Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a fair review!

Morning Sun in Wuhan was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed Ying Compestine's writing style and kid-friendly recipes that would excite any young reader to ask their parents to take them on a trip to locate ingredients. I appreciate the community aspect that Ying draws out from the early days of COVID-19, and the cast of varied characters that give the pandemic a multifaceted entry point for kids. The kid in me identified with the main character, Mei, and particularly enjoyed her finding a way to help out despite only being 13 years old. I'm sure many children will be inspired by her acts and want to make a change in their own communities. I'm hoping to read this book to my 4th grade students this upcoming year and will definitely be purchasing it for my classroom library.

This exquisite Middle Grade story follows a young girl named Mei as she grapples with a quickly changing Wuhan at the beginning of the pandemic. Mei lives alone with her father now that her mother is no longer with them, but he is a busy doctor at a local hospital, so she doesn't think much of it when he is suddenly working even longer hours and home even less frequently. But once he starts to tell her about wearing masks to school, buying excessive amounts of groceries and telling her not to leave the house, she starts to wonder if this virus people are talking about really is a big deal after all. Through a love of community and a commitment to help others, Mei joins a number of volunteer efforts, connects with community members (in mask and from a distance) and manages to handle the pressures of a pandemic almost completely independently. Told in a narrative that is interspersed with discord chats, plans made over WeChat and a fun game called Chop Chop, readers will get the connection to the internet and social media that is so important to the middle grade age group, while also enjoying a fairly straight forward chapter-based storyline. Another thing that makes this book unique and wonderful is that there are recipes throughout that are relatively easy for middle grade students to make, have cultural ties to the setting of the book, and help remind readers that even in a pandemic, food can bring us together. It's a nice touch that I think really enhances the book's worth.

As a grade 3 teacher not only would I definitely buy a copy of this book for my classroom library, but I also think that it would be a great addition to my list of read alouds. I think that the own voices and diverse perspectives that this story has to offer young readers who grew up in a pandemic but not at the epicenter, is a really valuable opportunity for teaching and learning. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 7-12 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this excellent book!

Award-winning kidlit, YA, and cookbook author Yin Chang Compestine brings readers into the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic's early days in Wuhan, China. Mei is a 13-year-old girl grieving the loss of her mother and spending her days playing Chop Chop, an online cooking game. One of her friends asks for Mei's help in getting medical attention for her ill grandmother, who can't get a doctor's appointment. Mei, whose father is a doctor at the local hospital, heads to the hospital when she can't get in touch with her father, only to discover that the hospital is overcrowded, its staff stretched to their limits. Mei returns home and discovers, via the news, that a virus is spreading across Wuhan; determined to help her community, Mei turns to her friends to come up with a game plan: to turn her passion for cooking into a way to keep the people in her community fed.

Morning Sun in Wuhan gives readers a glimpse into the fear, uncertainty, and panic that COVID brought to Wuhan, but it's ultimately an uplifting story of family and community.. Mei, grieving her mother's death and feeling torn between her maternal aunt and her father, finds purpose in these early days. She uses the tools available to her: food, computer skills, and a talent for organizing, to bring her friends together to cook, pack, and deliver meals to the people in her neighborhood where the local services stumble. She is able to keep an eye and an ear on her neighbors, giving the elderly the comfort of knowing someone is there and cares.

Yin Chang Compestine's writing brings the sights, scents, and sounds of Wuhan to readers, with rich descriptions of the historic and present-day city. Her cookbook authorship shines through in her mouth-watering descriptions of her food, and her characters come to life in her pages. Originally from Wuhan, Yin Chang Compestine's Morning Sun in Wuhan is a love letter to the resilience of Wuhan's people.

An incredible book that should make its way to current events reading lists. Keep your eyes on Yin Chang Compestine's author webpage; many of her books have free downloadable resources available, and as the pub date for Wuhan gets closer, I expect we will see some good resources available.

Whilst a fictional tale of one girl surviving the pandemic in Wuhan, this story echoes the real-world experience of many young people living in Wuhan during the initial and ongoing outbreak.
We get glimpses of what life in Wuhan, China is like and how the authorities and locals responded to the crisis.
Mei is young, smart, caring, and creative and the way she manages to unite her friends and community to ensure everyone has food is really inspiring.
I absolutely love the inclusion of recipes for many of the wonderful sounding dishes she prepares. I've noted down a few to try out myself.
This was a great middle-school read and I thank Netgalley, Clarion Books, and Ying Compestine for giving me a free digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of 13-year-old Mei, who lives in Wuhan. Her mother has just passed away and her dad is a busy doctor. She enjoys playing video games, especially one centered on cooking. Suddenly, people start getting sick and her dad is spending most of his time at the hospital. Mei ends up working with her aunt to cook and feed the front line workers and then others in the community.

I really enjoyed this story. It came about the pandemic in a different perspective, through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl. Many of the chapters have recipes to go along with the food Mei is cooking. I can't wait to buy this book to share with others and to try out some of the recipes.

This was a beautifully told middle grade novel about the start of the Covid19 pandemic. I think that kids will be drawn to this title because of the all consuming nature covid has had over their young lives. It could also be helpful in inspiring empathy for people in China where covid began.

First, make sure to read Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Compestine on a full stomach or have a snack nearby because the recipes and descriptions of the food are amazing. You can almost taste and smell the rich broth and the crispy meat cooking.

This was quite an interesting book. I really liked the main character, Mei, and getting a glimpse into when the virus started in Wuhan and how people and the world reacted. Quite interesting to also see how some people took the warnings seriously and others not so much.

Morning Sun in Wuhan made me cry with happiness and sadness. Happiness because of the strength and sense of community and sadness due to the fear, the not knowing, and the isolation that occurred during the pandemic.

Morning Sun in Wuhan is a must-read for all ages. The author writes a beautiful story showing the ingeniousness of individuals, the selflessness of those front-line workers, and those who helped make this situation a little more bearable.

I think what touched me also is the feeling we have lost the art of being civil to one another and this book helped restore that hope.

#MorningSuninWuhan #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and Clarion Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the premise of this book. I was drawn in right away and I was very interested to hear about this main character's personal experiences surrounding this wide-spread, public disaster. I think that the subject matter was handled well for the intended age group and I would definitely suggest it to some of my fourth and fifth grade students. I think students will see parallels between their pandemic experience and that of the main character. Even though she was at the actual site of the outbreak, her experience feels really relatable. The only downside to this book for me is that it ends quite abruptly. I was surprised when the epilogue popped up. I would have liked for this book to be a little longer, I think. Overall, it was very enjoyable.

This is a quick, poignant read about what it was like for the people living in Wuhan at the start of the virus. It was written by Ying Compestine, who grew up in Wuhan and interviewed friends and family who still live there to get accurate accounts of what happened as COVID-19 was unfolding. The story follows 13-year-old Mei (whose father is a respiratory doctor battling COVID-19 on the frontlines) as she navigates dealing with food shortages, neighborhood lockdowns, and fears about the people around her getting sick. She feels alone at the start of the novel, but as the story progresses, she finds companionship and help from many of her neighbors, online friends, and family.

Overall I enjoyed the story, and thought it gave great insight into how scary it must have been to live in the town where the outbreak started. There are also recipes at the end of every chapter, since Mei loves to cook, and I found that really neat. I did think the book ended a bit abruptly, but understand that the author wanted to tell a specific part of the story (the very beginning of COVID-19 in Wuhan) and that's why she ended it how she did. I would definitely recommend this to older elementary school students and early middle school students, as I think it would resonate most with them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the ARC for review.

A strange new virus at the beginning of January 2020...sound familiar? This middle school story of a young girl describing the sights and feelings of her hometown city during the beginning of the Covid 19 outbreak. Nice balance between her hopes to be a chef, her fears for her friends and family and ways that she can help.

This was a good book about the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. The virus was explained in a way that makes sense to kids, but not overly scary. I feel like it introduced the total picture of how dangerous the virus is, including a scene in which a hearse leaves a residence and an apartment complex is walled off to ensure quarantine. The ending was a little abrupt - the time skip of a year later making it seem like everything went back to normal quickly.

This is a wonderful middle-grade story of the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, China. Thirteen-year old Mei loves to play video games and cook but spends a lot of time alone in her home as she has recently lost her mother and her father is a doctor who works extremely long hours, even more so as the hospitals begin to rapidly fill up. I appreciated reading a book that provides the perspective of a young person who was living in the early lockdown of Wuhan and being able to see a little of what that must have been like. Since Mei enjoys cooking and uses that skill to help her neighborhood, the author includes several of the recipes that Mei cooks in the story, which I thought was a nice touch. While reading a book about the pandemic might still be hard for some young people, I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

It is always eye opening to see a new perspective--to see how a person in a different country or different circumstances live and handle life events. In Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Compestine, we learn how thirteen-year-old Mei, who is already grieving over the death of her mother, handles the outbreak of the Covid 19 virus while living in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the pandemic. It is remarkable story that should be read by everyone, young or old. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

When I saw this title, Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Compestine, I had mixed feelings about reading it. On the one hand, I’ve been to Wuhan and wanted to see how it was depicted in middle grade literature. Ever since Wuhan became the epicenter for COVID-19, I felt that the city had a negative connotation and wondered if this book could make gains on disillusioning this image. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to read an account of the early days of the pandemic in China. I’ve read a few adult books where the pandemic is portrayed, but here, the whole plot revolves around the onset of the disease. I decided to give the book a chance and see how this current, ever evolving pandemic was portrayed for younger readers.

Mei is a tween who recently lost her mom and is navigating life without her. Mei’s father is a respiratory doctor who suddenly begins working 24/7 leaving Mei home alone. Luckily Mei can focus on her hobbies of cooking and gaming (where she also cooks with friends in a simulation). In the span of a few days, Mei’s world is rocked with the discovery of a new respiratory disease in her hometown of Wuhan. Mei follows the directives of adults and government officials and quarantines alone in her apartment. When she does venture out of her housing complex, she has her N95 mask which her dad gave her. It soon becomes clear that in addition to the many people who are sick with the new disease in the hospitals, many others are suffering at home. Mei’s housing community comes together through messaging apps to discuss and problem solve how to meet the needs of others. Mei soon becomes indispensable to her aunt who runs a food kitchen. Mei is assisting real chefs, mentoring other volunteers, and delivering food to families in need. In the span of a month, the reader experiences both the terror of a new disease and the comradery of a community united in kindness.

I thought Compestine successfully portrayed the terrifying events in Wuhan in a nuanced manner. She didn’t shy away from the magnitude of COVID-19 and its impact on the residents, but the content isn’t overwhelming to middle grade readers. The emphasis instead focuses on unity in times of trouble. I loved how each chapter began with a Chinese proverb and Chinese characters that portrayed the different stages of the pandemic and Mei’s roles through the month timeframe. Bookending each chapter is a pertinent recipe and drawing that introduces readers to common Chinese food. These dishes are simple enough that readers could make the recipes themselves. It was a great addition to the storyline where food is central to Mei’s character and the survival of her community. Lastly, I also appreciated the descriptions of Wuhan that Compestine was able to incorporate throughout the story. Informational tidbits of Chinese culture and life were scattered throughout the book which helped create an atmospheric setting.

4 stars for an accurate and endearing story depicting our recent history. Special thanks to Clarion Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I expect more books like this one over the next few years - from many different perspectives - to work through the pandemic’s impacts.

We are in Wuhan when COVID-19 hits and follow the story of 13-year-old Mei navigating the scary situation by herself. As her father is tied up being a doctor at the hospital, and her mother died a year ago. But instead of falling into despair, Mei finds support and purpose within her community.

Mei’s story is based on the many people who showed up to help, especially the volunteers cooking for the frontline medical workers in Wuhan.

I was drawn to this book because I found it very important to gain more perspective on the happenings of the last couple of years. I have found that there is a lot of hate out there, especially because humans often need a villain. But I also learned that there is more good than bad in the world and that we, as humans, have the ability and empathy to be there for each other and get through difficult times together. I like to reflect on these stories and learn to become a better person through these role models.

I also liked the comfort of homemade food in this book. Because nothing heals the soul better than coming together and sharing a meal. I enjoyed making some of the recipes provided and am looking forward to trying the Kung Pao Beef.

One thing I didn’t like is the timeline in the Epilogue: February 12, 2021. It gives the false belief that the pandemic was over one year after it started, even though it still impacted most of the world way into 2022.

Also, the writing style of this novel, with all its back flashes, reminded me of a Manga or Manhua. I found it sometimes a bit hard to follow.

Morning Sun in Wuhan is for everyone who is ready and open to reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though this book is rated a middle-grade novel, I recommend it for older middle-grade children and young high schoolers.

Fantastic middle grade read! It was amazing to see what was happening during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city where it all began. It was even better that the story was told through the experiences of a tween who only wanted to help her community during such scary and difficult times. Highly recommended purchase!

This is a great look at what was happening in Wuhan at the beginning of the pandemic. I loved that we got to look through a child's eyes and see how much she and her friends were able to help.
A great book!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Mei is a young girl living in Wuhan, China at the beginning of the COVID outbreak. Her neighbors, friends, and family panic, but Mei manages to find and share comfort through her love of food and cooking, which she shares with those around her. This book was enjoyable to read. My only complaints were that the plot fell a little flat—it moved slow and didn’t ever really peak or hit a high enough climax for me. But, the characters were so well-rounded and had such great personalities, it made up for it. I also like how it included recipes for lots of the meals Mei cooks throughout the story—they looked so good, I bookmarked them to maybe try them myself! But perhaps the most powerful part of this book is that it humanizes the city of Wuhan itself. When politicians refer to COVID as “The China Virus” and place so much (false) blame on the Chinese, it demonizes an entire group of people. This story centralizes those very people, and reminds readers that we all shared in the panic, fear, and uncertainty of COVID together. It was a sweet and beautiful story that I’m sure will be well received when published.

It still feels surreal to read books about the beginning of the pandemic, such as Kelly Yang's New From Here. However, this story provides a different perspective -- and one that is still sorely needed, at least here in America where the COVID pandemic only accelerated racism against Asians of all ages. We need this story, the story of a pandemic through the eyes of an ordinary teen from Wuhan... The story of her community, the way that they band together, the way that they support each other, the way that they experienced the same fear and worry that we all have experienced across the world. I highly recommend this to any elementary or middle school library,

This book is the beautiful and emotional story of Mei, a girl living in Wuhan, China during the initial outbreak of Covid-19. She and her friends work in an emergency kitchen to provide meals to frontline workers and those who are too old or sick to cook for their families. Each time Mei finishes a recipe, she shares it with the reader, which is a fun addition to the story.

Content warnings: death of a parent, death from Covid-19, car crash,