Common Sense Media Review
By Jasmine Baten
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Community shines in moving historical verse novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In Eureka, Mei Mei is a 12-year-old girl who has to leave her parents and home to find safety from anti-Chinese racism, only to find more danger. Mei Mei flees to Eureka to be with her aunt and uncle but is instead forced to be a domestic servant for a White family. In Eureka, things aren't any better than they were in San Francisco. Even though she tries to be brave, Mei Mei and the other Chinese migrants work under horrible conditions and are harassed constantly. Disaster breaks out when the tensions between white and Chinese people and rival gangs result in a shooting, and suddenly Chinatown is being burnt down and all of the other Chinese people have to escape Eureka. But Mei Mei isn't alone–she's found a community who has become family in Eureka, and they're going to fight for each other all the way home.
Is It Any Good?
Victoria Chang's engaging, suspenseful verse novel tells an important story through the eyes of a young girl, bringing a distant history into focus. Eureka clearly stands on research, care, and dedication–it's full of worry and fear, but unexpected friendship and love helps the characters care and fight for one another. Mei Mei is a courageous and determined heroine, and the friends she makes are a true show of what it means to be in community with people. The verse format lends an excellent pacing to this exciting read.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different adults in Eureka. Who's supposed to take care of Mei Mei? What happens? Why do you think some adults treat children badly? How do kids survive this kind of abuse?
Why do you think the author choose to tell this story in the form of a free verse poem? What was it like for you to read?
Why is it important to read stories about historical events that actually happened but aren't well-known?
Even though Mei Mei is a child, she lives through scary events. How does Mei Mei persevere? Is she courageous? Why or why not? Why do you think the author chose to tell this story through the eyes of a child?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Poetry
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Gratitude , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : January 27, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : April 6, 2026
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