"Li Lun: Lad of Courage" by Carolyn Treffinger

A Newbery Honor book, Li Lun, Lad of Courage is a touching survival story about resilience and hard work.

After Li Lun is unable to overcome his fear of the sea and fails to learn how to fish, he is branded a coward by his family and village and banished to a barren mountaintop. No one has been able to farm on this land in generations, but Li Lun must make his rice seedlings flourish before he is allowed to return home. Can he win the battle against the elements, wild animals, and his own loneliness?

This classic tale combines adventure and heart to illustrate the importance of courage, grit, and perseverance.