Children's chapter book about kid on the Yangtze

I'm not sure if it's Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, since I remember the main character being a Western girl instead of a Chinese boy. Whatever the sex, the kid lived near the Yangtze, and a lot of the book talked about the experiences of living in that area. I specifically remember coolies and pullcarts being mentioned, and the kid wasn't sure which one to pick - the coolies needed the money, but the work wasn't good for their health.

I read this book probably 15 years ago, but it seemed like something that was written a long time before that. There were some B&W illustrations included here and there, and the POV was either first person or limited omniscient, only focusing on the kid.

Could it be Mei Li by Thomas Handforth?
Doubleday
1938

This Caldecott winner is the charming story of Mei Li, a young Chinese girl who wishes to go to the New Year fair. The art is beautifully drawn with charcoal and the prose is pleasant to the ear.

The moral of the story, that a girl’s palace is her home and she is to keep it well is, at this point, a trifle archaic.

All in all, a good picture book. 3 stars. Recommended for children 6 yrs and up.

Could this possibly be Ho-Ming, Girl of New China? Ho-Ming was also written by Elizabeth F. Lewis, the author of Young Fu. It has lovely little black-and-white spot illustrations by Kurt Wiese, the illustrator for the also famous book, The Story About Ping.

I used to read and enjoy a series about a chinese boy named Little Pear. (Unless it was a girl!). The illustrations I think I recall were line drawings, profiles with a wide-sleaved jacket.

I remember those -- they were by Eleanor Frances Lattimore.

Homesick by Jean Fritz is another possibility.

Could it be one of the Golden Mountain Chronicles by Laurence Yep? Dragonwings was one, but there are several.

I know this was ages ago, but "Homesick: My Own Story" sounds exactly right, and I remember the cover art. Finally I know! Thanks a bunch, everyone!