Born Naughty: My Childhood in China

Ages 7 to 10, Grades 2 to 5

Share in the joyful, adventure-filled shenanigans of a child growing up in a small mud hut in Inner Mongolia in this charming, illustrated memoir for young middle grade readers.

Growing up in Inner Mongolia, Jin Wang was rambunctious and boisterous and did not always listen to her Ma. Jin and her family were poor, but like kids everywhere, she still found a way to have fun and get into lots of mischief climbing trees, digging for mushrooms, and even looking for wolves.

Paired with delightful, kid-friendly illustrations, this early middle grade memoir invites readers to join Jin and her family in the outskirts of Inner Mongolia to remind us that though we all have different customs and traditions, we are more alike than not, and that mischief lives within all of us.

About the Author

Jin Wang is from the tiny village of Nan Ba Zi, a province of Inner Mongolia. When she was thirty-five, she moved to the United States--where she taught herself English by watching videos on YouTube. Jin is a yoga instructor in California, and met the co-author of this book, Tony Johnston, when she was a student in her class. 

Tony Johnston is the prolific author of over one hundred books, including Winter is Coming, illustrated by Jim LaMarche, which received four starred reviews. Her picture book Spencer and Vincent, The Jellyfish Brothers, received a starred review from Bulletin Center Children's Books and was called "quirky [and] sweet," by Publishers Weekly. Johnston lives in San Marino, California, where she grew up.

Author Residence: San Marino, CA

Anisi Baigude is the illustrator of Hunger Hacket's Odi's Library Day, which was the first book to be published by the San Diego Public Library. Anisi's artwork is inspired by the natural world and the places she grew up in, including China, Japan, Massachusetts, and California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in Studio Art. Born in Inner Mongolia, Anisi now lives in San Diego.

Illustrator Residence:San Diego, CA