Jillian Lin

The Girl who Became Emperor is a story about the only female emperor China has ever known. When WU married an emperor her mother was happy to see her living at the palace, but never imagined her daughter would one day be ruling the country. Even though Wu's Emperor husband passes away she was destined to lead the country for over fifty years.

I liked the biographical information this book provided, but I cringed a bit thinking of how the content was written for children. There are many show more controversial topics in this book that would lead me to exclude it from a classroom or to at least save it for much older children.

This book is useful in discussing women's roles and inequalities. Wu was the first emperor of China, but she had to be very heartless at times to become the great leader she is known as. This is also a great book when discussing cultural differences because China is known for it's male preference. show less

I read The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall, in exchange for honest review. The book was written by Jillian Lin. The book is for early readers. Children, who can read bigger words and longer sentences.

The book is about a young emperor, named Qin (13 years old), who was king of the Qin Dynasty in China. He wanted fame and set about to conquer the other dynasties in China. Qin also became the first emperor of China. He became powerful and strict. The book said Qin melted down weapons and show more killed people, who broke the law. He also wanted the country to use the same currency and same system of writing.

He also helped build The Great Wall in China. You can read more about Qin and his accomplishments in the book. I loved the book. I loved the information more for myself, than my kids. I also liked the graphics, especially the maps of the regions. show less