Age: 10-13

“I loved my baby brother, until Uncle took me to market and sold me.” So begins the tale of 11-year-old Lu Si-yan, who enters domestic servitude in China and escapes only to find herself working in the equally desperate conditions of a toy factory. This book, now in paperback, won a Nestlé Smarties Gold award last year, selected by children from a shortlist chosen by adults. Its clear, pace y first-person narrative of grief, loss and hardship, mitigated by the kindness of a few good people, evokes a harsh and formal society in which girls are little valued, and in which Si-yan needs all her resilience to survive. A rebellious student, a benevolent old lady and a group of brave factory girls help her, but nothing can work out entirely well in a world in which human lives are at the mercy of the powerful and self-interested. Interweaving the tale of her happy early childhood with the tragic new life that follows her loving father’s death, this compelling book explores cruelty and generosity as shown by characters both rich and poor. The lesson of the book is one taught to Si-yan by her father: “If you believe you have enough, you are truly rich”.

(Bloomsbury £5.99)

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