The Ballad of Mulan

Information for students
Author: Bai Ca Moc Lan (retold by Nan Zhang) Title: The Ballad of Mulan
Book Genre: Multicultural Publishing Info: Pan Asian Publications, 32 pp.

Summary: There was a young woman in China named Mulan whose aged and frail father was going to be drafted in the war. Mulan, unwilling to see her father fighting in a war, disguised herself as a man and joined the army in his place. For the next ten years she shows remarkable skill as a warrior and becomes a famous general. Her true identity remains hidden from her comrades until the very end.

Personal rating: ****

Rationale: Well-written, believable characters and problems, great story

Information for teachers
Reading level: 5.9 Interest level: k-5th

Thematic Areas: Family, love, courage, bravery, survival

Content Areas: History, Social Studies

Potential Problems or Difficulties: N/A

Possible use in classroom: I think this story would work well when studying social studies it talks about China and its culture. For history as well because it also has some history behind it of how China use to honor their heroes.