The Boy from Clearwater (The Boy from Clearwater #1)

Told in two parts, this haunting true story by Yu chronicles a resilient boy’s experience navigating turbulent times in Taiwan. Part one, “The Boy Who Loves to Read,” recounts how Tsai Kun-Lin (1930–2023) was born in Taichung during the 1930s Japanese occupation of Taiwan. His ordinary yet happy upbringing, rendered in soft b&w pencil art with pink accents, is filled with music and friendship. As natural disasters such as earthquakes devastate his region, and as war looms, his once joyful childhood gives way to air raids, conscription, and a feeling that his future in Taiwan was bleak—a nightmare manifested when, at 19, Tsai is arrested and tortured on false charges. Part two, “Ten Years on Green Island,” follows Tsai’s arrival to a correctional facility on Green Island as one of many victims of China’s political oppression of Taiwanese peoples called the White Terror. Zhou’s illustrations reflect the story’s dark turn, morphing into inky, deco, noir-inspired art shot through with blue shocks of color. This harrowing debut, which depicts an underreported period in Taiwan’s history, is informative and inspiring for Tsai’s ebullient hope and resilience. Footnotes add historical context throughout; a concluding timeline provides further information. Ages 12–up. (Nov.)