Spilled Water

A parent would reach for this book when their middle-schooler begins asking difficult questions about global inequality, the ethics of consumerism, or why children in other parts of the world live so differently than they do. It is a powerful tool for developing empathy in a child who feels a growing sense of social justice or who is struggling with their own feelings of powerlessness in an unfair world. This award-winning novel follows Lu Si-yan, an eleven year old girl in modern China who is sold by her uncle into domestic service to help her family survive financial ruin. The story tracks her journey from a servant to a factory worker, highlighting her incredible resilience and her refusal to lose hope. While the subject matter is heavy, the book focuses on Si-yan's inner strength and her ultimate quest for freedom. It is appropriate for mature readers aged 10 to 14 who are ready to engage with realistic, global themes and complex emotional landscapes.