Thanks for the intro, Courtney! Something I think this book really drives home is how hard life can be for people lacking in allies.

It helps to highlight the setting and the themes are presented in a really clear way. I think this works exceptionally well for this style of book. It is very clear what is happening and what may or may not happen in this book there are minimal surprises with the exception of the assault that happens near the end of the book. The delineation of what racism toward Chinese and Chinese American people looked like in pioneer times is what really sets this book apart. The one very distinctive difference is her identity as a biracial Chinese American. She takes care of her father, performs many domestic tasks, goes to school, and dreams of being a dressmaker. Hannah, our protagonist, is trying to live a normal life as a pioneer child. This book is told in a similar style which is very straightforward and plot driven. Linda Sue Park makes it very clear that this book is in conversation with the LITTLE HOUSE books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Let’s start by talking about the appropriateness of the style in this book. Introduced by Heavy Medal Award Committee member Courtney Hagueįrom the development of the plot and the delineation of the characters to appropriateness of the style, PRAIRIE LOTUS by Linda Sue Park is distinguished in many ways.

Linda sue park prairie lotus