Ching Yeung Russell

Ching Yeung Russell is a seasoned, award-winning author of many middle grade novels, including First Apple, Tofu Quilt, and Bungee Cord Hair. She was raised in China, where she was inspired to write after being told by her friend that she could eat more bowls of "dan lai"--a hard-to-get, sweet-milk custard she loved--if she became an author. She left China for Hong Kong when she was 12 years old. Ching has been friends with the real-life Lam and Dee Dee since 1986. She combined their refugee journey with the details and stories she heard while visiting a Vietnamese refugee camp in Hong Kong.