Ying Chang Compestine

Last updated
Ying Chang Compestine
Author Ying Chang Compestine.jpg
Compestine in 2014
Born張瀛
(1963-03-08) March 8, 1963 (age 61)
Wuhan, Hubei, China
OccupationAuthor
LanguageEnglish
Alma mater
Genre Fiction, children's books, cookbooks, historical fiction, cultural studies
Notable works Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party (2007)
SpouseGreg M. Compestine
Children1
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Website
www.yingc.com

Ying Chang Compestine (born March 8, 1963 [1] ) is a Chinese American author, speaker, television host and chef. She has written over twenty-five books including Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party (novel) , based on her life growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution., [2] and a middle grade novel, Morning Sun in Wuhan, [3] set in Wuhan, China.

Contents

Biography

Ying Chang Compestine was born and raised in Wuhan, China. [1] Her family was considered "bourgeois," so the Red Guard took her family's belongings and her father was put in jail twice. [4] Because of the family's difficulties, Compestine was sent to live with her grandparents. [4]

Compestine earned a degree in English and American literature and taught English in China. [1] She also worked as an interpreter for China's Bureau of Seismology. [1]

Compestine graduated with a master's degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1990. [5] [6] She met her husband just before she finished graduate school. [7] Before becoming an award-winning author, she taught sociology at various universities and colleges in the U.S. and China until 1998.

Career

After immigrating to the United States, Compestine taught sociology and writing at universities in both the U.S. and China. [8] [1] Compestine has received various education awards including the Master Teacher Award from both Front Range Community College (1991-1992) and the International School of Beijing (2000). [1]

Compestine has hosted several cooking shows on Chinese Language News Broadcaster for Phoenix North America Chinese Channel, as well as appearing as a guest on the Food Network, Discovery Channel, [9] and HGTV. [1] She also worked a food editor for Martha Stewart’s Body + Soul magazine [7] and is a contributor for Cooking Light, EatingWell, Self, and Men's Health. [10] [11] [12] Compestine is also a spokesperson for Nestle and Celestial Seasonings . [13]

Writing career

Compestine began writing after her son was born, creating the cookbook, Secrets of Fat-Free Chinese Cooking (1997). [7] She began writing children's books after her parents died, because she missed China and her family. [7] Since then she has written numerous children's books, and is actively writing today.

Her book Revolution is Not a Dinner Party (2007) is based on her life growing up in China. [7] The book has been featured on several lists, such as the 2008 American Library Association's (ALA) Best Books for Young Readers, and Publishers Weekly's best children's books for 2007. [14]

Compestine co-authored Secrets of The Terra Cotta Soldier , with her son Vinson in 2014. [15] [16]

Her most recent picture book, Growing Up Under a Red Flag (2024), illustrated by Xinmei Liu, is a memoir recounting her childhood during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. It has received high praise from the Wall Street Journal . [17] Publisher's Weekly [18] , Booklist [19] , Kirkus Reviews [20] , Book Riot [21] , the Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California [22] , Mother's Magazine [23] , and more. It has also been awarded the Gold Standard Selection by the Junior Library Guild. [24]

Her other recent picture book, Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu (2024) illustrated by Crystal Kung, has received praise from Kirkus Reviews [25] , Publisher's Weekly [26] , and the School Library Journal [27] . It has also been featured on California’s notable stations, KQED [28] and ABC7@7 , and chosen as a Common Sense Selection by Common Sense Media [29] .

Her most recent middle-grade novel, Morning Sun in Wuhan (2022) has received praise from The San Francisco Chronicle [30] and The Mercury News . [31] It was selected as A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, [32] an NCSS 2023 Notable Social Studies Trade Book, [33] and was chosen as a Gold Standard Selection by the Junior Library Guild. [34]

Her young adult novel, A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, is currently being adapted into an animated TV series by 108 Media. [35]

She has two upcoming books: The Chinese New Year Helper, story of a young girl helping to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and an untitled Chinese comic cookbook.

Publications

Awards

BookAward
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party California Book Award for Young Adult Literature

2008 ALA Best Books For Young Adults

2008 ALA Notable Children's Books

2007 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction Book List

2007 San Francisco Chronicle Best Children's Fiction Book List

2008 Chinese American Librarian Association Best Book

2007 New York Public Library 100 Best Titles for Reading and Sharing

2007 Fall Book Sense Children's Picks

2007 Parent's Choice Silver Honor

2007 Cybils Award Nomination for Young Adult Fiction

2008 Tayshas Reading List (Texas)

2007 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best

2007 Cleveland Public Library Celebrate With Books

2007 Cuyahoga County Public Library Great Books for Kids

2008 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People — CBC and the National Council for Social Studies

2008 IRA Notable Books for a Global Society

2008 NCTE Award

2008 Capitol Choices — Best Books of the Year, Washington, D.C.

2008 New York Public Library's Teen Age List

2008 Cooperative Children's Book Center — Best of the Year

2008 Bank Street College of Education — Best Children's Book

2008 Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts

2008 Book of the Year Award — Northern California Independent Booksellers Association

2008 Women's National Book Association's Judy Lopez Memorial Awards Honor

2008-09 Maine Student Book Award

2008 Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts

2009 ATPE Book of the Month

2009 Sakura Medal Book

2008-2009 Nominated for the Maine Student Book Award [36]

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales Notable Book for 2010 by the Children's Literary Assembly

AARP as a Grandparent's Book for Children [36]

Secrets of The Terra Cotta Soldier Top 3 Books by The Morning Call

Best Multi-Cultural Books of 2014 Award

NYPL's 100 Best Children's Books of 2014

Best Fiction on the Bank Street College 2015 List

The Nerdy Book Club's Top 10 Historical Fiction List

Shortlisted for the Hong Kong Golden Dragon Book Award

CALA Best Book Award of 2014 [36]

Crouching Tiger Winner of the Panda Book Award in China

Winner of The Morning Calm Award in South Korea

The Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book of 2011

CCBC Choices for 2012 [36]

The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale Featured title at the Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore

2013 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award (WCCPBA)Nominee

2012 Storytelling World Resource Award

2012 California Collections List, for school libraries

Scholastic Book Club Choice

2011 Lasting Connections Top 30 Titles from Booklist [36]

The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes 2018 Parent's Choice Awards

2019 Great Texas Mosquito List

2019 Bank Street College of Education — Best Children's Book

Morning Sun in Wuhan2022 Selected as one of the best books of 2022 by the New York Public Library [32]

2022 Honorable Mention of the Freeman Book Award by NCTAsia

2022 Recipient of the Common Sense Selection for Books designation

2023 Chosen as a Gold Standard Selection by the Junior Library Guild [34]

2023 Notable Social Studies Book by the NSST/CBC [33]

Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu2024 Recipient of the Common Sense Selection for Books designation [37]
Growing Up Under a Red Flag2024 Chosen as a Gold Standard Selection by the Junior Library Guild

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teochew cuisine</span> Chinese regional cuisine

Teochew cuisine, also known as Chiuchow cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine or Teo-swa cuisine, originated from the Chaoshan region in the eastern part of China's Guangdong Province, which includes the cities of Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang. Teochew cuisine bears more similarities to that of Fujian cuisine, particularly Southern Min cuisine, due to the similarity of Teochew's and Fujian's culture, language, and their geographic proximity to each other. However, Teochew cuisine is also influenced by Cantonese cuisine in its style and technique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of China

Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China, as well as from Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples such as rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eileen Chang</span> Chinese-American writer and screenwriter (1920–1995)

Eileen Chang (traditional Chinese: 張愛玲; simplified Chinese: 张爱玲; pinyin: Zhāng Àilíng; Wade–Giles: Chang1 Ai4-ling2;September 30, 1920 – September 8, 1995), also known as Chang Ai-ling or Zhang Ailing, or by her pen name Liang Jing (梁京), was a Chinese-born American essayist, novelist, and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iris Chang</span> American writer and activist (1968–2004)

Iris Shun-Ru Chang was an American journalist, author of historical books and political activist. She is best known for her best-selling 1997 account of the Nanjing Massacre, The Rape of Nanking, and in 2003, The Chinese in America: A Narrative History. Chang is the subject of the 2007 biography Finding Iris Chang, and the 2007 documentary film Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking starring Olivia Cheng as Iris Chang. The independent 2007 documentary film Nanking was based on her work and dedicated to her memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stinky tofu</span> Chinese fermented tofu with a strong odor

Stinky tofu is a Chinese form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands as a snack, or in lunch bars as a side dish, rather than in restaurants. Traditionally the dish is fermented in a brine with vegetables and meat, sometimes for months. Modern factory-produced stinky tofu is marinated in brine for one or two days to add odor.

<i>Mandu</i> (food) Korean dumplings

Mandu, or mandoo, are dumplings in Korean cuisine. Mandu can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or deep-fried. The styles also vary across regions in the Korean Peninsula. Mandu were long part of Korean royal court cuisine, but are now found in supermarkets, restaurants, and snack places such as pojangmacha and bunsikjip throughout South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fermented bean curd</span> Chinese condiment

Fermented tofu is a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine. The ingredients typically are soybeans, salt, rice wine and sesame oil or vinegar. In mainland China the product is often freshly distributed. In overseas Chinese communities living in Southeast Asia, commercially packaged versions are often sold in jars containing blocks 2- to 4-cm square by 1 to 2 cm thick soaked in brine with select flavorings.

<i>Qingtuan</i> Form of dumpling

Qīngtuán, also written as Tsingtuan, is a green-colored dumpling originating from Jiangnan and common throughout China. It is made of glutinous rice mixed with Chinese mugwort or barley grass. It is usually filled with sweet red or black bean paste. The exact technique for making qingtuan is quite complicated and the grass involved is only edible in the early spring, so it is typically only available around the time of the Qingming Festival (April 4 or 5), with which the rice cake has become associated. Nowadays, qingtuan sold in most convenience stores in China are made of glutinous rice mixed with matcha. Modern versions use a wider variety of fillings, such as rousong or salted egg yolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tofu</span> Soy-based food used as a protein source

Tofu is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: silken, soft, firm, extra firm. Tofu is also known as bean curd in English. It is a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines that has also been consumed in China for over 2,000 years. In modern Western cooking, it is most often treated as a meat substitute.

<i>Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party</i> (novel) 2007 novel by Ying Chang Compestine

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party is a work of historical fiction written by Ying Chang Compestine and published in 2007. The story is set at the end of the Cultural Revolution in Wuhan, China. The novel is about a young girl from an upper-class family facing persecution and other challenges brought upon the upper class living in communist China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egg drop soup</span> Chinese soup

Egg drop soup, also known as egg flower soup, is a Chinese soup of wispy beaten eggs in chicken broth. Condiments such as black or white pepper, and finely chopped scallions and tofu, are commonly added to the soup. The soup is made by adding a thin stream of beaten eggs to the boiling broth in the final moments of cooking, creating thin, silken strands or flakes of cooked egg that float in the soup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier</span>

Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier is a 2014 children's historical novel with fantasy elements written by Ying Chang Compestine and her son, Vinson Compestine. It is set in 1970s China.

<i>A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts</i>

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales is a young adult fiction book written by Ying Chang Compestine. Set in China, the book blends Chinese culture, cuisine, and modern customs into eight horror stories.[1][2]

<i>The Runaway Wok</i> 2011 childrens picture book

The Runaway Wok is a children's picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Sebastia Serra. Published in 2011 by Dutton Children's Books, the story follows a boy named Ming and his adventures with a magical talking wok who grants wishes. The story portrays the rich family as evil and the poor family as heroic.

<i>The Story of</i> (book series) Series of picture books by Ying Chang Compestine

The Story ofseries is a collection of children's picture books that were written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Yongsheng Xuan. Each installation depicts the invention of various objects in Chinese culture, including chopsticks, noodles, kites, and paper. An author's note and recipe is included at the end of each book. The first publication of The Story of Chopsticks was printed in English in 2001 by Holiday House. In 2016, the bilingual edition was printed in English and Chinese by Immedium. The illustrations, done by Xuan use traditional Chinese-style cut paper.

<i>Cooking with an Asian Accent</i>

Cooking with an Asian Accent is a cookbook written by author Ying Chang Compestine. Unlike traditional cookbooks, Compestine's recipes are inspired by the efficiency of Western culture and the spiritual nourishment of Asian lifestyle. Among the recipes, Compestine includes personal stories of her experience with the blending of Eastern and Western culture.

<i>The Runaway Rice Cake</i> 2001 childrens picture book

The Runaway Rice Cake is a picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Tungwai Chau. The book tells the story of the Chang family and the sense of community that can be born from a simple act of kindness.

<i>The Real Story of Stone Soup</i>

The Real Story of Stone Soup is a picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. The stone soup folk story is often associated with European folklore, but Compestine retells it set in China.

<i>Crouching Tiger</i> (book)

Crouching Tiger is a children's picture book written by award-winning author, Ying Chang Compestine, and illustrated by Yan Nascimbene. Published in 2011 by Candlewick Press, the book tells the story of a young, Chinese-American boy who comes to appreciate his Chinese heritage thanks to his grandfather's tai chi lessons.

<i>D Is for Dragon Dance</i>

D Is For Dragon Dance is a 2007 children's picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Yongsheng Xuan. The book explores the Chinese New Years traditions through a rhyming acrostic format using the English alphabet. The book concludes with an author's note, an artist's note, and a recipe for "New Year's Dumpling Delight".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Compestine, Ying Chang 1963". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  2. For a twist on the lunar new year dumpling add green Tea" NPR https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/01/31/268926416/for-a-twist-on-the-lunar-new-year-dumpling-add-green-tea
  3. "Morning Sun in Wuhan". Harper Collins Publishers. HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  4. 1 2 Spiegel, Jan Ellen (23 October 1997). "Chinese Cook Returns to Roots". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 6 September 2017 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Ying Chang Compestine (2012) - UC Davis School of Education". education.ucdavis.edu. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
  6. "Ying Chang Compestine | Ying's Education". yingc.com. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 McMahon, Regan (3 October 2007). "Ying Chang Compestine revisits the Cultural Revolution". SFGate. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  8. "China: Ying Chang Compestine". residentexpertwiki-eastasia.weebly.com. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  9. "Ying Chang Compestine" . Baker & Taylor Author Biographies. 5 January 2000 via EBSCOhost.
  10. "Healthy Cooking With Ying". www.diablomag.com. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  11. "Review of Ying's Best One-Dish Meals" . Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  12. Compestine, Ying Chang (2011-09-21). Ying's Best One-Dish Meals: Quick & Healthy Recipes for the Entire Family . South Portland, Me.: Sellers Publishing, Inc. ISBN   9781416206439.
  13. Iaacs, Matt. "Mighty Spirit". Diablo Magazine. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  14. "Revolution is Not a Dinner Party". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  15. "NAW Interview With Ying Chang Compestine and Vinson Compestine". New Asian Writing. 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  16. "Pictures of the Week: Authors Celebrate at Abrams Books | School Library Journal". School Library Journal. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  17. Gurdon, Megan Cox (May 10, 2024). "Children's Books: Visiting Earth, Channeling Aesop". Wall Street Journal.
  18. "Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution". May 12, 2024.
  19. Peters, John. "Growing Up under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution". Booklist.
  20. "GROWING UP UNDER A RED FLAG A MEMOIR OF SURVIVING THE CHINESE CULTURAL REVOLUTION". Kirkus Reviews. February 3, 2024.
  21. Kingsbury, Margaret (3 May 2024). "10 of the Best New Children's Books Out May 2024". Book Riot.
  22. McAvoy, Melissa (May 13, 2024). "Growing Up Under a Red Flag Review". Association of Children's Librarians OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
  23. Hintz-Zambrano, Katie (26 April 2024). "Growing Up Under a Red Flag". Mother.
  24. "Junior Library Guild: Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution by Ying Compestine". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  25. "RA PU ZEL AND THE STINKY TOFU". Kirkus Reviews.
  26. "Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu". Publishers Weekly.
  27. "Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu". School Library Journal. January 19, 2024.
  28. Tsai, Luke (January 8, 2024). "Stinky Tofu Is the Unlikely Star of a New Children's Book". KQED.
  29. McMahon, Regan. "Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu". Common Sense Media.
  30. Faust, Susan (November 8, 2022). "Bay Area chef/author Compestine turns COVID fears into lesson about compassion". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  31. "One of 2022's best books for kids is about Wuhan and pandemic cooking". The Mercury News. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  32. 1 2 "Best Books for Kids 2022 | The New York Public Library". www.nypl.org. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  33. 1 2 "Morning Sun in Wuhan". HarperStacks. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  34. 1 2 "Junior Library Guild : Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Compestine". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  35. "Deadline: YA Book 'A Banquet For Hungry Ghosts' Optioned For Anthology Horror Series By 108 Media". www.deadline.com. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ying Chang Compestine | Media Praise". yingc.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  37. "Common Sense Media: Parents' Guide to Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu". www.commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.