Starred Review Life is full of adjustments for Chinese American Evan Pao. Having recently moved from California to a small Virginia town without his father, sixth-grader Evan finds himself the only Asian American student at his new school. His teacher Mrs. Norwood continuously brings up Civil War history and often talks about the Confederacy. Because of his race, Evan faces bullying and microaggressions and is confronted with anti-Asian hate from a fellow student and exclusion from the school's annual Civil War celebration event. With help from his family, Evan discovers and shares with his class surprising information about Chinese soldiers who fought on both sides during the Civil War. Through this illumination of an overlooked part of history, Shang explores how our lens of the past and present can change as we learn new information. She also empathetically showcases how we can handle conflict and prejudice, as well as encourage others to do better. Utilizing multiple perspectives, Shang's storytelling sensitively moves readers to be mindful of making assumptions and to consider ways to achieve meaningful reconciliation. Full of thoughtful prose and dialogue, Shang's timely story is full of realistic portrayals and powerful messages, which are reinforced by her insightful and personal author's note.

A Chinese American middle schooler struggles to adjust to life in an insular, mostly White town.Sixth grader Evan Pao has a gut instinct for telling when things don't add up and people are being less than honest. This proves useful when Evan, his divorced mother, and big sister relocate from California to the Virginia town where his Uncle Joe lives, fleeing a scandal involving his dad. Battlefield Elementary takes a lot of getting used to: Not only does Evan's teacher, Mrs. Norwood, constantly talk about the Confederacy and local Civil War history, Evan is also the school's only Asian American student. When class bully Brady asks if Evan has the "China virus," he is rattled-and wonders if things will get even worse. Meanwhile, Mrs. Norwood implies that Evan shouldn't take part in the annual school event celebrating the Civil War era because of his race. Evan surprises everyone when he researches and shares information about Chinese soldiers who fought on both sides during the Civil War. Shang's compassionate prose alternates among multiple perspectives. Evan's implied anxiety is sensitively portrayed, illustrating how hard it is to be the new kid in town, particularly if you stand out. The text's empathy extends to Brady in ways that will encourage readers to pause before making snap judgments. The novel also handles with nuance questions about how uncomfortable history can be approached in classrooms and communities.A thoughtful and timely read. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Shang (coauthor of Not Your All-American Girl, rev. 3/21) takes the little-known fact that several Asian American men fought in the Civil War and works it into a contemporary story about bullying, cultural acceptance, and forgiveness. Evan Pao, twelve, is the new kid in (fictional) Haddington, Virginia. His family has relocated from California for a fresh start after his father's get-rich-quick scheme nearly bankrupts them. Although Evan makes some new friends, he is constantly harassed by a classmate. He also wonders about his place in this small, mostly white, Southern town where many students take pride in their Confederate ancestors. While preparing for "Battlefield Day," a Civil War reenactment celebration, Evan excitedly shares information with his class about Chinese Union soldiers. His house is shot at the next day, seemingly in retaliation. In the aftermath of this harrowing event, the characters explore any possibility of reconciliation. The novel's strongest parts occur when Evan questions why "the whole history" of the Civil War isn't widely represented: Shang includes short passages on glossing over slavery in the classroom, honoring women who fought in the Civil War, and debating the removal of a Confederate statue.

A Chinese American middle schooler struggles to adjust to life in an insular, mostly White town.Sixth grader Evan Pao has a gut instinct for telling when things don't add up and people are being less than honest. This proves useful when Evan, his divorced mother, and big sister relocate from California to the Virginia town where his Uncle Joe lives, fleeing a scandal involving his dad. Battlefield Elementary takes a lot of getting used to: Not only does Evan's teacher, Mrs. Norwood, constantly talk about the Confederacy and local Civil War history, Evan is also the school's only Asian American student. When class bully Brady asks if Evan has the "China virus," he is rattled-and wonders if things will get even worse. Meanwhile, Mrs. Norwood implies that Evan shouldn't take part in the annual school event celebrating the Civil War era because of his race. Evan surprises everyone when he researches and shares information about Chinese soldiers who fought on both sides during the Civil War. Shang's compassionate prose alternates among multiple perspectives. Evan's implied anxiety is sensitively portrayed, illustrating how hard it is to be the new kid in town, particularly if you stand out. The text's empathy extends to Brady in ways that will encourage readers to pause before making snap judgments. The novel also handles with nuance questions about how uncomfortable history can be approached in classrooms and communities.A thoughtful and timely read. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

When 12-year-old Evan Pao moves cross-country with his older sister, teenage Celeste, and their newly single mother, the family hopes for a fresh start following their father’s involvement in a local investment scheme—and his subsequent disappearance with the money. Though “Evan had a sense for lies,” feeling physical sensations when there’s a “mismatch between what someone was saying and what they were really feeling,” he struggles to trust it, especially since he couldn’t detect his father’s scheme. Leaving their racially diverse California neighborhood for Virginia, where the only person they know is the children’s uncle Joe, Evan is shocked to learn that he is Battlefield Elementary’s only Asian American student. Though he makes friends, he also catches the attention of a bully and observes the town’s deeply rooted Civil War pride, including a reenactment at school, through which Evan eventually learns that Chinese people were involved in the U.S. Civil War. Told through a range of alternating perspectives, the thoughtfully rendered text explores with empathy the way the town navigates a Chinese American family’s arrival, and works in themes of community, justice, and trust through the past and present. Shang (Not Your All-American Girl) crafts a well-paced and nuanced story that follows Evan’s growing stronger in his sense of self. Ages 8–12. (June)