Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Jul 14, 2011

Josiah rated it:

Elizabeth Lewis writes a full story, fleshed out very well in all its details and with no consideration overlooked, in this surprisingly strong early Newbery Medal winner.
The 1930s, in my opinion, are a wonderful stronghold of magnificent Newbery books, and I would consider Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze to be one of its most deservedly proud offerings. The tenderly detailed descriptions of Young Fu's life and of the entire Chinese experience of the time period is enchanted and wonderful, More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 16, 2011

Jill rated it:

Given the year this book was written, it's a decent story. Compared with other Newberys of that period, that is. I'm glad I read it (only 2 more Newbery winners to go!!) but I wouldn't read it again.

"Always these foreigners must hurry," remarked the coppersmith. "They waste good time studying their watches. They hasten to earn money and hasten to spend it. Why then trouble to gain it? Careful spending increases riches."

"Shall I teach the Ancient Wisdo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 09, 2009

Antof9 rated it:

"Medicines are bitter in the mouth, but they cure sickness." (Tang)

I really have hit my stride (or the right decade) on Newbery books! This book can best be classified as "charming". There are many lessons learned, lots of instances where the Asian concept of "respect" is so clearly different from the 2009 American one, and very good descriptions of (as much as can be imagined) what life might have been like in Chunking in that day. The negatives of More...

5 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 17, 2009

Emily rated it:

Young Fu was raised in the country in China, but he and his mother are forced to move to the city of Chungking after his father’s death. Young Fu is apprenticed to Tang, a coppersmith. This book is set in the 1920s, and was the 1933 Newbery winner. The author lived for 6 years in China during the time period in which the book is set, so it is much more honest and much less prejudiced that one might expect of a story written by an American in that time period. The book is about Young Fu’s lif More...

0 comments like

Dec 28, 2009

Emily rated it:

I have never read a Newbery Award winner that I didn't like! This one was a lot different than most of them that I have read because it was published in 1932, so it has some older-style writing. So keep that in mind if you want to read a mindless book. The book is not that hard to read, because it is a young adult book, but the style took a little bit of concentration.

But let me just say this: I love China. I think it is the most fascinating place in the entire world. Sometimes More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Apr 02, 2011

Andrea rated it:

This book shows a Chinese community on the eve of communism. The author portrays the city through the eyes of a young coppersmith apprentice. I enjoyed the adventures and the dialogue. I liked that the book did not go into detail on foot binding (I've already read a graphic portrayal of that process and don't want to ever read about it again). I was curious to see how religion played a role in their lives before communism wiped out all religious displays. It appears from this book's account More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 03, 2008

Kim rated it:

This was an excellent coming of age story - it is another Newberry Award winner. It has been several years since I have read this but remember being fascinated. The foot-binding that Chinese women subjected themselves to all in the name of status was horrifying but eye opening as well.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 28, 2009

Nikki rated it:

This was my Newbery book choice for August. It was a very interesting tale of a boy in 1920s China. It contained a lot of interesting historical background which clearly showed the roots of Communist China. The author touched on a lot of tough topics such as the opium trade, sexism, and the torture of prisoners. The thing I appreciated most about this book is the principles that it taught: respect for elders and employers, financial responsibility, avoiding destructive habits such as gamblin More...

1 comment like

Jan 06, 2009

Alice rated it:

With the current interest in China, this Newbery classic deserves a return visit. Be sure to pick up the "75th anniversary" edition which includes illuminating end-notes about current Chinese culture as opposed to the pre-Revolution culture of Young Fu's time.

"Callow youth" is a phrase that must have been designed for Young Fu at the start of the story. He and his mother have moved to the big city so that he may become an apprentice to a copper maker. The coming o More...

0 comments like

May 25, 2011

Nikki rated it:

I remember reading this book as a child, when most Americans believed they would never be able to see China. The picture of another way of life and of the stirrings of change in this ancient country fascinated me. Later I read it to my eldest child; his first trip outside the US, except for brief drives through Canada, was to China. I suppose that even in 1939 this was a historical novel; it's either this one or Lewis's other book, Ho-Ming Girl of New China that references the Boxer Rebellion, i More...

0 comments like

Nov 05, 2010

Dorothy rated it:

It was a really great and acknowledgeable book. In the begging of this book, i was bored to death, only reading it because, i had to for my 6th grade pentathlon. though as i read through the book, i was compelled by this book. i also had connections with the main character of the story.
Took place in old china, a teenager/ young adult, struggles to help him and his mother survive the hard life in china. The boy gets lucky one day, finding himself a job assistant metalsmith. He learns from More...

0 comments like

Apr 17, 2011

Jen rated it:

Like the author of the previous year's Newbery winner (Laura Adams Armer), Lewis appears to have a fondness and respect for the culture in which she's set her story. She tells the story of Young Fu -- a young Chinese boy who moves from the countryside to a city in the early 1900s. The China of that time is in the midst of great political turmoil as it struggles to rule itself without the influence of an emperor. There is a constant threat of war as opposing sides seize power from one another and More...

0 comments like

Jul 13, 2009

Jenny rated it:

I had a wonderful time reading this charming book. Set in China during the early 20th century prior to the Revolution, the story gives you a look into Chinese life and culture. I appreciated the fact that difficult issues such as poverty, social oppression and foot binding were included, but not in a gory or shocking manner as this is a book for children. The main character comes of age in this book and learns valuable lessons and gains wisdom that we all can benefit from.

0 comments like

Aug 05, 2011

Kerith rated it:

This edition of an early Newbery winner from the 1930s includes a foreword by Katherine Paterson and an introduction by Pearl Buck, plus an update on Chinese culture in the back -- all wonderful additions to some lovely storytelling. Young Fu comes to Chungking (now Chongqing) to become a coppersmith's apprentice, in order to make his way in the world and take care of his widowed mother. His coming of age story in a China that no longer exists is beautifully told. I definitely plan to save this More...

0 comments like

Feb 12, 2012

Matt rated it:

I liked this one. Fu is an appealing character and I think I got a good sense of what life was like in a China that was quickly changing. The book was elegantly written and also seemed to take Chinese culture seriously (though there was that apparent prerequisite for a book about a non-white culture, the saintly white person).
Engaging characters, insight into Chinese life and culture, a well-written and well-crafted story, and some good adventures make this one a winner.

0 comments like

Sep 19, 2009

Janis rated it:

This is a lovely coming-of-age story of a Chinese boy, the only child of a poor widow, apprenticed to a coppersmith. It started slow but as it progressed I grew quite attached to the curious and open-minded and rash Young Fu and enjoyed seeing him grow and change. It takes place during the turbulent years of the '20s, with political events that provide an interesting background to Fu's story.

0 comments like

Jan 23, 2008

Ningerbil rated it:

Young Fu and his mother move to the big city after his father dies. He becomes apprenticed to a renowned metalsmith and makes several friends – and enemies. Young Fu, as he grows up, learns important lessons in the city. This story is a bit dated, but it is an interesting look at China at the turn of the century. The main characters are well-rounded, especially Young Fu and Tang, the master coppersmith. Each chapter is almost a separate story, almost a parable. One of the lessons, though, made m More...

0 comments like

Jul 17, 2010

A rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

Jan 21, 2010

Nick rated it:

Can I give this book an- i don't know - ZERO STARS! ZIPPO! NADA! THIS IS BY FAR THE WORST BOOK EVER CREATED. PEOPLE HAD AWFUL TASTE WHEN THIS BOOK WON AN AWARD! ugh. sorry about that. half the time i had no idea what any of these characters were talking about, it was all old ppl talk! and in chinese sometimes! literally, the had a GLOSSARY at the end of the book!!!!

0 comments like

Jul 24, 2009

Debbie (Readerbuzz) rated it:

Fu leaves the country and heads to the city to serve as an apprentice to a coppersmith for seven years. Being in the city is a new experience for him. He must learn how to deal with the cruel remarks of his fellow apprentices and how to handle money, to stop thieves and to avoid those who would take advantage of him in the market.

0 comments like

Aug 14, 2009

Cheryl rated it:

Fascinating book as Elizabeth Foreman Lewis describes life in China in the 1920's. The culture described was fascinating. I loved how she brought the foreshadowing of communism into the work and helped me to understand what led China towards that choice in government.

Young Fu is an endearing character who battles the "dragons" of his life and his culture...a life lesson for all youth about facing the trials that they face (and all of us face) with courage and tenacity. T More...

0 comments like

Jul 23, 2011

Theresa rated it:

A young boy learns lifes lessons when he is forced to go to the city after his fathers death. With a couple of mistakes he concours his fears, learns his lessons and find great reward. My daughter thought the book ended too soon, when everything is just coming to flower.

0 comments like

Oct 04, 2011

Melanie rated it:

I quite liked this book. It reminded me a lot of something by Pearl Buck written for young people. I feel like it gave me a view of Chinese life at that time without romanticising it. Very well done.

0 comments like

Jun 24, 2011

Ashley rated it:

This was a strange little book. The story was mildly interesting, and it was obvious that the point of the book was to show, through the story, what it was generally like living in China during the 1920's.

0 comments like

Jan 12, 2009

Eunice rated it:

The same name as one of my brothers! The drawing that resembles Kenny! :p Strangely interesting story of a young Chinese boy who experiences, learns and matures in the city life as he apprentices in welding and brass industry under the master Tang and Wang Scholar.

0 comments like

Aug 18, 2011

Emeline rated it:

Young-fu is a boy with remarkable luck and spirit- something that everyone needs! The writing style of someone who had actually lived in Chung King was a relief.

0 comments like

Apr 04, 2011

Kara rated it:

I have to admit I don't remember much of this book, I just remember that my mom read it to me, and that as a girl under the age of 10 years old it kept my attention. I remember it was very emotional. This is a favorite yet I don't remember why. Ha! Find out. Read it.

0 comments like

Dec 25, 2009

Natalie rated it:

I learned about China and how life was during in the 1920s. I found it hard to put down. The author writes well and I could see what she was describing.

0 comments like

Aug 15, 2010

Marc rated it:

One of the best books I've ever read. A good story of a young boy's experiences growing up as China's on the verge of political and cultural change.

0 comments like

Sep 08, 2009

Megan rated it:

I've been meaning to read this one for awhile. I found it interesting and educational, and I can see why it was a Newbery winner. A nice read.

0 comments like

reviews