the art was very cute and I enjoyed how the author intertwined her own family story with her story about moving from Canada away from her friends into a totally different place. this book reminds me why I love graphic novel memoirs and graphic novels in general :).

Ruth enjoys her life in Canada; she has many friends and doesn't want to leave. But she has to move to Hong Kong, away from all her friends and closer to a family she has never known. Ruth must make a new life for herself and embrace her heritage. She feels a mix of emotions as she prepares for this significant change.

While reading this book, I found it to be highly relatable. As a young person who once had to relocate, I empathized with the feelings of leaving behind familiar surroundings and friends.

Ruth, the main character, was portrayed as someone who tended to procrastinate, adding an interesting dimension to her personality. Her previous friends were depicted as genuinely sweet individuals, and her new friends were equally delightful.

The illustrations of the city backdrops were exceptionally well done, enhancing the overall reading experience.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a heartwarming narrative centered around relocation.

Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚

Thank you, @netgalley & @mackidsbooks, for the complimentary ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As an immigrant myself, I always get drawn to stories alike. I've read many books with young characters moving from their home country to another, but never about a reverse situation. This memoir was interesting-it was interesting to read about a "moving back" experience. Ruth struggles at first with the idea of moving and leaving behind her life in Canada. Slowly, she is able to adjust and finds a way to fit in not just in school but also the new country. Her experiences were something I was able to relate to. Enjoyable read that I'd recommend to my students!

This is a cute children’s book. I feel like even though it’s aimed at tweens, it could have been a little more nuanced. The author recounts a pretty privileged life with not many obstacles other than moving to a new place and a friend not speaking to her for a few days. The storyline of her father’s birth did provide some added interest. The illustrations made the emotions of the present-day story come alive. Generally would recommend to age group 8-10, I think my almost-12 year old would be too old for it.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In 1993, Ruth's father gets a better job in Hong Kong, where her mother lived before moving to Toronto. Her older brother, a junior in high school, stays at a boarding school, but the rest of the family, including a dog and a cat, relocate. Ruth is devastated, because she loves her friends and her life in Toronto. She doesn't speak Cantonese very well, isn't familiar with her many relatives in Hong Kong, and finds it hard to make friends at her new German school. She eventually makes friends with Bonnie, as well as a boy in her huge apartment complex, but her father often travels to China for work, and she misses their bedtime chats. Her mother is often not home, and Ruth spends a lot of time by herself. Little by little, she travels around the city more and starts to feel at home, but a bad report from her teachers angers her mother, who wants her to buckle down. Around this time, Bonnie stops talking to her, and when Ruth comes home to find no one there and no note, she gets very angry at her parents when they return. Her father has been telling her the story of what he went through as a child, since he was born in 1944 after his family had to flee their home and lived for quite some time in a barn. She also learns that her mother was sad to leave Hong Kong and move to Toronto, so does really understand what Ruth is going through. By the time her brother comes to visit at Christmas time, Ruth has a better grasp on her new life.
Strengths: This was a well done look at having to move from a familiar environment to somewhere completely new. Ruth's struggles with language, custom, and getting to know family were poignant. Today's children will be amazed at how often she was left alone in a new, large city. There is a little friends drama, and I loved the fact that while fitting in and having friends was (of course) important for Ruth, her mother was more concerned with the quality of her school work. The artwork is engaging, and the realistic pastel color scheme gave a slightly retro feel to this, although all Millenials know that the 1990s was just ten years ago.
Weaknesses: The author has a note that she started writing a graphic novel about her father's childhood experience but then realized she really wanted to pivot more towards her own story; I want a novel about the father's experiences! I can't say I've read much about the second Sino-Japanese War, and I'd love to know more.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Brown's While I Was Away or Matula's The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly Mei, or want more graphic novel memoirs set during this era, like Ogle's Four Eyes, Doodles From the Boogie Down, Big Apple Diaries, or Santat's A First Time for Everything.

A great graphic novel of moving to a new place, fitting in, finding your people, and recognizing that prior generations struggled with new places and identities.

This memoir captures the angst of being a 13 year old girl, from the crushes on boys to the worries about dressing to be cool. It's also a nostalgic trip back to the 1990's for adults who read it. Although it is a common theme, it is Ruth Chan's memoir. A nice touch that makes this book stand out from similar memoirs is the flashbacks to the story of her father's birth during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Those panels are shown in muted orange tones to highlight to the reader that they are flashbacks from the dad's memories. Chan does a nice job of tying the memories and her life in Hong Kong together by the end of the book! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's books like Smile, Sisters and Guts.

Very powerful book that tugged at my heartstrings. I look forward to purchasing this book in the future to recommend to my students. It is great for teaching growth mindset and empathy.

Uprooted chronicles Ruth Chan's journey as she gets uprooted (pun intended) from Toronto to Hong Kong due to her dad being relocated for his job. Ruth struggles with this transition and starting over in a new city where school is harder, she isn't familiar with the customs, and everything is new. While navigating these struggles, Ruth finds solace and strength in her dad's bedtime stories about his family's past. These stories, told during their nightly "talk-to-talks," become a source of inspiration, showing Ruth the courage and resilience she needs to face her own challenges. Readers will be drawn to Ruth's journey of self-discovery as she embraces her new home while cherishing her heritage. The engaging illustrations bring the story to life, making Uprooted a relatable and heartwarming read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated the perspective of Ruth in this story. Typical stories of immigration have families moving to a new country. In this story, Ruth finds herself forced to move back to her family's home in Hong Kong from Toronto, where she was born and raised. Besides missing her friends, her school, and all she knows, Ruth also finds herself feeling like she is not enough - not Chinese enough, not smart enough, not hardworking enough - for her parents, especially her mom. Even as she makes friends, her mom is expecting Ruth to try harder. Many of the themes in this story are those that we all experience as we grow up - finding out where we fit in, friendship and family, adjusting and adapting - and that makes this story relatable to anyone. The story of Ruth's return to Hong Kong also provides a window into the experience of moving to a new country, even if it's the country your family is from. I highly recommend this book to all!

Loved this eye-opening memoir! I'm a sucker for a good immigration story, but this one holds up with the best of them. I love the "talk-to-talk" scenes especially. 8 to 14.

Growing up in Toronto, Ruth feels like your average Canadian teen. She loves hanging out with her friends, eating her favorite ketchup-flavored potato chips, and her "talk-to-talks" with her father. But Ruth suddenly feels lost when his job requires her family to uproot themselves from Toronto and return to Hong Kong, where her parents grew up.

Her mother is thrilled to be reunited with her friends, family, and her favorite things about Hong Kong, but Ruth feels like she isn't enough. She's not Chinese enough, fluent enough in Cantonese, or smart enough for her new international school. Ruth feels more alone than ever with her brother back in Canada at boarding school, a dad who works in China, and a mom who isn't ever at home.

As Ruth begins to figure out life in a new country, she realizes that maybe the story her dad told her about his family's strength, courage, and resilience might also mean that she can persevere.

What worked for me: I love a graphic memoir, and Chan's story is brilliantly shared through this medium. She does an excellent job of showcasing her struggle to adjust to a new country and a new family structure. I especially loved the use of different text colors for English vs. Cantonese and the use of Chinese characters to show what she didn't understand.

What didn't work for me: I would have liked to see the resolution of her father's family story. It felt a little unfinished. We just leave them in the barn and don't learn much more about what comes next.

I will always love a graphic memoir. I was especially impressed that this was the first graphic novel by the author. It flowed so well and covered some deep topics. It was funny and genuine and wholesome. I loved that the author originally wanted to write about her father’s family and their story, but changed it once she realized she had a similar experience as them—being uprooted. I liked that she still included her father’s story because I think it made it more expansive almost. Really recommend!

Incredible MG graphic memoir!
I know readers will connect with it on SO many levels, especially the experience of being bicultural, and the ideas of change being hard, fearing not being enough for others, getting used to things that were once uncomfortable, and home being “wherever you are because of the people who love and believe in you”! For so many of my students, Ruth’s experience is very similar to their realities, and I can’t wait to get copies for my school library so they can see more stories of “togetherness”, “courage, perseverance, and patience”! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY, Ruth, for including the story of your father’s birth, and for making it a graphic novel!!!

"Uprooted" is a graphic memoir that follows the journey of a young girl thrust into a new life on the other side of the world. Tackling the bittersweet feeling of never quite belonging, the story skillfully navigates the challenges of teenhood amidst the excitement of new beginnings. Through its expressive art and engaging narrative, it depicts the struggles of adapting to a foreign culture. The parallel story of the Ruth's parents adds a depth of emotion that stays with readers long after they finish the book. Particularly resonant for teens, this GN offers valuable insights into the immigrant experience and the quest for identity. Inspired by the author's own life, the protagonist's journey mirrors real-life challenges of relocation and starting afresh. As she confronts these obstacles head-on, readers are moved by her resilience, courage, and unwavering spirit. Despite the hurdles of fitting into a new society, the story serves as a reminder that perseverance and determination can overcome any adversity.

Very strong story that will appeal to anyone who has ever wrestled with have each foot in different cultures and continents.

In the graphic memoir Uprooted, we see a young girl transplanted from where she grew up to where her parents grew up, across the world and in a different culture. It grasps the unique in-between of feeling not quite "at home" anywhere. The art and the story weave together in a helpful way to portray the awkwardness of that age and of moving to a new home and culture and the hopefulness of new beginnings. The story of her parents will stay with you for a long time. This is a worthwhile read for pre-teens and teens to help them understand (or find similarities in) the experiences of Asian immigrants in the western world and the awkwardness of not fitting in anywhere.

This book tells the story of a young Canadian girl whose family must move to Hong Kong for her father's work. She struggles at first to fit in with her Cantonese family, but soon makes friends and connections that help her realize that she belongs and that this is her home. I will be recommending this book to children in our library's community especially because we serve a very transient neighborhood. This story teaches kids that change is difficult but by embracing it, anything is possible.

A great story about a girl's life becoming uprooted as she moves from Toronto to Hong Kong and starts over. Ruth Chan loves her life in Toronto but when her dad gets a better job in Hong Kong, her family decides it's time to move. Ruth isn't ready to give up her best friends, her favorite things, and starting over in a new place where her language skills aren't the best and her parents are never around is hard. Ruth will go through a lot of growing but along the way her dad will tell her stories of her family and how they have persevered. Moving to a new place and trying to fit into a whole new society is hard, but anything is possible with a bit of strength, courage, and open heart. This was a really cute story and since it was based on the author's own life, it really felt so authentic. I think it's a great read for kids !

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*