The Secret Battle of Evan Pao

By Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Evan Pao faces prejudice and secrets in a town clinging to its past.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 966 ratings

272 pages· 48,318 words· Est. 5.5 hour read

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Evan Pao seeks a fresh start in Haddington, Virginia, escaping his father's past. As a Chinese American, he faces hostility from Brady Griggs and struggles to fit in. When Evan's attempt to join the school's Civil War celebration sparks violence, he must choose between retaliation and a new path. Can Evan find his place in a town steeped in tradition, or will he be consumed by its prejudices? His journey reveals the hidden battles of identity and belonging, challenging him to shape his own future amidst the shadows of history.

From the publisher

Middle school can be a battlefield… From award-winning author Wendy Wan-Long Shang comes a poignant and timely take on prejudice, bullying, and claiming our own histories, perfect for fans of Front Desk.A fresh start. That’s all Evan Pao wants as he, along with his mother and sister, flee from California to Haddington, Virginia, hoping to keep his father’s notoriety a secret. But Haddington is a southern town steeped in tradition, and moving to a town immersed in the past has its own price. Although Evan quickly makes friends, one boy, Brady Griggs, seems determined to make sure that as a Chinese American, Evan feels that he does not belong. When Evan finds a unique way to make himself part of the school’s annual Civil War celebration, the reaction is swift and violent. As all of his choices at home and at school collide, Evan must decide whether he will react with the same cruelty shown to him, or choose a different path.Wendy Wan-Long Shang, the critically acclaimed author of Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Award for Children’s Literature winner The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, weaves a timely and deeply moving portrait of all the secret battles Evan Pao must fight as he struggles to figure out how he fits into this country’s past and how he will shape its future.

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