Well I was glad that I was prepared for this emotional tale as it was pretty heartbreaking at points, more so because I knew that it was based on real events. 

As I said in my previous blog, I couldn’t help but compare this book as I went along to ‘Spilled Water’ as I have only recently read it. The main character in Chinese Cinderella, Adeline, was not from a poor background and not suffering from consequences of poverty unlike Lu Sin Yan in Spilled Water.  However, the neglect and ill treatment by her family was equally upsetting and just goes to show that it is your choices and actions in life which show what you truly are; having a wealthy family doesn’t always make you happy. Even though Lu Sin Yan’s family had little money, I would prefer to live with her loving mother rather than be in Adelines situation. 

I also found learning about Chinese culture fascinating, particularly the discussions Adeline had with her grandfather about Chinese writing as it is all in pictoral form (not with letters). In addition, I learnt a bit about the political situation in China after WW2 where there was much unrest which resulted in the take over by the Communists.

I would recommend this book to children in my class who are comfortable with reading texts which could be a bit emotionally upsetting. For example, if you have enjoyed books like: The Diary of Anne Frank; Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Margorian or Private Peacful by Micheal Morpurgo, this may be a good next book for you.