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85th out of 281 books
—
436 voters
Red Thread Sisters
by
Carol Antoinette Peacock (Goodreads Author)
A poignant and compelling story of friendship, family, and love
Wen has spent the first eleven years of her life at an orphanage in rural China, and the only person she would call family is her best friend, Shu Ling. When Wen is adopted by an American couple, she struggles to adjust to every part of her new life: having access to all the food and clothes she could want, go...more
Wen has spent the first eleven years of her life at an orphanage in rural China, and the only person she would call family is her best friend, Shu Ling. When Wen is adopted by an American couple, she struggles to adjust to every part of her new life: having access to all the food and clothes she could want, go...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
October 16th 2012
by Viking Juvenile
(first published October 11th 2012)
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Apr 02, 2013
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
cultural-identity,
community,
families,
first-day,
friendship,
holidays,
adoption,
homelessness,
nbgs-2013,
new-addition,
poverty,
school,
self-esteem,
travel
When eleven-year-old Wen is finally adopted by a family that lives near Boston, she is grateful to leave the Chinese orphanage and begin a new life. But she never forgets her promise to her best friend, Shu Ling, to help her get adopted too. Although some of the coincidences and last minute rescue of Shu Ling who has a club foot were a bit hard for me to buy, I did appreciate Wen's loyalty and the honest way in which the author depicted her struggle to embrace her new family even while remaining...more
Wen is very happy to be leaving the Chinese orphanage where she has lived since her mother, who didn't have enough money for two children after Wen's brother was born, left her there. The one sadness she feels is leaving her good friend Shu Ling. She promises that she will find a home for Shu Ling and they will be together in the US. Wen likes her new family well enough, but has some trouble believing that her parents and sister Emily really love her and will not abandon her, especially when the...more
This was a wonderful young-adult book. But I think adults would enjoy it as well. It is about older child adoption from China. The kids age out at 14, so there is always a huge rush and pressure to bring these kids to the attention of potential adoptive families, before a child ages out at age 14. This one girl was adopted by a loving family and then she lobbied hard to find another adoptive family for her friend, who has been left back at the orphanage. I felt it described the adoption process...more
Mar 25, 2013
Leslie Bulion
added it
Warm, realistic, beautifully written story of adoption of a ten year old girl from China written from Wen's point of view. Meticulously researched and so well-told, this story gives readers a glimpse into Chinese orphanages and the trauma associated with loss of family, deftly bringing these issues into understandable and, more importantly, relatable terms where readers can fully empathize with the main character's loss and difficulties acclimating. I loved the author's use of the word "Hey" whe...more
What a lovely middle grade book. Wen is a girl from China who is adopted from an orphanage at age 11. As much as she has always wanted a family, the book shows how much time and effort and trust it takes for the relationships to evolve. And even though life is much better in America than in the orphanage (depicted as poor but not bad), it is still different and it takes time to adjust. Wen's parents have their own challenges, but never waiver in their patience or love. The focus of the plot is...more
Apr 13, 2013
Carol Peacock
marked it as books-by-carol-antoinette-peacock
· (Review from the author)
I wrote this book! Red Thread Sisters will be published on October 11, 2012. Hope you love it!
Eleven-year-old Wen has been adopted from a chinese orphanage, but had to leave her best friend Shu Ling behind. Wen loves America and promised her friend she would find a family for her, too, but Shu Ling, who has a crippled foot might not get adopted, and time is running out. Although the cover picture depicts teenagers, Wen is only 11. Good information about the Chinese orphanage system, but not much on how those adoptions really work. This was an enjoyable read, however, the book wasn't mem...more
This is a beautifully written, emotionally stirring middle grade novel that readers of all ages can enjoy. Wen is adopted from a Chinese orphanage by an American family, and she's determined to keep her promise to Shu Ling, her best friend from the orphanage, and find Shu Ling a family too. Shu Ling's club foot and her age (13) make her an unlikely candidate, it seems, but Wen goes to great lengths to advocate for her friend. I learned so much about the complexities of international adoption (pa...more
I am not a crier, but I must tell you Red Thread Sisters by Carol Antoinette Peacock made me cry. I read this wonderful middle grade novel in one sitting, one late night actually, because no matter how late it got I could not put it down to go to sleep. This is a very sweet novel about adoption; it is never trite, often both sad and inspiring, and it tells the truth about adoption, especially adoption of older children.
Wen is an eleven year old girl who has spent most of her life in a Chinese or...more
Wen is an eleven year old girl who has spent most of her life in a Chinese or...more
A very touching story about a Chinese orphan who is, at eleven years old, adopted into a family in Massachusetts. Her culture shock, fear and concern for her best friend left behind in China make her transition realistically rocky, but her new family accepts her exactly as she is, while at the same time drawing some boundaries when necessary. I thought the happy ending was a little bit of a stretch, but I appreciated it nevertheless.
I devoured this book and loved every second of it. The story is simple and clean, offering a picture what life is like for a newly adopted girl and telling the heartwarming story of a friendship that remains unbroken by distance. For someone like me who is passionate about adoption and is always hunting for cuss free, dating free books, this one was a gem.
Didn't realize this was a book for middle school students, which explains its simplistic plot. Still, I enjoyed it.
However, as an adoptive parent, I'm not sure it paints a completely realistic picture of international adoption. Yet it does raise important issues about the adjustments children need to make, especially when adopted at an older age. And it should do a great job making middle school children aware of issues related to adoption, and hopefully make some of them more open to considerin...more
However, as an adoptive parent, I'm not sure it paints a completely realistic picture of international adoption. Yet it does raise important issues about the adjustments children need to make, especially when adopted at an older age. And it should do a great job making middle school children aware of issues related to adoption, and hopefully make some of them more open to considerin...more
I inhaled this book! It was a quick easy read, but a difficult topic, which in true YA fashion, had a happy ending. I now know why it was picked as a great read the month is was published. Perfect for middle school or high school reads (of course adults can read it too!).
I read part way through and then had to return it to the library, so I skimmed the last few chapters. I may give it 5 stars if I re read it. It is a very insightful read on what it would be like to be adopted- especially at an older age, and especially coming to America from a different culture. I also love and am intrigued by stories about China, so I also enjoyed the insights of some of the culture in China.
Dec 28, 2012
Kristie
added it
Encouraging my 12 yr old to read this one for just a greater appreciation of the simple things like clean clothes and a loving family
Recently adopted Wen tries to find an American family for Shu Ling (her best friends still in the orphanage in China)
A good YA book that highlights a current hot button issue - foreign child adoption. Peacock puts you right in the story. You begin to understand some of the issues that a foreign child encounters when they accept a new family in a strange land far from their culture. Good story line, easy to relate to characters and believable conclusion. 4 stars
I liked the topic of adoption of older Chinese children. But I felt Wen's voice did not stay consistent.
Loved it!! A fantastic book although the cover picture does not match the story at all.
Nice portrayal of friendship, overcoming odds and learning to understand what family is.
I really liked this book. I guess I had never really thought about how truly terrifying it must be to be an adopted older child and have to start over in a country where nothing is familiar. Wen was a great character and I wanted to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
Sweet story about adoption, keeping promises and a new family.
Review to come closer to pub date.
It was interesting seeing things from the view of a foreign adopted child - especially considering I know people who have adopted from other countries. It was a good, quick read with the story based on real life experiences.
Heartwarming, but ultimately I think a very unrealistic story. Lots of emotional twists and turns to tug on the heart, and they didn't all feel natural. It's not a bad book, but it wasn't terribly engaging, either. It would be a fine recommendation for young elementary grade readers interested in learning more about adoption.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this book is the way the cover photo has NOTHING AT ALL to do with the story.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this book is the way the cover photo has NOTHING AT ALL to do with the story.
This book has taught me a lot about life to be glad for what I have, because most people don't have what I do.
I liked the book. Very fictional but a different spin that made it interesting.
I loved this book! Thank you Carol for a beautifully written book!
May 21, 2013
April
is currently reading it
May 18, 2013
Abby
marked it as to-read
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I grew up in Maryland, in a suburb outside of Washington D.C. I am the oldest of three children in a family who loved books. I wanted to be a writer since I was eleven. Decades later, I am now a practicing psychologist and author of six books. I earned a BA at Cornell University, a Masters of Social Work from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Psychology at Boston College.
My first book, Hand Me Do...more
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My first book, Hand Me Do...more
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Sep 27, 2012 03:45pm