Chu Ju's House
Chu Ju's House Gloria Whelan
Grade Level: 5-8
Harper Collins Publishers ISBN: 0-06-050724-1 $10.87
Author Information:
http://www.gloriawhelan.com/index.html
SYNOPSIS:
Chu Ju has to make a hard and terrifying decision to keep her baby sister safe with her family. At the age of 15 Chu Ju will set off on her own through China to find a home for herself. During her adventure Chu Ju will discover many things but she will face danger and hardship but she will grow and discover the many different facets of life in her country.
GENERAL REVIEW:
Chu Ju’s House is a cultural and historical insight into the lives of the Chinese people living in Mainland China. Gloria Whelan demonstrates some of the effects of the “One Child Policy” in China on its people. She also looks at the effects of communism concerning freedom of speech and censorship. The heroine, Chu Ju leaves her secure family life so that her little sister will not be sold and her family can try for a little boy. Though her adventures on the fisherman’s boat, her work on a silkworm farm, and her final destination on rice farm the reader is able to experience some of the different social and cultural aspects of life in China.
Themes:
China ’s one child policy, politics, freedom of speech, gender roles, culture, cultural revolution, family, orphans, and agriculture.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Standard 3 Benchmark 3
- What do you think of China’s one child policy, or for country people and minorities, a two child policy? What are some other solutions for their large population problem?
- Why do you think it was so important for Chu Ju’s family to have a son? How does Chu Ju prove that daughters are just as valuable as sons?
- Name the different ways that Chu Ju helped others. What was the result of her bravery and generosity?
- The author includes some Chinese words in her story. Do you remember what those words are? Did you know what they meant? How did you figure out what they meant?
ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:
1. Activity suggestions: Look in a map for the size of China and the size of the United States. Next look up in an Almanac the population for both China and the United States. Compare the size and population of both countries. (Standard 1, Benchmark 4 and 5)
2. Using an encyclopedia or other resources read about China and make a list of the new things you learned about China. (Standard 1, Benchmark 4 and 5 and Standard 5, Benchmark 1)
3. China is a communist country; look up in a dictionary or encyclopedia to find out what communism means. (Standard 1, Benchmark 5 and Standard 8, Benchmark 1)
4. Think about the first part of the story when Chu Ju encounters censorship. Write down whether you think censorship happens in the United States. Write down what freedom of speech means to you and examples of freedom of speech in the United States. (Standard 3, Benchmark 3 and Standard 8, Benchmark 1)
