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“Wang looks back on her childhood in Inner Mongolia. Eight-year-old Jin lives in a one-room mud house in a village of 18 homes with her parents and two younger brothers. …Each chapter describes a seemingly mundane episode that nevertheless feels fascinating: traveling with her father to fetch water, speculating about—and looking for—the wolves in the nearby hills, enduring a big storm, foraging for mushrooms, awaiting visits from the popcorn man, having a family portrait taken, and more. Readers will be drawn in by Jin’s delightful voice and will become invested in her stories. …Rich with affection, wit, and joy, a captivating peek into Chinese village life.”

– Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Born Naughty: My Childhood in China

Written by Jin Wang and Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Anisi Baigude
Published by Anne Schwartz Books

Growing up in Inner Mongolia, Jin Wang was rambunctious and boisterous and did not always listen to her Ma. Jin and her family were poor, but like kids everywhere, she still found a way to have fun and get into lots of mischief climbing trees, digging for mushrooms, and even looking for wolves.

Paired with delightful, kid-friendly illustrations, this early middle grade memoir invites readers to join Jin and her family in the outskirts of Inner Mongolia to remind us that though we all have different customs and traditions, we are more alike than not, and that mischief lives within all of us.

Primary ISBN: 9780593563618
Publication Date: May 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Memoir, Age 07 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: China (Inner Mongolia)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Home Country

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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