Elizabeth Foreman Lewis (1892–1958)

Young Fu is an incredibly likable character, and one roots for his success. I liked following his journey, and his growth is believable and engaging. Innovative-kid-survives-in-tough-situation is sometimes hard to do, and it's refreshing when done well.

The one problem is that there were a lot of slams on women. I normally don't have much of an issue with this, but there was something about the combination of the forward by the author (a woman) and then the little jabs in the third person narrator, not just character actions. So, that’s what sticks out in my mind. (Young Fu's mother is pretty awful, only because she’s stupid and incapable…but what do you expect? She IS a woman. Groan.) I liked the book, but I yearned for a more neutral narrator.… (more)

When Young Fu arrives with his mother in bustling 1920s Chungking, all he has seen of the world is the rural farming village where he has grown up. He knows nothing of city life. But the city, with its wonders and dangers, fascinates the 13-year-old boy, and he sets out to make the best of what it has to offer him.
First published in 1932, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze was one of the earliest Newbery Medal winners. Although China has changed since that time, Young Fu's experiences are universal: making friends, making mistakes, and making one's way in the world.… (more)

This 1933 Newbery winner is an episodic story of a young Chinese farm boy who is taken to the city after the death of his father. He lives with his mother (who seems a bit neurotic to me as a 21st century American) and is apprenticed to Tang the coppersmith.
Each chapter is essentially a short story revolving around events at Tang's shop, or at home. The tales are infused with traditional Chinese wisdom as Young Fu learns lesson after lesson... most of them the hard way.
I doubt most modern American children would get into this story, but I hope I'm wrong about that.… (more)