CrashCourse. “In which John Green teaches you about China's Revolutions. While the rest of the world was off having a couple of World Wars, China was busily uprooting the dynastic system that had ruled there for millennia. Most revolutions have some degree of tumult associated with them, but China's 20th century revolutions were REALLY disruptive.” – Middle • High
japan
📖 Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus. “In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.” This Newbery Honor Book is based on the true story of Manjiro, a 19th century Japanese boy who eventually returned to Japan only to find himself imprisoned as an outsider. – Middle • High
▶️ History of Japan from TEDEd. “Though the country may appear small, few nations on Earth have had a more colorful history than Japan.” The entire history of Japan is laid out with humor and tongue-in-cheek commentary in 10 minutes. Warning, this video contains swearing and may not be suitable for the younger set. – Middle • High
▶️ Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism from Crash Course. “In which John Green teaches you about Nationalism. Nationalism was everywhere in the 19th century, as people all over the world carved new nation-states out of old empires. Nationalist leaders changed the way people thought of themselves and the places they lived by reinventing education, military service, and the relationship between government and governed. In Japan, the traditional feudal society underwent a long transformation over the course of about 300 years to become a modern nation-state.” – Middle • High
vietnam
🔗 Content Connection: US History – Cold War Era. Learn about the Vietnam War.
▶️ Decolonization from Crash Course. “In which John Green teaches you about the post-World War II breakup of most of the European empires. In most places, the end of empire was not orderly, and violence often ensued. While India was a (sort of) shining example of non-violent change, in places like The Congo, Egypt, Rwanda, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, things didn't go smoothly at all.” – Middle • High
▶️ Ho Chi Minh Trail from TED-Ed. “The Ho Chi Minh Trail not only connected North and South Vietnam during a brutal war but also aided Vietnamese soldiers. The trail shaved nearly five months of time off of the trip and was used as a secret weapon of sorts. Cameron Paterson describes the history and usage of the infamous trail.” – Middle • High
korea
📖 When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park. Here’s a good literature link set in Japanese-occupied Korea during World War II: “Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul, live in Korea with their parents. Because Korea is under Japanese occupation, the children study Japanese and speak it at school. Their own language, their flag, the folktales Uncle tells them—even their names—are all part of the Korean culture that is now forbidden. – Elementary • Middle
📖 Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi. This is another popular novel set during the Japanese occupation of Korea: “It is 1945, and ten-year-old Sookan and her family must endure the cruelties of the Japanese military occupying Korea … When the war ends, Communist Russian troops have taken control of North Korea, and Sookan and her family know their only hope for freedom lies in a dangerous escape to American-controlled South Korea. This is the story of one family’s love for each other and their determination to risk everything to find freedom.” – Elementary • Middle
