The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

Welcome to Scholastic Booktalks where we recommend brand new Scholastic books that we think you will love. Today's booktalk is: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang.

Everything is nearly in place for Lucy Wu to have an absolutely perfect year. As a sixth grader, she would finally be one of the oldest kids at school. Basketball season, Lucy's favorite time of year, is quickly approaching and she is considering going out for captain of the team. The icing on the cake though, is that Regina, Lucy's older sister, is about to go off to college, meaning Lucy will finally have a bedroom all to herself, and she will finally hear less of the whole Regina is beautiful, Regina is so smart, Regina blah blah blah. Lucy is set to enjoy her perfect year.

But there are three things she didn't count on. Once school starts, a major bully named Sloane Connors, won't leave Lucy alone. Even worse, her father announces a trip to China to bring back Yi Po, Lucy's great aunt. Yi Po will stay with the Wu family for no, not a few weeks, but a few months. . . and guess where she’ll be sleeping? Lucy's room.

And even worse than that, Lucy is going to be forced to attend Chinese school. But if that's not bad enough, the classes are supposed to take place the same day and time of basketball practice.

Everything Lucy was counting on – basketball, a private room, and a great school year are no longer in the cards. But Lucy isn't about to let go of her dream of the perfect year. She will just have to use creative ways to find happiness.

Here is the author, Wendy Wan-Long Shang describing the inspiration for her characters of Lucy and her siblings.

"I have one older brother—we are separated by 7 years. I have to say I identify with Lucy the most, particularly because when I was growing up, I felt different from my family. The rest of my family is very science and math-oriented, and I was more geared toward art and language. Kenny [Lucy's brother] was written for every brilliant but absent-minded boy I know. And Regina—well, we all know a Regina, don't we?"

— Emily, Scholastic Booktalker

Comments

[Comment #26]

Interesting and cool! But I don't get the purpose of the title:)

[Comment #27]

hahaha i have those socks im whereing them right now that is very very funny

[Comment #28]

pretty good got to have my own

[Comment #29]

awsome

[Comment #30]

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(:

[Comment #31]

U r sooooooo coooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!!

[Comment #32]

hey you stole my brothers name

[Comment #33]

well im going to see if if i can get it on my kindle

[Comment #34]

Lucy acts like she has the worst sister in the world which is not nice to say in the book and I understand that siblings are really annoying but she does not need to be mean to the sister about how she is excited about the sister leaveing and getting the room to herself.