Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party facts for kids
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party is a book from 2007 by Ying Chang Compestine. It's a type of story called historical fiction. This means it's a made-up story, but it takes place during a real time in history. The story happens in Wuhan, China, near the end of a big event called the Cultural Revolution. It's about a young girl named Ling. Her family is considered 'upper-class,' and they face many tough challenges because of the way China was run by the communist government at that time. The book's title comes from a famous essay written by Mao Zedong in 1927. Mao Zedong was a very important leader in China.
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| Author | Ying Chang Compestine |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Co. |
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Publication date
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2007 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp |
| ISBN | 0997218703 |
Contents
What the Story is About
The story of Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party starts in 1972. This was six years into the Cultural Revolution in China. Ling Chang is a nine-year-old girl. Her parents are both doctors. This means they are part of the 'upper class' in China.
Ling's father, Dr. Chang, liked to teach Ling English. They would also secretly listen to American radio shows. One show they listened to was called Voice of America. Dr. Chang had a friend, Dr. Smith, who was a doctor from the United States. They used to write letters to each other before the Cultural Revolution.
Life Changes for Ling's Family
A political officer named Comrade Li moves into part of the Changs' apartment. He uses their home for his work. Because Comrade Li is living next door, the Changs have to be very careful. They whisper when they talk about anything sensitive. They listen to the American radio under blankets. They also put up pictures of Chairman Mao Zedong. This showed they supported the revolution.
Soon after Comrade Li moved in, something scary happened. The father of their neighbor's family was taken away. He was called an 'antirevolutionary.' This meant he was against the government's ideas. Ling became very scared that her own father would be taken too. Later, the neighbor's mother was also taken. Their son, Niu, was then forced to join the Red Guards. The Red Guards were groups of young people who strongly supported the Cultural Revolution.
Challenges at School and Home
At school, Ling was often bothered by other children. These kids were from 'working class' families. They thought Ling was 'bourgeois.' This was a term used for people who were seen as rich or fancy. Ling's clothes and long hair were often used to make her seem bourgeois.
Ling's family was marked as 'bourgeois sympathizers.' This meant they were seen as supporting the upper class. Because of this, her father was stopped from doing surgeries. He was made to work as a janitor at the hospital instead.
One day, Ling and her father helped a writer. This writer was considered 'counter-revolutionary.' He was trying to drown himself. Because Ling and Dr. Chang saved him, Niu and his group, the Red Guard, came. They arrested Ling's father. They said he was an antirevolutionary.
Ling spent many nights alone after her father was taken. Her mother worked nights at the hospital. Ling became old enough to do the family's shopping. She learned to bargain for food. She used ration tickets and other ways to get what they needed.
One day at school, the teacher was removed. Gao, one of the young revolutionaries, tried to cut Ling's hair. Ling fought back with her schoolbag. She managed to get away safely.
Ling's Father and the End of the Revolution
Ling then heard news that her father would be doing surgery. He was going to operate on Gao's father at the hospital. Ling tried to sneak into the hospital area. But the guards caught her. They put her in a room with mats that had lice. Ling slept on them and got lice in her hair. The next morning, the gardener came and let her go. When Ling got back home, her mother had to cut all of her hair short.
Chairman Mao died in 1976. But his death did not immediately make life better for people. Instead, different groups of revolutionaries started fighting each other. Jiang Qing, who was Mao's wife, was arrested. She was accused of trying to overthrow the government.
A few weeks later, Comrade Li forced Ling to make a public apology to Gao. But before Ling could be punished further, Comrade Li was arrested. He was called a 'revolutionary criminal' because he was linked to Jiang Qing. At the same time, Ling's father was released. Ling, her mother, and Dr. Chang went home together as a family.
Main Characters
- Ling Chang: The main character of the story. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chang.
- Dr. Chang: Ling's father. He is a surgeon at Wuhan hospital #4.
- Mrs. Chang: Ling's mother. She is a traditional doctor.
- Niu: Ling's close friend, whom she thinks of like a brother. He is the son of Mrs. Wong and Dr. Wong.
- Dr. Wong: A doctor who works with Dr. Chang. He is Niu's father.
- Mrs. Wong: Niu's mother.
- Comrade Li: A revolutionary who lives in Ling's study room.
- Gao: A boy who goes to school with Ling. He is the son of Comrade Sin.
- Comrade Sin: Gao's father, who is a revolutionary.
- Chairman Mao: The leader of the communist People's Republic of China.
- Teacher Hui: Ling's math teacher.
- Yu: A girl at Ling's school who supports the revolution. She joins Gao in bothering Ling.
- Mr. Ji: A writer who was against the revolution. Ling and Dr. Chang saved him when he tried to end his life.
Awards the Book Won
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party has received many awards, including:
- 77th Annual California Book Award for Young Adult Literature
- 2008 ALA Best Books For Young Adults
- 2008 ALA Notable Children's Books
- 2007 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction Book List
- 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Best Children's Fiction Book List
- 2008 Chinese American Librarian Association Best Book
- 2007 New York Public Library 100 Best Titles for Reading and Sharing
- 2007 Fall Book Sense Children's Picks
- 2007 Parent's Choice Silver Honor
- 2007 Cybils Award Nomination for Young Adult Fiction
- 2008 Tayshas Reading List (Texas)
- 2007 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
- 2007 Cleveland Public Library Celebrate With Books
- 2007 Cuyahoga County Public Library Great Books for Kids
- 2008 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People — CBC and the National Council for Social Studies
- 2008 IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
- 2008 NCTE Award
- 2008 Capitol Choices — Best Books of the Year, Washington, D.C.
- 2008 New York Public Library's Teen Age List
- 2008 Cooperative Children's Book Center — Best of the Year
- 2008 Bank Street College of Education — Best Children's Book
- 2008 Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
- 2008 Book of the Year Award — Northern California Independent Booksellers Association
- 2008 Women's National Book Association's Judy Lopez Memorial Awards Honor
- 2008–2009 Maine Student Book Award
- 2008 Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts
- 2009 ATPE Book of the Month
- 2009 Sakura Medal Book
- 2008–2009 Nominated for the Maine Student Book Award
- 2008 Among 15 books Ranked Best by Publisher's Weekly
- 2009 Nominated for the Nene Award of Hawaii
