"Great things don't come easily!" a ballet teacher once told Li Cunxin. It was a lesson that Li knew well. Born to bitter poverty in rural China, he was chosen by a group of visiting officials to attend the Beijing Dance Academy. There, Li had to learn extraordinarily difficult dance moves while also studying to be a good Maoist. His hard work earned him the chance to visit the United States-where Li faced his greatest challenge. Afterword. Historical note. Time line. Glossary of Chinese words. Blackand- white photographs.
Title alpha Mao’s Last Dancer: Young Reader’s Edition
Level Nonfiction Middle
Pages Count 300
Genre Nonfiction
Summary Li Cunxin describes growing up in a small village commune where his loving parents toiled endlessly to feed their seven sons. In school, he was taught to adulate Chairman Mao and memorized the Communist philosophies in his “Little Red Book.” Although he dreamed of a different life, Li was resigned to becoming a peasant farmer. Then, when he was eleven, government officials arrived to audition children for the Beijing Dance Academy. Seeing an opportunity, he worked hard to be one of the chosen few. In Beijing, he was homesick and struggled to adjust to the Academy’s rigorous demands, but he soon realized that there could be no looking back and strived to become the best ballet dancer in world.
Topics Ballet dancers. Twentieth-century China. Mao Zedong (1893-1976). Communism. The Cultural Revolution. Propaganda. Political indoctrination. Having your life controlled by the government. Censorship. Rural villages. Poverty. Family life. Mothers and sons. Gaining insight from stories. Family traditions. Superstitions. Upholding the family reputation. Wanting a better life. Feeling trapped. Leaving home. Saying goodbye. Being homesick. Loneliness. New experiences. City life. Feeling out of place. Lacking confidence. Friendship. Facing up to problems. Building mental and physical strength. Perseverance. Gaining confidence. Daring to try. Working hard to accomplish goals. Government lies. Thinking for yourself.Wanting political and artistic freedom. Making difficult choices. Falling in love. Defectors. Courage. Hope.
SRC Level 5.300000
SRC Points 16.000000
Lexile 810L
Trim Size 5 1/16" x 7 3/4"
Language English
JLG Release Date Sep 2008
Minimum grade 5
Maximum grade 8
Reading level Middle
Format Print
Nonfiction Middle Grades 5-8)
Nonfiction Middle
Nonfiction Middle Grades 5-8)
For Grades 5-8
Knowledge is power, and no other category speaks to this more. The 12 books in this category range from autobiographies to anthropological studies, these nonfiction titles are just right for middle-school readers . . . and ideal for research and classroom support, too.