Dear Chun Yu,

            I am in the seventh grade and I just picked up your book, Little Green.   I picked up your book because I was curious about the Culture Revolution.   This book gave me precious first hand information about the revolution even though my parents told me a portion of their experiences.  Reading your book Little Green made the Culture Revolution very clear. My generation must read your book to understand the Culture Revolution.

  Your book matches my dad’s experience. My dad’s waigong (grandfather) was the vice president of the hospital. Being such a high rank during that time was dangerous because he could be a target for the red guards. Actually he was forced to relocate to the countryside bringing my dad and his brother. My dad’s life in the countryside was so similar to what you described in the book.   

My mom’s story is different because her dad just got back from Vietnam. So the Red Guards did not violently deal them. According to my mom, when she had to buy food or supplies she needed coupons. Without coupons people could not buy food because there was a limited amount of supplies.

Even though adults had a rough time during the Culture Revolution, adults tried there hardest to protect kids. The Adults wanted kids to have a good childhood. Your book has showed that adults really cared about children, no matter what their salary were. For example, you mentioned how you wanted a candy for 1 yuan. Your nainai (grandma) only got 2 yuan in a month, but you nainai got it anyway for 50 cents. Kids always come first in China.                  

China may have had a weak economy in ten years, but China has used the thirty-one years after the Culture Revolution to catch up. Now Shanghai and Beijing have brand new technology. For example, Shanghai’s subways are safe and new. Those subways are much better than in any city in America.

I look forward to reading your next book.

Sincerely,

Admin