Compelling, tragic, and inspiring. The Paper Daughters of Chinatown for young readers is an adaptation from the original historical fiction novel. I was curious to see how the authors would be able to take the difficult subjects of human trafficking and slavery and create an appropriate version for young readers. Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill have definitely done it. They’ve taken the real life stories of Tien Fu Wu and Donaldina “Dolly” Cameron and expertly brought them to life for younger readers.

In the late 1800’s a loophole in the law allowed young women and children to be trafficked from China to America. Six year old Tai Choi thinks she’s traveling to visit her grandmother. Instead, she’s been sold by her father to fulfill a gambling debt. Tai Choi finds herself on a boat to America where she’s given the new name Tien Fu Wu and told to lie about why she’s coming to San Francisco. She’s soon forced into servitude where she’s beaten and punished if the child she cares for cries or if she doesn’t perform her chores satisfactorily. When she’s rescued and taken to the Occidental Mission Home for Girls, she has a difficult time trusting. She’s rightly suspicious of her new circumstances and frequently acts up.

Dolly Cameron wants to do something important. She accepts a position at the Occidental Mission teaching sewing. As she learns the girls’ tragic stories, she’s filled with compassion. When she’s asked to help perform dangerous rescue missions, she readily agrees. Dolly has a complicated relationship with Tien Fu Wu and it takes a while for her to gain her trust. But, these two form a powerful friendship as both grow throughout the story and work to rescue other young women.

Tien Fu Wu is such a great character who helps the reader understand the painful experiences she endured after being separated from her family. Dolly’s character is inspiring and I sympathized with her compassion for the girls she rescues. I especially enjoyed how she tried to gently inspire Tien Fu Wu to do better when she discovers she’s stolen a crate of apples. Dolly also serves to shine a light on the evil practices of human trafficking, unfortunately still going on today.

I appreciated how this difficult yet little spoken of time in history was portrayed for young readers. While there are a few mentions of prostitution, opium dens, and gangs, it serves to help the reader understand the situation these children and young women were forced into. It’s sensitively handled and tastefully done with just enough detail to accomplish this task. The things these young girls went through were heartbreaking, yet they’re tempered with the kindness and love shown to them by Dolly and others. Dolly was so beloved that many called her “mother.” It’s a fantastic introduction to this tragic time in America’s history. I would recommend it to middle grade (5th & 6th grade) readers and up. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily. 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

Even before I started reading I already knew I was going to like this story but I'm happy to see that I liked it after reading it.
It was a much faster read than I was imagining, I just can't say that it's a read that can be done in one day because it's a story with very heavy topics so look for trigger warnings before reading because even though it's an adaptation for young readers it's still a story that touches on sensitive but extremely important topics.
It is a book that I think everyone should read.
I highly recommend it!

I was excited for the chance to read this Young Readers version of The Paper Daughters of Chinatown, and that Allison Hong Merrill worked with Heather B. Moore in writing this adaptation. Having read the original book, I was looking forward to seeing how this would be adapted for younger readers. I thought it was very well written. Showing what had happened for the girls who lived and experienced these events, and yet being very tasteful and written sensitively for the targeted audience of younger readers.

My teenagers read the book and my just shy of being a teenager child has asked to read it as well, to which I said yes to. Tien Fu Wu's story is heartbreaking, inspiring and eyeopening. This adaptation focused more on Tien Fu's story, whereas the original version focused more on Donaldina, aka Dolly, Cameron. Miss Cameron does have chapters/scenes where the story is from her perspective in this adaptation which I loved seeing. Especially since there are aspects of this story that cause Dolly and Tien Fu to not be in scenes together.

I loved learning more about Tien Fu's history. Not that I loved what she went through. It was heartbreaking that she or anyone would be treated that way. But this part of her life wasn't focused on in the original version. I loved Tien Fu's character, her resilience, her strong personality and loved how the authors portrayed her as a younger child and portrayed the scenarios that shaped her and that she didn't let her strength die, but continued to build it and grow.

The relationship between Dolly and Tien Fu is developed further in the original book as it is longer and has more pages to do so. But, their relationship was just as sweet and hard won in this book and I loved seeing how the authors were able to show that real life relationship in a historical fiction book.

My teenagers were moved by this story, just as I was, and I'm sure many others will be when they read the book. It has piqued my interest between the two books to learn more about Dolly and Tien Fu and the Donaldina Cameron House and the many people who over the years have worked and sacrificed to help, care for, teach and show love and compassion to fellow humans who were placed in unforgiving circumstances.

Content: Clean. Well written for the targeted audience. There are some mild moments of peril and very mild references to some of the horrors that these paper daughters faced but nothing detailed. The brothels and drugs were very vaguely mentioned and again, were done very tastefully/sensitively for what the subject is and who the audience is.

I received a copy from the author/publisher, Shadow Mountain, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I read this with my teen grandchildren before reading some sections with the younger children. Although still a hard hitting story it is more sensitively presented for younger readers. An important historical story to tell.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown, adapted for young readers version, by Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill is a truly touching story. It is based on the true story of young Asian girls being victims of human trafficking in the 1890s and left me feeling emotional and hopeful. Tai Choi/Tien Fu is the main figure as the story starts. Her journey is tracked until she ends up at the home for young women where Dolly resides. I appreciated the young readers view, as the handling of these truly horrific crimes is well done. The reader is aware of the atrocities these young women experienced, but without the explicit horrifying details. It creates excellent discussion points and awareness of a very sensitive, yet relative topic. I thought it was handled tastefully while still representing the truth of the events.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I received an ARC from Shadow Mountain and NetGalley in exchange for my opinions.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: YA, upper MG

THE PAPER DAUGHTERS OF CHINATOWN gripped me from the opening page. The authors, Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill, have both won writing awards, and this book is the perfect fusion of their many talents.

My heart positively ached for Tai Choi, who is renamed Tien Fu Wu. To only be six-years-old and sent away from your family. I'm amazed she could remember much about them. Tien Fu is not your average girl—she's full of snark as well as distrust.

Dolly, Donaldina Cameron, sacrificed so much to changing the lives of the girls rescued and housed within the mission home. The way Tien Fu's journey intertwines with Dolly's life shows how we are stronger together, how we can work for a common goal, and how we can built trust. It's absolutely fabulous. Historically, these two women remained close until Dolly passed away.

This book deals with the serious subject of human trafficking—specifically around the Chinese girls and women who were sent to America, sold into slavery in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. A classroom could coordinate reading this book with teaching about the current state of human trafficking, history, immigration laws, danger from gangs, changes within the court systems, and cultural differences.

The authors are able to put everything on the page in a slightly softened way—meaning there are not long explanations of the function of brothels or the prostitutes. However, there is violence on the page with physical and emotional abuse. Opium usage is also mentioned.

I highly recommend this book! It's such an important topic to consider how we treat others and how we can learn from the past.

Happy reading!

I had a love hate relationship with this book I absolutely loved the the plot of this book but when reading tea in Wu’s story and hearing her inner dialogue I just thought these are not the thoughts of a 5,6,7 and 12 year old girl. Like when she was seven years old and contemplating how wrong it was to sell another person children at that age do not have a long track memory and lives in the here now but that is just one small item they were all the things but I am focusing on the negative when I should tell you how great the rest of this book was it broke my heart to hear T ends story and I thought this was just one example of what one girl went through and can’t believe that they are still girls from China being sex trafficked and brought all over the world even America. Just know if you read this book you will cry happy tears but mostly sad heartbroken tears it is historically accurate when it comes to dates times and places but I don’t think the author had a great grasp on how children really think because she made them emotionally way smarter than they actually are but that is one small thing it’s something I shouldn’t have even mentioned because this is really is a good book. I didn’t do a summary only because other people have done great jobs I would just say read this book if you love historical fiction especially those based on real people you would absolutely love the Paper daughters of Chinatown I would love to read a nonfiction book about this and I’m definitely going to search one out I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Wow, I was surprised when I read this! Having previously read the original "Paper Daughters of Chinatown" and having Heather Moore host our online book club to discuss it, I was expecting this book to be the same story but in an easier-to-read form for younger readers.

Here's where the surprise came in! It was the same San Francisco orphanage for the abused Chinese girls and the same Dolly Cameron, and I enjoyed finding references to instances I remembered from the original book; however, the story revolved around a different "paper daughter, Tien Fu. I kind of hate to say it, but I actually enjoyed this version more! I found myself getting up in the middle of the night to read more. I highly recommend this to everyone, whether or not they have read the first one, but it's an excellent read for young adults!

Based on fact and a sad part of world history, the building still stands.

So grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read it early and at no cost.

This is an adapted for young readers version of the original historical novel, The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. It still conveyed the horror these young Chinese girls went through when they were sold as children to either pay gambling debts, bring in money to survive, or as punishment. This human trafficking went on for decades with nothing to stop it until the mid 1800's when a mission was founded in San Francisco to rescue and educate the girls who had been kept as slaves.

This is the story of Tai Choi, who was sold at age 6 to pay her father's gambling debts. After a few years of being abused as a servant, she is rescued by the women at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls. Her name as a slave had been changed to Tien Fu, and she was unable to trust anyone.

Dolly Cameron came to the mission home to teach the girls to sew, but soon found herself very involved in rescuing more, and tried to befriend Tien Fu.. Over many years and many adventures, they become close friends and continued in their mission.

This book is based upon actual historical characters, Some parts were difficult to read, and I found myself tearing up in some sections. Although it is targeted at middle-grade, I'd put it at the upper end of middle grade and into YA. I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Having previously read the adult version of this book--which is incredibly well written but deals with very heavy topics--I was curious as to how this would be adapted for younger readers. I think the authors did a great job introducing a dark part of history without getting too deep, making a great introduction to the topic of human trafficking that readers can delve more deeply into if they so desire. I love how the book focuses a lot on Tien Fu Wu and her struggles and feelings as well as showing Dolly Cameron and her work and worries. This is definitely a book I'll be sharing with my children when they're older (oldest is only 9 now, so too young right now). Very well written book on a very important topic.

4.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I have not read the adult version of this book, but I do think this version for young readers is done very well. It does not skip over some of the trials the girls had to go through, but it is not so graphic that it would upset a young reader. I loved seeing the progression of Tien Fu and how by consistency and love, her heart was won over. I will definitely be putting the adult version of this book on my list to read.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

a hard but important book to read. especially love the way this is written for younger readers so the writing is very accessible and gets the information across

I read the original Paper Daughters of Chinatown from Heather B Moore (one of my favorite authors) so I was excited to see what she and the wonderful Allison Hong Merrill would do with this adapted version for young readers. Of course, it was phenomenal. So well written, powerful, and heartfelt. Tien Fu Wu was incredible. What this amazing girl (who grew into an even more amazing woman) had to endure broke my heart. Her journey back to trust and love was very well done. All of the characters whether fictional or based on real people were handled with care, as their experiences were terrible. I was brought to tears many times while reading and I felt Dolly's sincere love for these girls.
I enjoyed the alternating point of view from Tien Fu and Donaldina Cameron's perspectives. It really helped dive into what they could have been feeling at the time. This hard topic was addressed in a way suitable for a younger audience. I appreciate the connection at the end of the this book with the main focus of the original, Mei Lien.

This is another book set in a time and place in history of which I was unfamiliar. Tien Fu Wu was sold by her father to pay off gambling debts and eventually ends up in San Francisco. Based on the true stories of the Occidental Mission Home for Girls and many of it's occupants, this book takes readers into the dark world of human trafficking in the early 1900s in Chinatown, San Francisco. Despite it being the young readers edition, the authors did not gloss over or sugarcoat things. I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When I saw there was a version for youth I was all over it. I love Dolly and her love for the girls at the Mission Home. She sacrificed so much to help the woman and children at the mission. Her story and the girls who lived there story is amazing. It is a part of history I new nothing about. It is sad to think this type of slavery still exists today. I can’t even imagine how Tai Choi felt once to she discovered she was going to visit her grandmother. This book was very tastefully done and I loved being able to share this story with my girls. It was a great opportunity to teach them about a topic this important to be aware of! I am the type of parent who is very open with my children about all kinds of things. But it is because I would rather them learn about these topics from me then someone else. That is my job as their parent!! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

I did receive a ARC from the author and publisher via NetGalley! Thank you both for the chance to review it!

I am an adult and feel that this would be ok for mid-teens, probably not so much for younger teens/pre-teens.

I admit that I was given the chance to get a review copy of the original book, The Paper Daughters of China Town and was worried that it would be too upsetting to read. (I still haven't read that one, and have no idea if it is upsetting, or not.) So, when this story came along, I was eager to read it!

The story is excellent and is tactfully presented. I found it compelling and inspirational! There are not upsetting details, but enough to create tension. The authors found a good balance.

Obviously well-researched and the fictional characters are very believable, as well.

An excellent book about human trafficking back at the turn of the century. But heart-warming and inspirational!

I received a review copy through Net Galley, but the opinions expressed are my honest review.

Paper Daughters of Chinatown tells an important, little known story of girls in China sold into slavery by their families in the late nineteenth century. Aged six, Wien Fu’s father sells her. She ends up in Chinatown in San Francisco. Dolly Cameron accepts a job at a mission home in San Francisco where she rescues and works with the girls. The book is disturbing and inspiring. The content is appropriately horrifying for the intended audience. The writing style was at times too simplistic and could have flowed better. This is an adaptation of an adult novel that I have not read.

In chinese, Tien Fu means Heavenly Blessing, like a godsend. Ironically, this new given name that the highbinder had brutally forced Tai Choi to take almost fell like a gracious gift, a congenial compliment.
What a read is this for Women's History month.
The paper daughters of Chinatown is the true story of several incredible women, two of which are the protagonists of this book: Tien Fu Wo/Tai Choi and Dolly Cameron.
Every page you will read of this book will make you think that it is impossible that his is a true story, that the events Heather B. Moore and Allison Hong Merrill are describing must be fictional. Yet they happened. And they are horrifying.
The two authors had such delicacy in dealing with the dark topics in this book, such as kidnapping, violence, human trafficking, slavery, and so mutch worse, that allows the book never to become too umbearable to read. Ideal for the youg adult audience they re-wrote it for.
Becouse this is a rewriting, there is an original book written for a mature audience, which I will definetly read.

The story of Tien Fu and Dolly is dramatic, and at 195 pages (for the ebook version) it will keep you glued to the text until the end. I myself have baiscally read the entirety of this book in one day, for it was impossible to leat go, to not now what happens next to this inspiring woman.

It is, in my opinion, one of those books that every high school students must read. It is a story that has to be known, becouse if you, for a moment, forget the 1900 references, you could easily image Tien Fu and Dolly being two 20ieth century women fighting for what is still a very real humanitarian problem.

After reading The Paper Daughters of Chinatown, I appreciated being able to understand Tien Fu Wu better in this young readers adaptation. It is heart wrenching to read what these paper daughters were going through and subjected to. Donaldina (Dolly) Cameron is a new hero of mine. She selflessly put herself in danger countless times to save these Chinese girls and women. This version is definitely easy to read and flows well, making it perfect for a younger audience. I also think the cover looks amazing. I appreciate reading books where it is obvious that a lot of time and research went into it. It is good to be informed, even if some things are hard to hear about sometimes. What is great about this book is that you are also able to see growth, goodness, and happiness shine through. There are so many wonderful examples of resilience and strength in this historical book. I highly recommend it.

The strength and endurance of the young girls in this story is absolutely inspiring. Based on a true story of human trafficking in San Franscisco in the late 1800s, this story highlights issues that are still prevalent today- yes this still happens today.

A much needed (an appreciated) introduction for young readers into the real life battle to end human slavery, I definitely recommend this. It should be in middle grade and high school classes around the country. I also plan on reading the adult book as well now that I've read this one.

4.5 stars/5

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.