Red Butterfly
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Heartbreaking, uplifting, lyrical orphan tale in free verse.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
Kara, who's Chinese by birth, was abandoned as an infant and is being raised by an older American woman in the city of Tianjin. Kara doesn't understand why she can't do normal things such as make friends and go to school, but she's pretty sure it's her fault they have to live such a secretive life. When her American sister comes to visit and falls ill, the truth about her family's life is revealed to the authorities. Kara's foster mother is taken away and may be deported. Kara would give anything to get back the life she'd always struggled against. Will she ever see her American family again?
Is It Any Good?
A.L. Sonnichsen's debut novel RED BUTTERFLY is a stunner. Told in lyrical, rhythmic first-person free verse, it perfectly captures heroine Kara's imperfect understanding of her world and quickly has the reader rooting for her as she struggles for a normal life. Bittersweet themes of loss and longing are deftly balanced with Kara's resilience, determination, and hope. The gorgeous language is a pleasure to read aloud, or you can read along with your big kids and tweens for an unforgettable story about the meaning of family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about adoption. What does it mean, exactly? Were you adopted, or do you know someone who was?
What's free verse? Why do you think the author chose to use it to tell Kara's story?
Do you agree that "family is whoever you decide it should be"? What does Kara mean by that? Why would she want that to be true?
Book Details
- Author: A. L. Sonnichsen
- Illustrator: Amy June Bates
- Genre: Literary Fiction
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: February 3, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Books with Strong Female Characters
Books with Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Characters
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