''Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom'' is a 1983 children's book written by American novelist

Katherine Paterson Katherine Womelsdorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for children's novels, including '' Bridge to Terabithia''. For four different books published 1975-1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Aw ...

. Set during the

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It lasted fr ...

in China, it focuses on Wang Lee, a 15-year-old peasant boy who is abducted into a secret rebel organization. Mei Lin, a female soldier, teaches Wang Lee to read and instructs him on the movement’s dogma. Wang Lee’s transition into being a soldier is marked with acts of violence and betrayal, and he is forced through difficult circumstance to learn humility as part of his training. Following its publication, ''Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom'' received the

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

and was named the NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.“Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom,” Groundwood Books
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References

1983 American novels American children's novels American young adult novels Children's historical novels Novels set in the Qing dynasty E. P. Dutton books Novels set in the 19th century 1983 children's books {{1980s-child-hist-novel-stub