Zhang, Kat The Emperor’s Riddle, 235 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2017. $ 17.
Mature Content: G; Language: G; Violence: PG (scary).
At first Mia is not excited about going to visit her uncle
in China for a month of summer vacation, even if her brother, mother, and
favorite aunt are coming along. But
returning to her home reminds Aunt Lin of a mystery from her own childhood that
she never solved. When Aunt Lin
disappears in the middle of the night, Mia knows it has to do with the angry
man from Lin’s past and the family mystery of the Emperor’s treasure, but no
one will listen to her. Mia will have to
solve the riddle, perhaps by herself, in order to bring Aunt Lin home.
I have to get this off my chest – it bugs me that Mia’s
uncle NEVER gets a name! Come to think of it, I don’t think Mia’s mom has a
name either. Mia is another overly shy
tween who calls her mother’s brother “stranger uncle” the whole novel, who
somehow has the courage to run off in a strange country all by herself to solve
a mystery, though. Despite those
irritations, though, the mystery is interesting enough to keep you
reading. Many of the answers fall into
Mia’s lap, but that is to be expected with a young reader’s book.
EL - OPTIONAL. Cindy,
Library Teacher
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