When Young Fu arrives with his mother in bustling 1920s Chungking, all he has seen of the world is the rural farming village where he has grown up. He knows nothing of city life. But the city, with its wonders and dangers, fascinates the 13-year-old boy, and he sets out to make the best of what it has to offer him.
First published in 1932, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze was one of the earliest Newbery Medal winners. Although China has changed since that time, Young Fu's experiences are universal: making friends, making mistakes, and making one's way in the world.

Elizabeth Foreman Lewis (d. 1958) went to China in 1917 where she studied the Chinese language and history, and held teaching posts in Shanghai, Chungking, and Nanking. She is the author of Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze.