Under a Painted Sky
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication Year
2016
ISBN
9780147511843
Pages
384 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
All Samantha wanted was to move back to New York and pursue her music, which was difficult enough being a Chinese girl in Missouri, 1849. Then her fate takes a turn for the worse after a tragic accident leaves her with nothing and she breaks the law in self-defense. With help from Annamae, a runaway slave she met at the scene of her crime, the two flee town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls. Disguised as Sammy and Andy, two boys heading for the California gold rush, each search for a link to their past and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. Until they merge paths with a band of cowboys turned allies, and Samantha can’t stop herself from falling for one. But the law is closing in on them and new setbacks come each day, and the girls will quickly learn there are not many places one can hide on the open trail.
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Lexile Measure
730L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Racial Diversity; Family Member Death; Homelessness; Race Discrimination; death of a parent; death of father; death of mother; death of brother; grief; family tragedy; racism; prejudice; marginalized group of people
Main Character
girl
Race/Ethnicities
Chinese American
Family Formation
orphan
Awards
Amelia Bloomer List, 2016 Young Adult Fiction
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2016 Fourteen and Up
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2014
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2016 Young Adult Fiction
Crystal Kite Member Choice Award, 2016, Winner, California and Hawaii
Keywords
Adventure; slavery; sex roles; runways; voyages; missing persons; cowboys
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Lee, Stacey, "Under a Painted Sky" (2016). Diverse Families. 2066.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2066