Spring Pearl: The Last Flower (Girls of Many Lands-CHINA)
Part of the Girls of Many Lands series, this colorful novel  introduces the spirited 12-year-old Chou Spring Pearl against  the backdrop of Canton, China, during the Opium War of 1857. The  recently orphaned girl has been liberally raised by her artist  parents she can read and write and speak  English but now she's  a charity case, taken in by Master Sung, a wealthy friend of her  father's. Life with Sung's arrogant wife and daughters (who call  her "Miss Ratty" after her poor ghetto neighborhood) starts off  rocky, but Spring Pearl rises to the challenge through strength  of character, gradually earning the respect of the entire  household. When Master Sung is arrested and imprisoned, Spring  Pearl's courage and ingenuity help bring the family safely  through the ordeal. Spring Pearl has a bit of both Cinderella  (she's assigned menial chores at first) and Mary Lenox (she  restores the Sungs' neglected garden), but she emerges a fully  realized character. Offering his typically lively dialogue and  strong supporting cast, Yep (Dragon's Gate) also integrates  period detail into a well-honed plot. A "Then and Now" afterword  draws on Yep's story to contrast conditions facing girls in 19th- century China with those today. Ages 9-12. (Oct.)Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.