Prairie Lotus

When Hanna, a Chinese-American girl in the 1800s, loses her mother to an illness, she and her father make a cross-country journey to begin a new life, but Hanna faces many hurdles based on her race and she describes what it is like to face intolerance, stereotyping, and racism. While making friends is very difficult, she eventually finds a reluctant ally who stands with her when Hanna confronts the town’s racism. This timely novel for grades 4-7, will engage readers, and is suitable for read-aloud, literature circles, or classroom libraries, and to foster discussion of discrimination and racism. Some social considerations noted.