• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 5 to 9

Is it too much to ask for an ordinary, boring life?
Bai Jian is a typical Chinese boy growing up in a big city. But his life is far from typical: his mother abandoned him when he was a baby, and his father, Hei Jian, is always out of work, always fighting with his long parade of girlfriends, always getting the two of them involved in some harebrained scheme.
The latest idea involves spending every last dime they have putting Bai Jian up in a posh boarding school so that Hei Jian can leave, and pursue his dream of becoming a big-time movie director. All Bai Jian has ever wanted is a warm bed to sleep in, a safe place to return to at the end of the day, enough food to fill his belly…and a family who’s not just going to abandon him on a whim.
He soon realizes: while he may not have been born into this sort of family, maybe he can find one out there in the world himself?
From author Yao Emei and translator Kelly Zhang comes a heart-rending, emotional middle grade novel about a contemporary boy in China searching for a home – and whose resourcefulness and generous heart carry him through. Readers who fell in love with Because of Winn-Dixie and Ghost will discover an inimitable voice in Bai Jian that will stay with them forever.
P R A I S E
"Intimate and introspective.”
–Kirkus
“Readers attracted to international novels in translation or stories about resilient, precocious teens who don’t get into too much trouble will find lots to like here.”
–Booklist

Yao Emei's profile page

Kelly Zhang's profile page

Yao Emei is an author of books for both children and adults who has won awards such as the People’s Literature award, the Selection of Novella award, and the Shanghai Literature Excellent Novella Award. Her books have been translated from Chinese into English, Russian, German, Japanese, Korean, and other languages. Tilted Sky is her first children’s book to be translated into English. She lives in Shanghai.

Kelly Zhang is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, bilingual author, and literary translator based in Ottawa, Canada. She writes heartfelt stories inspired by her heritage culture and informed by her lived experiences. Kelly also translates contemporary children's fiction originating from mainland China and the Chinese diaspora, and always seeks to elevate the voices of young emerging writers and women creatives. Her debut picture book as writer, Take Me to Laolao, and a translator, Grandma’s Roof Garden, are forthcoming in 2024 from Quill Tree and Levine Querido respectively. Connect with Kelly on Twitter (@KellyZhang_YL) or visit her website: www.kellyzhangyl.com.

“Readers attracted to international novels in translation or stories about resilient, precocious teens who don’t get into too much trouble will find lots to like here.” – Booklist

“A young boy in China seeks a place to call home… intimate and introspective.” – Kirkus