In the hopes that this blog helps others who are taking on the challenge of homeschooling or unschooling their middle schooler, I'm listing only the books that are Big Hits with the kid in question. This week, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze is making the grade. It won the Newbery medal in 1933 and provides a perspective on that turbulent time in China. It works well with our previous American History studies because it addresses a time parallel with the Depression and Dust Bowl in the U.S. However, Young Fu has what might be called "colonial overtones" and thus has fallen out of favor on reading lists. All the better. Our approach is to read the book in an unschooled manner and directly address that point of colonial contention.Here is an excellent Wiki entry on the book.
