Born Naughty

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.

A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

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.★ "Rich with affection, wit, and joy, a captivating peek into Chinese village life." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Bursting with delightful shenanigans, merry adventures, and family love....a unique story of wonder and joy." —Booklist, starred review

"With Johnston (Ten Owies), debut author Wang recounts cheerful memories from her childhood in this captivating chapter book memoir." —Publishers Weekly

"Part Ramona Quimby, part Little House on the Prairie, this is a charming snapshot of one child’s lived experience in Inner Mongolia." —School Library Journal

"This concisely written and heartwarming memoir resonates with childlike wonder and optimism." —The Horn BookJin 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.

Anisi Baigude is the Mongolian American illustrator of Odi’s Library Day, written by Hunter Hackett, which was the first children’s book to be published by the San Diego Public Library. Anisi was born in Bayannur, in Inner Mongolia, China, and attended grade school in Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia. She also lived in Japan, Massachusetts, and California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in studio art.