China Boy

Author: Gus Lee

The semi-autobiographical novel, China Boy, set in the predominantly black Panhandle area of San Francisco, California, is the story of seven-year-old Kai Ting, the only son of a high-born Mandarin family. After the tragic death of Kai's mother when he is six, Kai is ill-treated by his white stepmother, who is determined to erase everything Chinese from the Ting home, as well as beaten up by neighborhood bullies. However, Kai is supported by Toussaint and Mama La Rue, who teach Kai about friendship, by Uncle Shim who teaches Kai about noble Chinese traditions and by a group of retired boxers at the YMCA who teach Kai to defend himself. Lee's novel represents the vibrancy of the Asian-American immigrant experience through a thoroughly appealing protagonist and rich supporting characters.

China Boy

Year Released: 1994

Grades 8-12