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The Royal Diaries
Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Red Bird of the South, Southern China, A.D. 531
The Royal Diaries proudly presents two-time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep, whose stunning diary of sixteen-year-old Lady of Ch'iao Kuo takes readers on a remarkable adventure to Southern China in the sixth century A.D. A born leader, Lady of Ch'iao Kuo, also known as Princess Redbird, is both courageous and keenly intelligent.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2001
39 people are currently reading
3036 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Yep
120 books295 followersBorn June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
February 15, 2024
It’s wild how okay children are with reading about other children involved in literal warfare. I don’t know that I would have even batted an eye at all the death and trauma in this book if I’d read it as a preteen. Now, though? As an adult, it’s no longer so easy to skip blithely through stories of children watching their families and friends and countrymen obliterated by militant feuds. Everything is very “mild” in this novel, of course, since it’s written for preteens – nothing graphic – but still. Maybe it just hit too close to home right now what with the Gaza crisis, but this was a heavier read than I was expecting it to be when I picked it up. (Maybe it was also that very mildness that oppressed me? I’ve long realized that “off-screen” or watered-down violence has a unique ability to disturb me more and differently than outright gore.)
At the same time, I kind of wish that I had read this book when I was a kid, because the eponymous Lady is so cool. I get such a thrill from knowing that she really existed, that she really Did That™.
If I recall correctly, the reason I didn’t end up reading this back when I was devouring most of the other Royal Diaries installments was that this one has a weaker opening and I was bored from the first paragraph. Having now read the whole thing, I can say that, honestly, that was fair. This took a good little while to “get going,” but it eventually did and then became quite poignant.
Redbird’s thirst for knowledge and education was one of the things that made her a compelling character, and that made the plot's historical deterioration into warfare that much sadder. The scene when she
<< second book read for my 2024 Royal Diaries self-challenge >>
🎧 “Turn Our Eyes Away” by Ruby Amanfu & Trent Dabbs
At the same time, I kind of wish that I had read this book when I was a kid, because the eponymous Lady is so cool. I get such a thrill from knowing that she really existed, that she really Did That™.
If I recall correctly, the reason I didn’t end up reading this back when I was devouring most of the other Royal Diaries installments was that this one has a weaker opening and I was bored from the first paragraph. Having now read the whole thing, I can say that, honestly, that was fair. This took a good little while to “get going,” but it eventually did and then became quite poignant.
Redbird’s thirst for knowledge and education was one of the things that made her a compelling character, and that made the plot's historical deterioration into warfare that much sadder. The scene when she
<< second book read for my 2024 Royal Diaries self-challenge >>
🎧 “Turn Our Eyes Away” by Ruby Amanfu & Trent Dabbs
July 25, 2016
fascinating and thought-provoking! might write more later
EDIT: Figured I should write more before I totally forget everything, haha.
I liked Princess Red Bird quite a lot. She's thoughtful and brave and clever and resourceful. Not only is she a scholar who enjoys reading fantastical stories, but she's also a great strategist in both war and diplomacy. On top of that, she appreciates beautiful clothes and hairstyles and accessories. Definitely my kind of girl.
The other character who made an impression on me was the "mean girl". I was worried she'd be portrayed as the selfish, spoiled girl who was mean just because the story needed someone to pick on the protag, but this was not the case. She had reasons for her attitude toward Redbird, and she had an interesting personality. Though she and Red Bird never became good friends, they respected each other. I actually grew to like her quite a bit as well, and I'd love to see more relationships like theirs -- mutual respect but not necessarily mutual liking.
But I have to say that the part that fascinated me the most was the cultural aspect. Red Bird is a princess of the Hsien, a tribe that lived in the forests of what is now Southern China. She goes to study with the Chinese colonists, who view the Hsien with their facial tattoos and strange customs as savage barbarians. Most stories I've read about colonists tend to focus on European colonists, so it was interesting to read about how the Hsien thought of the Chinese colonists. Red Bird was the representative that was sent to the Chinese school and had to struggle with being see as a barbarian by her classmates in the colony and being seen as trying too hard to be Chinese by her tribesman at home. However, she's able to use her understanding of the Chinese and the Hsien to become a bridge between the two groups and to promote the best of both worlds. She disapproves of how Chinese greed and fear of the forest results in the destruction and loss of natural resources, but admires their art and writings and efficiency. She takes pride in her Hsien ancestry, their strength, and their knowledge of the forest, but also recognized that there were areas where they can learn from the Chinese. Caught-between-two-cultures type of stories always have a special place in my heart, haha.
It was fascinating to read about the Hsien and the Chinese of that era. Rather than a story set in the Imperial court, it was set at a Chinese colonial outpost at the edge of the Chinese empire. At that point in time they didn't even use chairs all that much! And rather than arranged marriages everywhere, the young people courted one another (though their families certainly did their best to nudge them in certain directions). I also enjoyed reading about the architecture and the clothing.
By the end of the book I definitely wanted to hear more about Red Bird's exploits and how she came to rule Southern China through both military strategy and diplomacy. My main quibble would be that I wanted more romance! There was a hint of it in the last pages, but the romantic in me definitely wanted more. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this book a lot and it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought, particularly about elements I'd love to see more of.
EDIT: Figured I should write more before I totally forget everything, haha.
I liked Princess Red Bird quite a lot. She's thoughtful and brave and clever and resourceful. Not only is she a scholar who enjoys reading fantastical stories, but she's also a great strategist in both war and diplomacy. On top of that, she appreciates beautiful clothes and hairstyles and accessories. Definitely my kind of girl.
The other character who made an impression on me was the "mean girl". I was worried she'd be portrayed as the selfish, spoiled girl who was mean just because the story needed someone to pick on the protag, but this was not the case. She had reasons for her attitude toward Redbird, and she had an interesting personality. Though she and Red Bird never became good friends, they respected each other. I actually grew to like her quite a bit as well, and I'd love to see more relationships like theirs -- mutual respect but not necessarily mutual liking.
But I have to say that the part that fascinated me the most was the cultural aspect. Red Bird is a princess of the Hsien, a tribe that lived in the forests of what is now Southern China. She goes to study with the Chinese colonists, who view the Hsien with their facial tattoos and strange customs as savage barbarians. Most stories I've read about colonists tend to focus on European colonists, so it was interesting to read about how the Hsien thought of the Chinese colonists. Red Bird was the representative that was sent to the Chinese school and had to struggle with being see as a barbarian by her classmates in the colony and being seen as trying too hard to be Chinese by her tribesman at home. However, she's able to use her understanding of the Chinese and the Hsien to become a bridge between the two groups and to promote the best of both worlds. She disapproves of how Chinese greed and fear of the forest results in the destruction and loss of natural resources, but admires their art and writings and efficiency. She takes pride in her Hsien ancestry, their strength, and their knowledge of the forest, but also recognized that there were areas where they can learn from the Chinese. Caught-between-two-cultures type of stories always have a special place in my heart, haha.
It was fascinating to read about the Hsien and the Chinese of that era. Rather than a story set in the Imperial court, it was set at a Chinese colonial outpost at the edge of the Chinese empire. At that point in time they didn't even use chairs all that much! And rather than arranged marriages everywhere, the young people courted one another (though their families certainly did their best to nudge them in certain directions). I also enjoyed reading about the architecture and the clothing.
By the end of the book I definitely wanted to hear more about Red Bird's exploits and how she came to rule Southern China through both military strategy and diplomacy. My main quibble would be that I wanted more romance! There was a hint of it in the last pages, but the romantic in me definitely wanted more. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this book a lot and it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought, particularly about elements I'd love to see more of.
November 12, 2016
This is one of the most boring installments of The Royal Diaries. Add to that the countless grammatical errors and you have my excuse for DNF it at 20%.
February 10, 2014
Depending on which edition you have, this book is either subtitled Red Bird of the South or Warrior of the South. I have the special edition, so the title on my book is the latter, but the book was published under both names, in case you’re confused. I’m just using the apparently more popular title for my post.
Princess Redbird is a truly amazing woman. She’s a leader among her own people and strives to represent her people well while she’s in Chinese territory going to school. There are times she loses her temper, but she always makes up for it and in the end keeps her promise to do much better. Not only that, she is a stark contrast to her brother Little Tiger in that she’s interested in ruling and actually listens to her people. The two make an odd pair later on in the book, but it sort of sets the dynamic of what their relationship would be like in the future.
I honestly had no idea the Hsien people existed as a separate entity in Southern China in the sixth century. But Laurence Yep’s descriptions of the way the Hsien lived and the completely different climate back then are fascinating and informative. This particular entry in The Royal Diaries is 300 pages long, so we actually have a chance to get a feel for the times and appreciate Princess Redbird’s accomplishments. Her military strategies are absolutely brilliant and she is a strong, but compassionate leader.
Laurence Yep couldn’t have chosen a better candidate for his novel. Not only is he a talented writer that brings the princess to life, but he also brings the world of the Hsien and the turmoil of the times to life. How sad is it that a fifteen-year-old girl does not know what peace is and does not believe that it ever really existed? Princess Redbird is one of the few princesses in this entire series that I truly feel connected to, which is an enormous accomplishment in itself.
Even if you don’t know much about Chinese history, you’ll love this book. And even though it was written for tweens, people of all ages will absolutely love Red Bird of the South.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Princess Redbird is a truly amazing woman. She’s a leader among her own people and strives to represent her people well while she’s in Chinese territory going to school. There are times she loses her temper, but she always makes up for it and in the end keeps her promise to do much better. Not only that, she is a stark contrast to her brother Little Tiger in that she’s interested in ruling and actually listens to her people. The two make an odd pair later on in the book, but it sort of sets the dynamic of what their relationship would be like in the future.
I honestly had no idea the Hsien people existed as a separate entity in Southern China in the sixth century. But Laurence Yep’s descriptions of the way the Hsien lived and the completely different climate back then are fascinating and informative. This particular entry in The Royal Diaries is 300 pages long, so we actually have a chance to get a feel for the times and appreciate Princess Redbird’s accomplishments. Her military strategies are absolutely brilliant and she is a strong, but compassionate leader.
Laurence Yep couldn’t have chosen a better candidate for his novel. Not only is he a talented writer that brings the princess to life, but he also brings the world of the Hsien and the turmoil of the times to life. How sad is it that a fifteen-year-old girl does not know what peace is and does not believe that it ever really existed? Princess Redbird is one of the few princesses in this entire series that I truly feel connected to, which is an enormous accomplishment in itself.
Even if you don’t know much about Chinese history, you’ll love this book. And even though it was written for tweens, people of all ages will absolutely love Red Bird of the South.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
November 12, 2025
Learning how little historically is know about the real world counterpart, though still very noteworthy, I was very impressed by the author using the story of a kind and diplomatic female clan leader in a divided China and taking the values and diversity behind that to form the story of a young Princess divided between her small clan and her life in a large Chinese town.
February 17, 2021
Love this series
June 5, 2022
The writing style in this one didn't work for me and I bet it didn't work for 11 year old me the first time I read it either.
February 24, 2011
Lady of Ch'iao Kuo, Warrior of the South / 0-439-16483-4
This Special Edition of the Princess Diaries series lives up to its name; it is easily the best of the fascinating series, and also the longest - topping 275 gripping pages. Set in sixth century China, this book is everything you don't expect it to be.
Princess Redbird is the oldest daughter of the ruler of one of the many tribes in the Great Forest, on the boundaries of the Chinese empire. Though she is Hsien, and therefore considered barbaric by the neighboring Chinese, her parents have selected her to attend a special Chinese school in the nearby border settlement, in order that she might learn the Chinese language and customs, and act as an interpreter for her people in their dealings with the Chinese.
Redbird may be a young princess, but she is no delicate swooning maiden. She is considered by her people to be clever and wise (although she fears she is neither), and she is called upon regularly to settle minor disagreements between neighbors. She hunts for game in the Great Forest, and can walk a steady pace with the soldiers who escort her along the difficult journey to her school. She is compassionate, protecting the old soldier who leads her escort from the shame of his growing weakness, and seeking to form some kind of peace between the Chinese and the tribes of the Great Forest. Most of all, she hungers for learning, and loves the books which have been given to her by her kind teacher.
When her tribe is forced to go to war, Redbird is recalled from school to find her world turned upside down. Her older brother, unwise and unready to rule, must be prevailed upon by his advisors and their people to listen to Redbird and her wise advice as they are set on all sides by enemies. And even as Redbird prevails upon her rash brother to listen to her, she worries that her advice may be neither wise nor effective, and she struggles to find some kind of balance between her desire for revenge and her yearning for peace.
This book is a quick and fascinating read and is nothing like what I expected from a novel telling the tale of a Chinese princess. I expected something sedate and quiet, with minor 'battles' between women over points of ceremony and decorum. Instead, 'Lady of Ch'iao Kuo' is an action-packed adventure with war, intrigue, and danger. Though Redbird is young, she is brave and loyal, willing to take up her hunting bow in defense of her Chinese friends. She is wise enough to know when to disobey her royal family, and her people are strong enough to know when to back their clever princess in her plans. And though she takes justified delight when her advice leads to triumphs for her people, she still mourns over the futility of war and yearns to bring her people a peace bought with kindness instead of cruelty.
I heartily recommend 'Lady of Ch'iao Kuo' to both children and adults. The story is compelling and entertaining, and this fictional portrayal of Redbird results in a realistic young woman worthy of admiration and respect.
~ Ana Mardoll
This Special Edition of the Princess Diaries series lives up to its name; it is easily the best of the fascinating series, and also the longest - topping 275 gripping pages. Set in sixth century China, this book is everything you don't expect it to be.
Princess Redbird is the oldest daughter of the ruler of one of the many tribes in the Great Forest, on the boundaries of the Chinese empire. Though she is Hsien, and therefore considered barbaric by the neighboring Chinese, her parents have selected her to attend a special Chinese school in the nearby border settlement, in order that she might learn the Chinese language and customs, and act as an interpreter for her people in their dealings with the Chinese.
Redbird may be a young princess, but she is no delicate swooning maiden. She is considered by her people to be clever and wise (although she fears she is neither), and she is called upon regularly to settle minor disagreements between neighbors. She hunts for game in the Great Forest, and can walk a steady pace with the soldiers who escort her along the difficult journey to her school. She is compassionate, protecting the old soldier who leads her escort from the shame of his growing weakness, and seeking to form some kind of peace between the Chinese and the tribes of the Great Forest. Most of all, she hungers for learning, and loves the books which have been given to her by her kind teacher.
When her tribe is forced to go to war, Redbird is recalled from school to find her world turned upside down. Her older brother, unwise and unready to rule, must be prevailed upon by his advisors and their people to listen to Redbird and her wise advice as they are set on all sides by enemies. And even as Redbird prevails upon her rash brother to listen to her, she worries that her advice may be neither wise nor effective, and she struggles to find some kind of balance between her desire for revenge and her yearning for peace.
This book is a quick and fascinating read and is nothing like what I expected from a novel telling the tale of a Chinese princess. I expected something sedate and quiet, with minor 'battles' between women over points of ceremony and decorum. Instead, 'Lady of Ch'iao Kuo' is an action-packed adventure with war, intrigue, and danger. Though Redbird is young, she is brave and loyal, willing to take up her hunting bow in defense of her Chinese friends. She is wise enough to know when to disobey her royal family, and her people are strong enough to know when to back their clever princess in her plans. And though she takes justified delight when her advice leads to triumphs for her people, she still mourns over the futility of war and yearns to bring her people a peace bought with kindness instead of cruelty.
I heartily recommend 'Lady of Ch'iao Kuo' to both children and adults. The story is compelling and entertaining, and this fictional portrayal of Redbird results in a realistic young woman worthy of admiration and respect.
~ Ana Mardoll
December 13, 2015
This book covers a very interesting period of history which I knew nothing about before reading the story. This book's main character is a fictionalized version of a historical figure, the Lady of Ch'iao Kao. Princes Redbird is a very intelligent, strategic young lady who is able to use her courage AND ideas to help her people. Naturally, I loved her. I will say that this book provides a rich look at the ancient Chinese culture, but isn't especially detailed when it comes to the different factions involved (The Hsien, The Chinese and The "Dog Heads"). Sometimes this got a bit confusing. Still, it was a very interesting look at a historical figure.
November 21, 2023
It took me a bit to get into this, because it's a very middle-grade novel and the writing style is pretty simplistic. But once I was able to accept it for what it was, it was a fun read, something I'd be happy to recommend to my nieces when they're a bit older.
May 6, 2024
This book was an absolute favourite of mine in the 5th grade. I was searching for a way to self-soothe last week and decided to re-read (I'm not much of a re-reader at all). I didn't remember a lot of the specifics since it's been like 20 years since I last read it, and it is so wild how many elements of this story are things in my reading wheelhouse as an adult!
Old aunties working old magic? A main character who loves books and rescues tomes from a burning library!?Elephants! Many descriptions of walking through the holy green glow of a forest under its canopy - any of these dynamics in a book released this year would make it a must-read for me. I had no idea that my tastes have not changed much since I was 11.
Old aunties working old magic? A main character who loves books and rescues tomes from a burning library!?Elephants! Many descriptions of walking through the holy green glow of a forest under its canopy - any of these dynamics in a book released this year would make it a must-read for me. I had no idea that my tastes have not changed much since I was 11.
June 20, 2025
Better than I remembered! I'd probably rate it higher if I was in the intended target age range.
The Lady is well written, and the look into non-Han ethnogroups is interesting as someone whose knowledge of Chinese history is less than I'd like. Some the choices made on how to convey dialogue were not for me but I had fun.
The Lady is well written, and the look into non-Han ethnogroups is interesting as someone whose knowledge of Chinese history is less than I'd like. Some the choices made on how to convey dialogue were not for me but I had fun.
August 1, 2022
My favorite of the series so far. Laurence Yep is an amazing writer one of the few male authors I know who can consistently portray female characters believably.
February 26, 2016
This diary is about a young Princess in Southern China. It's a China different than today's, though, as it's not a unified country at all. There is Northern China, which had been unified but sort of fell apart, and then there's Southern China which consists basically of groups of various feuding clans.
The girl's Chinese name is Princess Redbird. She has some education under a Chinese master, Master Chen, who is a scholar and who takes a liking to her. She is able to speak some Chinese plus her own language, putting herself in a role where she can be used as an interpreter.
If that was all there was to her story it would still be interesting, but major difficulties arise in that one of the groups, the Dog Heads, are the most vicious of all and are threatening both her people and the Chinese. Various attempts to defeat them end in disaster and before long her own village is threatened.
Lady Ch'iau devises an extremely daring, dangerous plan that could save her village and the remnants of her people's army, but it involves using both young and very old people and lots and lots of poisonous animals against an army of attacking men and elephants.
There are a lot of things happening in this novel, and the story is quite exciting and interesting at the same time. It definitely shows how powerful Lady Ch'iau was, indeed ending up with her becoming ruler of Southern China for a long time. A fascinating, brave and extremely intelligent young woman and one of the best books in the series.
The girl's Chinese name is Princess Redbird. She has some education under a Chinese master, Master Chen, who is a scholar and who takes a liking to her. She is able to speak some Chinese plus her own language, putting herself in a role where she can be used as an interpreter.
If that was all there was to her story it would still be interesting, but major difficulties arise in that one of the groups, the Dog Heads, are the most vicious of all and are threatening both her people and the Chinese. Various attempts to defeat them end in disaster and before long her own village is threatened.
Lady Ch'iau devises an extremely daring, dangerous plan that could save her village and the remnants of her people's army, but it involves using both young and very old people and lots and lots of poisonous animals against an army of attacking men and elephants.
There are a lot of things happening in this novel, and the story is quite exciting and interesting at the same time. It definitely shows how powerful Lady Ch'iau was, indeed ending up with her becoming ruler of Southern China for a long time. A fascinating, brave and extremely intelligent young woman and one of the best books in the series.
May 27, 2016
When I pick up this book, I have never heard of the Lady of Ch'iao Kuo. Never heard of her, though I picked it up because I'm a huge history lover/nerd and I wanted to learn about this time in A.D. 531, a time where Confucius and wars and everything else that happened during this period. But I've never heard of Lady of Ch'iao Kuo until now.
So this book is her diary and the first part talks about her short time living at her school in China with Master Chen and his family, and how she's learning how to read and write, because in her village women and men cannot read or write, not even her family. Along with all that, the Dog Heads (another thing I've never heard of) are attacking villages left and right, taking the heads of the people they attacked, and they also killed her father. That's what happened in the first half of the book.
The second half of the book was actually pretty amazing. She comes up with a plan to stop the wild elephants the Dog Heads brought for war, and used it (if I can explain it, I could....) but it worked, and along with all of that, her brother Little Tiger became king of her village, but the problem in the first half he was actually a bit of a prick and didn't listen to anyone, then he got better and actually listened to his people and became a better king.
I enjoyed this book and I really do recommend it.
So this book is her diary and the first part talks about her short time living at her school in China with Master Chen and his family, and how she's learning how to read and write, because in her village women and men cannot read or write, not even her family. Along with all that, the Dog Heads (another thing I've never heard of) are attacking villages left and right, taking the heads of the people they attacked, and they also killed her father. That's what happened in the first half of the book.
The second half of the book was actually pretty amazing. She comes up with a plan to stop the wild elephants the Dog Heads brought for war, and used it (if I can explain it, I could....) but it worked, and along with all of that, her brother Little Tiger became king of her village, but the problem in the first half he was actually a bit of a prick and didn't listen to anyone, then he got better and actually listened to his people and became a better king.
I enjoyed this book and I really do recommend it.
July 12, 2017
One of the best books I've read in this series.
December 22, 2018
I was really pleased and surprised with this book. Having read it before and only having memories of how long all the sections felt I was expecting to be bored this time around. But it was completely opposite of this expectation and I’m glad I still went into it with an open mind. I wanted to judge it and learn what I could from it as an adult. From what I get from reading the historical section and the about me section there isn’t really anything written about the lady. And especially not in English. This book basically seems like the only thing out there for people to learn about the lady and this very interesting and important time in Chinese history. The lady really seems to be a remarkable woman and I’d love to read more about her life if I could. I applaud Laurence yep for creating this for us to read otherwise this piece of history would be lost in a lot of our minds for knowledge. It was hard enough for him to research and it’s as accurate as it can be. Such an interesting book. Interesting characters and an interesting time.
March 16, 2011
This is a great book for a fifth grader or so. It's historical fiction, my favorite! This is a part of The Royal Diaries series. It is a series about famous women in history - princesses in particular. These are not Disney dress in pink princesses, these are strong women who were apart of great things. In this story we learn about Lady Ch'iao Kuo. She is from Southern China. She however, was not Chinese, she was Hsien. This was a separate clan. They considered themselves Forest People. She was sent by her father, the King of the Hsien, to live with and go to school with the Chinese. This is where the story begins. It was very fun to read and very interesting. There is a bit of violence, but not too bad considering the time period. Lady of Ch'iao Kuo accomplished great things and consistently fought for peace.
April 25, 2013
If you're looking for an adventurous and well written heroine starring story, then your in the right place. Not only does the ancient tale have historic value and details, but also tasteful wording with mysterious cliffhangers.Apart of The Royal Diaries series, this hardback features the warrior of the south, an intelligent, curious character who finds herself on a side against an evil uprising. But without giving away too much, just know that those who enjoy historical stories involving realistic turnouts will love this book.In my own opinion this book has an inner moral about how times change and how the most unheeded things become the most....yeah my rates above if you really want to know.
February 27, 2017
I remember this being one of my favorite installments of this series--each of the historical figures featured in the series are interesting, but I found the Lady of Ch'iao particularly fascinating.
June 14, 2017
I've probably read this book 15 times. I loved this book so much in middle school. I was obsessed with the chinese culture and I think I need to reread this to get some nostalgic feels
June 27, 2017
It was a quick read, but immediately inserts you into the time period.
November 11, 2021
I connected with this one a lot because of our shared ethnicity, and for the longest time I tried to convince myself that "Ch'iao Kuo" was Chaozhou (family hometown-ish in China)
May 4, 2022
My favorite one so far!!
November 2, 2020
Another book I picked up for Nell's Torchlight curriculum. It took me absolute ages to complete this but that isn't a reflection on the book this time - just a reflection of the fact that this was a supplemental reading assignment but also a 300-page chapter book so I struggled to find extra time to make headway in it. And then it was wildly overdue and I *really* struggled to find time to wrap it up.
It's a pretty interesting historical fiction piece about Lady Redbird, a historical figure from early medieval Chinese history who ruled a Chinese-adjacent clan called the Hsien around 620 C.E. This is not a piece of history I know very much about, which is part of what makes it such an interesting subject matter, and I thought Yep did a nice job describing cultural and ideological differences between the Hsien and the Chinese. Additionally, the scant historical record surrounding Lady Redbird is that she was both a skillful warrior/strategist and a renowned peacemaker, and this book conveys both of those aspects pretty well. Yep also does a nice job of writing an adolescent female protagonist who is thoughtful, mature, and responsible without either making her into a boring caricature or an unbelievable tintype.
This is also my first experience reading any of the Royal Diaries books, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how meaty and considered this book was. I definitely had seen the series in the past and expected 'history lite' with a tiaras-and-giggling veneer, and this was really not that at all.
It's a pretty interesting historical fiction piece about Lady Redbird, a historical figure from early medieval Chinese history who ruled a Chinese-adjacent clan called the Hsien around 620 C.E. This is not a piece of history I know very much about, which is part of what makes it such an interesting subject matter, and I thought Yep did a nice job describing cultural and ideological differences between the Hsien and the Chinese. Additionally, the scant historical record surrounding Lady Redbird is that she was both a skillful warrior/strategist and a renowned peacemaker, and this book conveys both of those aspects pretty well. Yep also does a nice job of writing an adolescent female protagonist who is thoughtful, mature, and responsible without either making her into a boring caricature or an unbelievable tintype.
This is also my first experience reading any of the Royal Diaries books, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how meaty and considered this book was. I definitely had seen the series in the past and expected 'history lite' with a tiaras-and-giggling veneer, and this was really not that at all.
September 25, 2024
The story of a princess of the Hsien, a tribal group in southern China, set in 531 A.D. All based on real history, this was a great read. There are no end of struggles for the protagonist, as circumstances grow worse and worse. She starts out studying at a Chinese colony, embracing learning and diplomacy, even though most of the Han Chinese treat her like a sub-human primitive. The serious topics of racism, education and cultural divides all become secondary when war breaks out with another tribe that threatens to wipe out the Chinese colonists and her own people.
This was a VERY heavy book. Though it wasn't graphic, it addressed war and death very directly. Some of the characters who were lost, how they died, and also the tragic way some people survived, almost moved me to tears. It was great to see how the princess used her wits to keep people together and fight the enemy. It was also very thought out, as many books might condemn war, revenge and killing as bad without explaining why. This book really brutally shows how they ruin lives and people, when humanity can be so much better.
Great read, rough at times, but my favorite in the Royal Diaries series so far.
This was a VERY heavy book. Though it wasn't graphic, it addressed war and death very directly. Some of the characters who were lost, how they died, and also the tragic way some people survived, almost moved me to tears. It was great to see how the princess used her wits to keep people together and fight the enemy. It was also very thought out, as many books might condemn war, revenge and killing as bad without explaining why. This book really brutally shows how they ruin lives and people, when humanity can be so much better.
Great read, rough at times, but my favorite in the Royal Diaries series so far.
May 8, 2023
This story was beautifully told! I adored the descriptions of the forests and the town that Princess Redbird studied in. Due to this story, I want to do more research around the time this story takes place. It's fascinating and gives a completely different viewpoint on colonists. I'm so used to hearing about the European colonists, more specifically the British, that it was interesting reading about Chinease colonists. The Hsien people viewed them as the enemy while the Chinese viewed the Hsien as savages and barbaric. Similar to the way Native Americans were treated and viewed. I absolutely adore Princess Redbirds voice. It was descriptive and concise. She was everything I would want to be as a royal and everything you'd expect out of a princess. Kind and caring, but brave and fierce as well. She wasn't just a demure Princess. She was a warrior. Love the royal diary series for shedding light on such an interesting and less researched time period
March 11, 2023
This is one of my two favorites that I’ve read of the Royal Diaries. Princess Redbird is one of those historical figures with very little primary sources to draw from, so the whether the character Lawrence Yep depicted is accurate is impossible to say, but he did do a great job of drawing her as a strong and intelligent young woman without erasing her femininity or her vulnerability. She shows wisdom and understanding beyond her years and the cultures around her but is still a teenage girl struggling to find her place in the violent, chaotic world she lives in while also worrying about her schooling, her family, and even a little bit of love.
And I also think the author’s goal was accomplished in making me want to learn more about this region and period of Chinese history just from reading the story of one girl.
And I also think the author’s goal was accomplished in making me want to learn more about this region and period of Chinese history just from reading the story of one girl.
September 20, 2018
I liked her alot and thought she had a great personality. I felt akin to her as a fellow reader.
It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd be a bit problematic.
I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.
I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings
It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd be a bit problematic.
I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.
I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings
November 12, 2025
I liked Lady of Ch'iao Kuo more upon rereading than I did as a child. It's great that this series put the spotlight on a few female rulers who are not well-known in the Western world, and I enjoyed learning a little about ancient China. Laurence Yep is a writer I generally like, and he did a good job with this book. I don't think he uses the diary format to its best advantage though. The story here is far more focused on action and moving about from place to place than on introspection and court intrigue. Of course it had to be a diary to fit in this series, but I think the war scenes would be more impactful if the action was described in the moment with third-person narration.
Still, it's a solid read and was worth my time at least for learning about a little-known leader.
Still, it's a solid read and was worth my time at least for learning about a little-known leader.
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