What to Read After Mulan

Perhaps you have watched the stunning new Mulan movie (available for free streaming now on Disney+). The gorgeous cinematography would have been lovely on the big screen. My teens loved the animated film and were eager to see the update. My husband and I enjoy movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, so we were also eager to see it. Mulan did not disappoint.

Hayley also saw it, and we discussed the movie over Christmas break. In a sea of feminist plots and pro-woman narratives, we felt that Mulan handled itself well. Chinese actresses played key roles (as opposed to white American actresses), the film mirrored other Chinese films stylistically (such as the aforementioned Crouching Tiger), and the theme was in keeping with traditional Chinese legend. True, Mulan is a feminist narrative, but then, so is the story of Joan of Arc. In fact, Mulan remains remarkably feminine throughout (unlike Joan of Arc, who begins wearing men’s clothes and cuts her hair short*). It is only when Mulan is willing to admit that she is, in fact, a woman, that her true strength shows itself. After Mulan saves the day, she makes the choice to go home to her family before accepting further honor and position.

All in all, it’s a movie worth seeing with your teens and discussing!*

*there’s nothing wrong with a woman wearing pants and cutting her hair short, but in the time of Joan of Arc, that was scandalous. In the new movie, there is one scene of Mulan bathing, but she is seen from the back and blurred out appropriately.

WHAT TO READ AFTER MULAN

If you, like Hayley and me, saw the new movie, you might be wondering what to read after Mulan. Or perhaps it’s near the time of the Chinese New Year, and you’re wondering about this intriguing country. What books might help you understand Chinese culture and history better? What books are simply set in China, a beautiful county with a tumultuous history?

BOOKS ABOUT CHINA (CULTURE AND HISTORY)

Do skim reviews for these books. Parts of Chinese history are violent and/or difficult to read, especially for younger readers.

China Through Time by DK Publishing: an encyclopedic look at Chinese history, meticulously illustrated and in large picture book format.

Confucius: Great Teacher of China by Demi. Lee & Low, 2018. Demi uses her art skillfully to introduce Confucius to young readers. Picture book.

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu, illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez. Graphic Universe TM, 2013. Middle grades and up.

Mulan: Before the Sword by Grace Lin. Disney Press, 2020. A lovely middle grades/YA treatment of Mulan’s story set prior to the new movie’s timeline. An outstanding companion to the movie.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Starry River of the Sky, and When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin. A trio of companion novels that weave together Chinese legend and folklore. Highly recommended! Middle grades, but good as read alouds for a broad audience.

Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan. Candlewick, 2017. A lovely, quiet novel set during China’s Cultural Revolution. Middle grades and up.

Girl Under a Red Moon: Growing Up During China’s Cultural Revolution by Da Chen. Recommended for ages 14-18.

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. First Second, 2013. Graphic novel pair that looks at the Boxer Rebellion from two perspectives. Young Adult.

CONTEMPORARY CHINESE (AND CHINESE-AMERICAN) EXPERIENCE

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai. Henry Holt, 2019. A Chinese family moves to Australia. Middle grades and up!

The Year of the Book (and others) by Andrea Cheng. A young Chinese American is the heroine of this sweet chapter book series.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang. Scholastic, 2011. Lucy Wu just wants to play basketball, not share her room with her great aunt from China. Middle grades.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang. DC Comics, 2020. A graphic novel exploration of the Chinese-American experience in mid-20th-century America, complete with superheroes. Middle grades and young adult.

American Born Chinese by Gene Yuan Lang. We haven’t reviewed this graphic novel (yet!), but it’s a modern-classic exploration of culture clash. Young Adult.

*Red Butterfly by A. L. Sonnischen. Simon & Schuster, 2015. A young Chinese girl, raised by (white) American parents struggles to find her identity. (*starred review!) Young adult.

MISSIONARIES (AND OTHER WESTERNERS) IN CHINA

Mei Fuh: Memories from China by Edith Schaeffer. A biographical look at the author’s childhood in China. All ages.

Lottie Moon: Giving Her All for China by Janet and Geoff Benge. Part of the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series from YWAM, Lottie’s story is also told in the Trailblazers series from Christian Focus as Lottie Moon: Changing China for Christ. Middle grades and up.

Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman. A short, but powerful, autobiography of one woman’s determination to share the gospel in China in the early 20th century. Middle grades and up.

Someday We Will Fly by Rachel DeWoskin. Viking, 2019. Historical fiction about the Jewish refuge in Shanghai during WWII. Young adult.

Laura’s Children: The Hidden Story of a Chinese Orphanage by Becky Cerling Powers. A similar story to that of Gladys Aylward, but which takes place during the Communist takeover. Young adult.

For the Glory: The Untold and Inspiring Story of Eric Liddell, Hero of Chariots of Fire by Duncan Hamilton. A biography of the famous runner that doesn’t end with his Olympic race. Young adult and up. For younger readers, see the Eric Liddell biographies in the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series from YWAM or the Trailblazers series from Christian Focus.

What books about China would YOU recommend?