Uprooted: A Memoir about What Happens When Your Family Moves Back
CCBC Review:
In 1993, Ruth Chan (Chinese Canadian) was living a happy life as a middle school student in Toronto when her parents decided to move back to Hong Kong. The move allowed her mother to be close with her family and her dad to take a great new job in mainland China. Ruth’s older brother stayed in Canada to finish his senior year in boarding school. Devastated to leave her close group of friends, Ruth was unsure of her new life in a place she had only visited a few times. Ruth’s emotional and physical journey is shown in parallel to the story of how her father’s family fled their homeland in southern China in 1944 during the Sino-Japanese war. While Ruth has heard this story many times, it takes on a new meaning as it is retold incrementally during her transition to life in Hong Kong. Ruth’s experience of being uprooted is different from her father’s in many ways. She makes a few friends, enjoys time at the mall, and appreciates the new climate. However, she also feels lonely and unseen, both by her mom (who is busy with reconnecting with family), by her dad, who visits from the mainland infrequently, and her classmates and extended family, who see her as an outsider who is struggling with Cantonese. Crisp, detailed illustrations depict Ruth’s memories with depth and humor. Font colors distinguish words in English and Cantonese, and Chinese characters are used to show when the author could not fully understand the language. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Ruth Chan
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 11-14
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
20th Century
Autobiography/Memoir
Chinese and Chinese Americans
Families
Identity
Loneliness
Moving
Diversity subject:
Asian
Publisher:
Roaring Brook
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 285
ISBN: 9781250855343
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 Chan