An utterly delightful, early chapter book memoir chronicles author Jin Wang’s life in Nan Ba Zi, a village (“about eighteen houses…and a tiny store”) in Inner Mongolia, China, the year she was eight. Jin (called Haiyan by her family) loves her parents, Ma and Diē; her little brothers, Haijun and Haibing; and her grandpa, Grandfather Ocean. She loves the cozy, one-room mud hut where they live without electricity or running water. She loves to climb trees and look for wolves, even though Ma tells her not to. And she loves her school, where students are taught by kind Mr. Chen. The routines of Jin’s daily life are punctuated by special occasions described in humorous detail. There’s the infrequent appearance of the popcorn man and his popping machine; the seasonal planting of potato hunks and gathering of mushrooms; the hustle and bustle of preparing for an unanticipated family portrait; the unpleasant Chinese calligraphy lessons using smelly black ink. There are hardships, too: Amidst a harsh winter, Jin makes things worse for herself by licking a frozen door handle. When Jin is attacked by dogs, Ma uses bricks to draw out the “dog poison” (rabies). “I did not know our life was so hard,” Jin reflects. She writes with warmth and fondness, painting a vivid picture of her village, her family members, and her spirited childhood. (Ages 7-9)