Chan, Ruth. Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back. Ruth Chan, Illus. Roaring Brook, 09/2024. 288pp. Graphic. Trade $14.99. 978-1-2508-5534-3. GRADES 5–7. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Thirteen-year-old Chinese Canadian Ruth loves her home in Toronto; she has a great, diverse friend group, a glorious room, favorite hangouts, and loads of history. But her dad’s job and mom’s family uproot her, landing her in crowded, loud, chaotic Hong Kong. There, despite looking like everyone else, she stands out for not being Chinese enough. Clear, winningly simple drawings, inked in varied pastel colors, reveal Ruth’s steep learning curve as she makes friends, explores the city, and discovers an unexpected connection to the mythic story of her father’s birth. Tweens and teens, both rooted and uprooted, will identify with Ruth’s struggles and successes as she accepts that the unknown is part of life. Most characters are Chinese.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired