In the middle grade, graphic novel memoir Uprooted (ages 8+), Ruth is facing the biggest challenge of her young life to date: uprooting from her birth city of Toronto, Canada and moving to the other side of the globe with her family to Hong Kong, where her mother grew up and still has family. As if leaving everything and everyone she knows behind wasn’t bad enough, Ruth doesn’t know Hong Kong at all, having only been there once when she was a toddler. To top it off, she can’t speak much Cantonese AND she’s going to a new school where she’ll have to learn German! How on earth is she going to manage? As Ruth slowly settles into her new environs and gets reacquainted with her mother’s side of the family, she holds on fast to her father’s words of wisdom – courage, perseverance, and patience. Despite the many ups and downs, our plucky young protagonist ultimately comes through with newly discovered strengths and a newfound sense of belonging. Uprooted will resonate with middle graders everywhere for its universal themes of change, loss, friendship and family, and kids familiar with Hong Kong will absolutely love the detailed illustrations of familiar sights: mini buses on tree-lined streets, a vast shopping mall, vending machines stocked with VLT drinks and dim sum in Chinese restaurants. A definite keeper for our home bookshelf.

I had the bonus pleasure of accompanying author/illustrator Ruth Chan to her school visits when she was in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Young Readers Festival. What a delight to hear Ruth talk to students about her creative process and how she wrote/drew her heartfelt and engaging graphic novel. I’ll be watching out for her next offerings and I’d suggest you do the same!