Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao, 340 pages. McElderry (Simon), 2022. $18
Language: G (1 swear, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild danger)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
14yo Zachary may be the only Asian kid in his Maine middle school, but he has only 14 days to plug a hole in the Chinese underworld or a demon spirit will devour his mom’s soul – poof! Zach discovers that he is the 88th great grandson of Qin Shi Huang – the 1st emperor of China. Unfortunately, Zach knows zero about Chinese culture. His mother never taught him anything. Plus, his connection to Qin’s soul through his VR gear is so tentative, that the two can barely work together. Nevertheless – off to China Zach goes – he will rescue his mother or die trying.
Instead of focusing on Chinese mythology, Zhao gives us a lot of figures from Chinese history, with some mythology mixed in. The formatting – like a character page from a video game book – is a spot-on glimpse at each new person’s history and traits. Zach is a Chinese Muslim, a persecuted minority in China. Lots of fighting, but plenty of personality and heart, too.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
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