This story was a gripping view into a girl’s experiences in Wuhan, China. With more time being put in between 2020 and now, this historical fiction perspective is important for younger readers to view. The author handles the topic so eloquently.

This was a wonderful read about the early days of Covid in China. It gave a new perspective to a story that we have all lived and know so well. HIghly reccomend.

When all of the books about COVID started coming out, I thought that it felt more triggering than comforting. However, I thought that this was the first book that talked about COVID in a comforting way. It's relatable and saddening, but hopeful.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this novel was how it humanized the COVID experience. Many of the experiences Mei had other children had experienced during that time. I believe this book can bring people together and show us that no matter where we live, we all have similar experiences that can unite us.

Very compelling look at the epicenter of the Covid-19 virus, Wuhan, China, and how it may’ve felt to see people falling sick and other people panicking all around you.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Mei lives in Wuhan and sees how the pandemic affects her neighborhood firsthand. She also has the opportunity to be part of the solution.

Through Wuhanese recipes and community volunteers, Morning Sun in Wuhan celebrates the spirit of the author's hometown as they cope with the onslaught of the Covid pandemic. Many elements of the book draw on the author's experiences of growing up in Wuhan, and the fact that she has maintained her relationships with the city and her friends. Each chapter starts with a short Chinese proverb, some of the hundreds she memorized as a child in Wuhan, and most chapters end with easy to follow recipes that had been described in the chapter. (Note to self--Go back and copy the recipes). Mei's father is a doctor at the Wuhan Hospital, just as her parents had been, and when the pandemic hits, Mei is left alone to cope with the lockdown. Father and her Aunty do check in, but her mother passed away prior to Covid. Astonishingly, the lockdown brings people and the community together, first by providing groceries to the apartment complex, and then by cooking and delivering meals to those working in the hospital, or too sick to cook. The willingness of Mei and her friends, to volunteer for the community was uplifting and selfless. Yes, there are ambulances, overcrowded hospitals, angry fearful residents, and confusion due to misinformation, but the overall theme is cooperative positivity which armored the residents as they dealt with life under Covid. Can't close without mentioning that I loved the creative masks, the “Chop Chop” game Mei played, her ringtone. Definitely recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the digital arc.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine.
Morning Sun in Wuhan is a culturally appropriate book for middle-grade readers to learn how COVID effected citizens of China. It is a book that ignites empathy, rather than creating division.

This book tells a story of what it was like living in Wuhan during the initial outbreak of the epidemic that soon turned into the COVID-19 pandemic. It's told from the perspective of young Mei, who lives in Wuhan with her father who's a doctor at a big hospital.

I feel like the book does a good job at depicting the panic and confusion and misinformation/lack of information going around at the start of the pandemic. As well as the daily struggles that people living in Wuhan experienced when they, with just a day or so notice, were locked in their apartment complexes with guards in front of the gates, and going anywhere required a volunteer pass. And of course, the story also, and maybe most importantly, depicts how people did volunteer to help each other. They came together to help their communities through this new, scary and chaotic situation.

Mei loves to cook and this is a very big theme throughout the book. I was not prepared for *how* big of a theme it would be. Long passages are about food, her thinking about ingredients and ways of cooking, her actually cooking (or playing her cooking computer game). And many chapters end with an actual recipe. For me, personally, it quickly became too much. But if you're someone who enjoys cooking it might be right up your alley!

This book was very well written and definitely took me back to the fear and confusion of the beginning of the COVID 10 pandemic. The author narrowed down her scope and focused on one girl living with her dad after her mother had passed away. Through her eyes we see the way people in her neighborhood are handling quarantine, the basic necessities that have to be dealt with (how will people get food, or prepare it if they are sick? Who will care for the children if their parents become sick or are called away to work in a hospital?)

This book shows the best of humanity in which volunteers come together to cook and help their neighbors, while taking precautions to stop the spread of the disease. Plus there are delicious recipes throughout the book!

I loved this book and highly recommend it for all ages.

Mei and her dad, who is a doctor, live in a quiet apartment building. Since her mom died, Mei’s dad has been working a lot. When a mysterious virus starts spreading through their city, Mei sees even less of him. At first, Mei can still go out, buy groceries, and see her friends. But pretty soon, she is stuck in her apartment alone because her dad is working around the clock. Then Mei hears about an opportunity to help fix meals for those who can’t cook for themselves. She loves to cook and is a champion at the popular cooking video game, Chop Chop. Even though her gaming skills don’t always work in the kitchen, Mei starts to make a name for herself as a chef and a volunteer. She makes friends in her neighborhood and helps a lot of people in the process. One of the things I loved about this book was the amazing recipes that are included. Anytime Mei talks about making food, there is a recipe at the end of the chapter. And some of the recipes look amazing! Morning Sun in Wuhan gives a firsthand look at life in Wuhan right as Covid-19 started.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I feel like this isn't getting hyped and I maybe understand why. I love the premise (and coverart!) of a teen girl's perspective of the COVID breakout in Wuhan, China. I think this will be a really interesting book to read like, 10 years from now.
For me, personally, I'm already so burned out with COVID that to read more about it was a little draining (this is a *me* thing, not anything against the book in particular).

This is well-written and I would recommend. I'm curious to see if it gains readership after it's been published a while.

The author, Ying Chang Compestine, is a native of Wuhan, China. I think that added a lot to this story of a young teenage girl living in Wuhan at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 13-year-old Mei loved to cook with her mother, After losing her mom in an accident, Mei is struggling to move on with just her dad, a doctor who is increasingly busy treating patients with a new and mysterious respiratory condition. Now the city is under a strict lockdown, but Mei is determined to share her love of cooking and help her neighbors through this uncertain and terrifying time. This book is a great way to show kids that they have the power to make a difference in the world.

Thanks to Clarion Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

We’re definitely reaching the point where Covid-19 themed books are becoming more and more commonplace, and as might be obvious from its title if not the cover, Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine is one of those.

Set in Wuhan during the first weeks of the outbreak, the book follows 13-year-old Mei who lives in Wuhan along with her father, a doctor at the nearby hospital which specializes in respiratory conditions. Mei’s passion is cooking, both in real life and in her favorite video game. When the grandma of one of her local gamer friends falls seriously ill, Mei tries to get her father to help, discovering as she does just how serious things have become in her city.

Desperate to help, Mei joins with other local kids and adults to help deliver groceries to those locked down inside their buildings. She also volunteers to cook meals for those too sick to feed themselves, helping out friends and neighbors wherever she can while also worrying about her father who is stuck working long shifts in the hospital, surrounded by those with the deadly new virus. Can one young girl really make a difference in such a big city?

Morning Sun in Wuhan was a surprisingly upbeat middle-grade story set in a frightening time when everything about Covid-19 was new and unknown. It’s a story about community and pulling together and it reminded me of the early days of the Covid lockdown in my own area when neighbors formed support groups and helped one another, sewing masks, collecting groceries, and delivering mail to the post office. It’s a time that now feels long ago but also recent and it’s strange to look back on. For today’s middle-grade readers, it’s a period they may not even remember now or if they do, perhaps rather hazily, and so this is a book I’d highly recommend.

I think this is a good, succinct account of the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was first just an epidemic within the confines of Wuhan, China. It clearly outlines the fear and uncertainty that came with the start of the disease, as well as the extreme measures some people took to maintain their safety, such as fashioning masks out of milk jugs and boarding people into their own apartment buildings to ensure they properly quarantined. I liked that there was also an aspect included to show how the pandemic drove people together just as much, if not more, than it drove them apart. I think younger readers will find this to be a quick informative read that will help shed some light on the start of the global pandemic.

Although this book is about a period of time many of us would like to forget, I loved this book. It’s the perfect story illustrating the beginning of the pandemic, how scary and uncertain everything was and the coming together of community. I also loved the inclusion of the recipes. They all sound delicious and the instructions were simple enough for the average middle grade reader who might be a novice or budding chef. This book made me even more empathetic for the young people caught in the community that faced the very beginning of the Covid pandemic and found the story touching and heart warming both.

Quick Summary: A little bit of everything beautiful mixed with a whole lot of love

My Summary: Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine was five glorious, golden stars worth of goodness. I absolutely loved this book!

The most immediate feeling I was hit with, as I read this story, came at the very beginning of Mei's journey. The emotional element wrapped its arms around me and squeezed. Honestly, I was catapulted to where Mei and her family and friends existed. I felt their struggles and concerns. I could understand their caution and weariness. I sympathized with their unfortunate dilemmas. I was filled with compassion for the very people that at one moment were living life or celebrating and in the next breath, they were lined up, trying to get help.

As the story progressed from one stage to the next, I could not help but consider the similarities and differences that came at the hands of the pandemic. The responses of the characters were so real and telling. There were many life lessons weaved into the fabric of this amazing story. At the end of the day, the message in this book helped to solidify the point that it is in adversity that we begin to see who we really are as a people and as individuals.

Favorite Quote: “Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy — that’s what makes a rich life..." (In my humble opinion, this perfectly summed up the beautiful ride that was Morning Sun in Wuhan.)

My Final Say: This book is a worthy read. It was outstanding! I will most definitely be recommending it to my local public library system. I will also add it to the local community-based Multicultural Studies Booklist for Middle Grade Readers in 2023.

Additional Remarks: Readers will love the authentic taste of Mei's recipes. The inclusion of the recipes, cooking terms, and the author's remarks added to the book in a most profound way.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Middle grade and up
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Bookshelf: Yes

I am incredibly appreciative to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and were voluntarily submitted.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this title.

This was a little more difficult to read, because we have been enduring this pandemic for quite some time. However, I loved the child's perspective in this situation and it shows what our own children are going through and allows children to relate to others in the same situation.

Mei and her father were both very easy characters, but it had some heartache and disappointment too. Additionally, Mei was so confused about exactly what was going on and rightfully so. Her Father gave her the basic information she needed to keep herself protected, but didn't go above and beyond. She was a smart girl who relied on what many of us had to and that was ourselves and what we had under our own roofs.

I enjoyed how she turned to cooking and her video games to basically keep her sanity while the city was shut down. While many things were going on during this time, it was interesting to look back and see what we have overcome up to this point.

Great book and perspective.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am so glad that Compestine wrote this book. I thought it would give some insight into what was being experienced in Wuhan while most of the rest of the world was still tuned out and oblivious and it did. It was also enjoyable to read and engaging. There are strong themes of kindness, generosity, and community in this story. I really wanted it to be a five star read, so badly. For me it was pretty great, but lacked something to make it extraordinary.