Chu Ju's House

Title: Chu Ju's House 

Author: Gloria Whelan 

Pages: 227

Grade Level: 5&6th 

          The law says only two children per family. Tradition states that every family must have a boy. Chu-Ju is a girl. Her newborn sister, Hua, is also a girl. Chu-Ju cares for her sister until one day when an evil woman comes to their house. The woman offers to buy Hua. Her parents regretfully agree to sell Hua. Chu-Ju must protect her sister at all cost. If Chu-Ju runs away, then her parents would only have one child. Maybe then her mother would have a boy. 

          Chu-Ju leaves her parents a not and runs away. She finds a fishing boat a burrows under the nets to sleep. The next morning, she is found by the family who owns the boat. They allow her to stay and work on the boat for a time. She learns to enjoy the routine of fishing. Soon their fishing takes them back to Chu-Ju's village. The family on the boat thinks that she should go home to her parents. Chu-Ju knows that she can't go back, so she slips away from the boat. 

As with any book that covers a hard topic; it's not the easiest read. It's a gut-wrenching story of unfair hardships. It's also a fabulous story of girl growing into loyalty and true sacrifice. Typically, our children do not grow up enduring much hardship, so it is a good reminder how blessed we really are. Must Read Book!