(Chicago, IL – February 19, 2009) Since China opened its doors to foreign adoption in 1991, over 68,000 children, mostly infants, have been adopted by U.S. families. Many of these children are now teenagers, and while dozens of fiction books have been written for adoptees under the age of eight, few books reflect the experiences of an adopted Chinese teen.
In THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA (Speak, 2009), the latest novel in the bestselling Student Across the Seven Seas (S.A.S.S.) series, the main character Cece Charles is a sixteen-year-old Chinese adoptee who jumps at the chance to study abroad in China. Not only will it be a fun and exciting experience for Cece, but it will also be a chance to explore her roots. Maybe she might even find a few answers to questions about her past.
THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA deals with one adopted teen’s issues with cultural and familial identity, but the novel also addresses other aspects of the main character’s life. “A fiction book’s primary purpose is to entertain, not inform,” said Cynthea Liu, the author. “While Cece’s search for her birth parents is the main thrust of the plot, she also cares about the stuff most teens enjoying reading about, like drama between friends, making the grade, and of course, falling in love for the first time.”
THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA for ages 12+ ($7.99, ISBN: 978-0-14-241134-6), published by Speak, a division of the Penguin Group, will be released on February 19th, 2009. The novel will be sold at bookstores throughout the country and online.
PARIS PAN, nominated for Texas Lone Star Reading List 2010
Paris Pan Takes the Dare draws you in and won't let you go until the end."