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Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve Hardcover – September 19, 2017
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New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice; Real Simple Best of the Month; Library Journal Editors’ Pick
In the spirit of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Bringing up Bébé, and The Smartest Kids in the World, a hard-hitting exploration of China’s widely acclaimed yet insular education system that raises important questions for the future of American parenting and education
When students in Shanghai rose to the top of international rankings in 2009, Americans feared that they were being "out-educated" by the rising super power. An American journalist of Chinese descent raising a young family in Shanghai, Lenora Chu noticed how well-behaved Chinese children were compared to her boisterous toddler. How did the Chinese create their academic super-achievers? Would their little boy benefit from Chinese school?
Chu and her husband decided to enroll three-year-old Rainer in China’s state-run public school system. The results were positive—her son quickly settled down, became fluent in Mandarin, and enjoyed his friends—but she also began to notice troubling new behaviors. Wondering what was happening behind closed classroom doors, she embarked on an exploratory journey, interviewing Chinese parents, teachers, and education professors, and following students at all stages of their education.
What she discovered is a military-like education system driven by high-stakes testing, with teachers posting rankings in public, using bribes to reward students who comply, and shaming to isolate those who do not. At the same time, she uncovered a years-long desire by government to alleviate its students’ crushing academic burden and make education friendlier for all. The more she learns, the more she wonders: Are Chinese children—and her son—paying too high a price for their obedience and the promise of future academic prowess? Is there a way to appropriate the excellence of the system but dispense with the bad? What, if anything, could Westerners learn from China’s education journey?
Chu’s eye-opening investigation challenges our assumptions and asks us to consider the true value and purpose of education.
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper
- Publication dateSeptember 19, 2017
- Dimensions1.4 x 6.2 x 9.1 inches
- ISBN-100062367854
- ISBN-13978-0062367853
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“No reporter has gone as deep as she has into what makes Chinese and American schools different today, or given more reasons we should not copy the Chinese. Yet her rollicking account has hope for both cultures, because they share a deep interest in what children learn.” — Washington Post
“Chu’s narrative is told with the honesty of a journalist, allowing readers to understand the conclusions she draws from her journey but also to form their own view of Chinese education. For anyone who wishes to expand their understanding about Chinese society and its impact on education.” — Library Journal, starred review
“This book had me at page one! Whip smart, hilariously funny, and shocking. A must-read.” — Amy Chua, author of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and The Triple Package
“Anyone will understand [China] better after reading this book…. Chu vividly sketches these differences [between Chinese and American school systems] in terms that will make readers ponder what they actually think about rote memorization and parents question their preferences for their own children.” — New York Times
“This engaging narrative is personalized by Chu’s often humorous recollections of attending American schools as the daughter of immigrants. Little Soldiers offers fascinating peeks inside the world’s largest educational system and at the future intellectual “soldiers” American kids will be facing.” — Booklist
“Undoubtedly revealing, fascinating, and filled with ‘aha’ moments.” — Christian Science Monitor
“This is a rare look inside the gates of Chinese schools that helps demystify many traits and behaviors of the Chinese people.” — Deborah Fallows, contributing writer for The Atlantic and author of Dreaming in Chinese
“Lenora Chu, a gifted journalist, has written a fascinating comparison of the US and Shanghai education systems. Little Soldiers offers important insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each. There is much to be learned here about the elements of a better education system for the 21st century.” — Tony Wagner, Expert in Residence, Harvard University Innovation Lab and author of The Global Achievement Gap and Creating Innovators
“An investigative look at the Chinese educational system and how it produces such a large number of high-performing students.” — Book Riot
“This provocative investigation examines cultural differences between the East and West, and the benefits and shortcomings of how both approach education.” — Real Simple, “The Best New Books to Read This Month”
“The American and Chinese ways of educating children are approaching a head-on collision begging the question ‘which system best prepares kids for success?’ In Little Soldiers, Lenora Chu deploys her journalistic inquiry and her motherly heart to investigate the attributes that underlie this urgent question. Chu’s fascinating storytelling urges the reader to ask questions like, ‘Do the ends justify the means?’ ‘Is a child’s life for a parent or government to dictate, or is it their own?’ . . . Necessary reading for educators, parents, and anyone interested in shaping the character and capabilities of the next generation of Americans.” — Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult
From the Back Cover
When American journalist Lenora Chu moved to Shanghai with her little boy, Rainey, just down the street from the state-run school—the best, as far as elite Chinese were concerned—she faced an important decision: Should she entrust her rambunctious young son to the Chinese public schools?
It seemed like a good idea at the time, and so began Rainey’s immersion in one of the most radical school systems on the planet. Almost immediately, the three-year-old began to develop surprising powers of concentration and became proficient in early math. Yet Chu also noticed disturbing new behaviors: Whereas he used to scribble and explore, Rainey was now obsessed with staying inside the lines. He became fearful of authority figures. “If you want me to do it, I’ll do it,” he told a stranger who had asked whether he liked to sing.
Driven by parental concern, Chu embarked on an investigative mission: What price do the Chinese pay to produce their “smart” kids, and what lessons might Western parents and educators learn from this system?
In her search for answers, Chu followed Chinese students, teachers, and experts, pulling back the curtain on a military-style education system in which even the youngest kids submit to high-stakes tests and parents are crippled by the pressure to compete. Yet as Chu delved deeper, she discovered surprising upsides, such as the benefits of memorization, competition as a motivator, and the Chinese cultural belief in hard work over innate talent.
Lively and intimate, beautifully written and reported, Little Soldiers asks us to reconsider the true value and purpose of education, as China and the West compete for the political and economic dominance of a new generation.
About the Author
Lenora Chu is a Chinese American writer whose work explores the intersection of culture, policy, and behavior. Her stories and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Christian Science Monitor, and on various NPR shows. Raised in Texas, Chu holds degrees from Stanford and Columbia Universities.
Product details
- Publisher : Harper; First Edition (September 19, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062367854
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062367853
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 1.4 x 6.2 x 9.1 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,061,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,241 in Parenting & Family Reference
- #1,476 in Philosophy & Social Aspects of Education
- #31,857 in Memoirs (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Lenora Chu [www.lenorachu.com] is an award-winning journalist and author of the upcoming book Little Soldiers, the story of her parenting journey inside China's school system. Her stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Cut / New York magazine, The Australian, APM's Marketplace and PRI's The World. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Texas, she and her husband Rob Schmitz, NPR’s Shanghai correspondent, have two young sons. To learn more about Lenora, please visit www.lenorachu.com.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Now I have finished reading the book. After chapters that made me laugh, the following two chapters provide a very sad and cruel portrait of the education in small towns and rural areas. I emailed a young friend in a small town in Sichuan, telling him what I read. He answered me that what Chu's book told were entirely true. The young friend says that in small cities and villages, many schools are closed and teachers are not willing to come to the rural areas. Furthermore there are no students. In small towns and villages there are only old people and young kids, those in the middle (teens and secondary school aged) are all looking for jobs in the cities. Since their "Hukou" (registered birth place) are in rural areas or small towns, they can never get into schools where they are working. It is more difficult to get into a school due to the "hukou" problem than to apply for an immigration status to the U.S..
The most thoughtful and important part of the book is the author's comparison of the educational idea, views and practices between the U.S. and China. For this, I do wish readers to give more careful reading and thoughts to these pages. Education will not only determine the success and failure of our future generations, it will affect the future of our nation as well.
If you are curious to understand the Chinese society, its education system, customs and culture, you get a first-hand view in this book. Understanding this part of society is integral part to understanding how the modern China works today.
If you are a Westerner living in China, and a to-be-parent, this book breaks many of the presumptions you might have about what is the best schooling option for your kid.
I liked the reasoning of the writer regarding her school choice for her kid in Shanghai. On her opinion, up until 5th grade, the pros of Chinese schooling system outweighs the cons (rigorous teaching of hanzis and Chinese language, math proficiency, adapting to work and study hard as a youngster). However, after that, the cons start to gradually overweight the pros and it’s better to switch to international school (room for creative thinking, no political brainwashing, more free-time).
The pressure of Chinese schooling and gaokao test preparation simply gets overwhelming and forces kids to study 12-14 hours a day. Great for gaokao score optimization, terrible for development of social skills, independent thinking and general holistic growth of a child.
That said, Chinese value education. A lot. Maybe even much more than in Western countries where it is taken for granted. As an example, parents arrange on average 3-4 after-class activities and courses per week for their kids. After a decade or two, I believe, China’s best educated youngsters will outnumber both in quantity and quality what many Westerners might expect today
Top reviews from other countries
Super interesting read! Highly recommend!
The story of the author and her child is also lighthearted and enjoyable.