A Girl Named Faithful Plum: The True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream

School Library JournalGr 5 Up—In 1978, 11-year-old Li Zhongmei traveled for three days and two nights from her remote town on the Chinese-Soviet Union border to Beijing to audition for the Beijing Dance Academy. Despite her lack of connections, she was one of a dozen girls chosen from more than 60,000 applicants. In addition to the rigorous curriculum, she faced ridicule from her urbane classmates and teachers for being a "country bumpkin," and initially was unable to take the required Fundamentals of Ballet class. Despite many hardships, Zhongmei became one of China's most famous ballet dancers. Written by her husband, the book reads more like a novel than a biography; it's full of re-created dialogue, letters, and visual detail.