| Title: Morning Sun in Wuhan | Author: Ying Chang Compestine |
| Publisher: Harper Collins | Copyright: 2022 |
| Hardbound ISBN: 9780358572053 | Middle grade fiction, age 8-12, 197 pages |
| Language: English | Chinese culture |
| Wuhan, China setting | Chinese characters |
Mei is the thirteen year old daughter of a respiratory doctor living in Wuhan, China during the COVID19 outbreak. Her father begins working and sleeping in the hospital 24/7 and Mei is left to navigate the changes brought about by the citywide lockdown by herself. She looks for ways to be helpful, at first getting involved in her local community’s food distribution and then volunteering in the kitchen where food for medical workers is prepared.
Food and cooking is central to this story. Eight recipes for the traditional Chinese foods that are mentioned in the story are included at the end of the relevant chapter. The recipes are simple and clear and involve ingredients that are easily available in most countries.
Each chapter begins with a Chinese saying that is relevant to the story. These are presented in both Chinese characters and English translation. Appendices include a cooking glossary, basic cutting techniques, an author’s note, information about the COVID-19 outbreak, and acknowledgments. I recommend reading the Author’s Note and COVID-19 sections before reading the story as these provide context and credibility to the story. The author is from Wuhan and drew upon her own childhood memories as well as communications with family and friends during the lockdown. The story are based on real people and events.
The story does touch on the seriousness and concerns of the pandemic acknowledging the characters fears and uncertainty, but focuses on positives of volunteerism and community support rather than fear and distress.
A teaching guide is available from the publisher.
International Baccalaureate Learner Profile:
| Inquirers | Open-Minded |
| Knowledgeable | Caring  |
| Thinkers | Risk-takers |
| Communicators | Balanced |
| Principled | Reflective |
International Baccalaureate Approaches to Learning:
| Critical Thinking | Communication Skills |
| Social Skills | Self-management Skills |
| Research Skills |
These book reviews are purposely brief and lacking in detailed analysis because international school librarians do not have an abundance of time to read book reviews. This format will, however, point to aspects that make this book especially attractive to international schools – culture, setting, characters, language, and relation to the IB curriculum / learner profile.
International School Librarian 