Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee was recently reviewed by a fifteen-year-old student from LitPick.com, a site dedicated to promoting reading and writing among preteens, teens, and young adults through mentoring with student book reviews. It's a wonderful program, one that I would love to get my sons involved with. Of course, as an author who has written a book for an upper middle grade and young adult audience, it's also a great resource for me. I am able to present my novel to potential readers and get feedback from my target audience.
There's also something quite refreshing about student reviews--they are sincere, honest, and just plain fun to read. There's so much to glean from their perspective. I am happy to report that Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee received a five-star review from its LitPick reviewer.
Some excerpts follow:
"...this book easily made for an excellent addition to my bookshelf. It broadened my understanding of what went on during the Civil War. I found this story to be delightful and heartwarming."
"The characters were wonderfully developed, and the story itself is written with exceptional realism, making it seem as if the tale could be happening right alongside you as you read. Thomas, who is the main character, is Chinese."
"This book took a well-known historical event and spun it into an epic tale told from the perspective of a Chinese boy. The author did a wonderful job enlightening me as well as teaching me more about the types of people who fought in the Civil War. "
Read the full review here.