“Razi, a local fisherboy, is watching turtle eggs hatch when he sees a boat bobbing into view. With a chill, he notices a small, still hand hanging over the side. Inside is Zheng, who’s escaped a shipwreck and is full of tales of sea monsters and missing treasure. But the villains who are after Zheng are soon after Razi and his sister, Shifa, too! And so begins an exhilarating escapade in the shadow of the biggest sea monster of them all”
Asia
Materials from Asia
Zachary Ying And The Dragon Emperor
After his augmented reality gaming headset is possessed by the spirit of the First Emperor of China, twelve-year-old Chinese American Zack Ying is compelled to travel across China to steal an ancient artifact, fight figures from Chinese history and myth, and seal a portal to prevent malicious spirits from destroying the human realm.
The Sky We Shared
Set during WWII and told in alternating voices, Nellie, a young Oregonian and survivor of a balloon bomb sent over by the Japanese, strives to understand how the war has torn her community apart and created prejudice against Japanese-Americans, while across the ocean, as part of her nationalist duty, Tamiko helps create the balloon bombs, but in her struggle to survive hunger and starvation, Tamiko muddles her way through her anger against the United States for the war.
A Magic Steeped In Poison
Ning enters a cutthroat magical competition to find the kingdom’s greatest master of the art of brewing tea, but political schemes and secrets make her goal of gaining access to royal physicians to cure her dying sister far more dangerous than she imagined. This is first book in The Book Of Tea duology.
This book is featured in Season 1, Episode 4 of the WOW Reads podcast.
Judy I. Lin is profiled in Authors’ Corner.
Feather And Flame
Mulan goes from a celebrated war hero to a reluctant Empress and must once again rise above expectations and prove she doesn’t have to be anyone but herself to save China.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea
In this retelling of the Korean legend The tale of Shim Cheong, sixteen-year-old Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm, where, assisted by a motley crew of demons, gods, and lesser spirits, she sets out to awaken the sleeping Sea God and save her homeland and family from deadly storms.
Alone Like Me
When Liling moves from her home in the mountains of China to the big city, her parents cannot afford to send her to school, and she spends her days with her mother, wishing she had a friend–until she sees a girl in a yellow coat, who lives in the next building, comes from a different mountain, and is happy to be Liling’s friend.
Kiki Kallira Breaks A Kingdom
Kiki has always relied on drawing to soothe her many anxieties, but when she unwittingly falls into the lavish kingdom based on Indian mythology that she has illustrated, she must find the courage to confront the evil god there who intends to destroy the real world.
Aru Shah And The Nectar Of Immortality
The Pandavas call on old friends, make new allies, and face fearsome trials as they embark on a mission to stop the Sleeper from accessing the nectar of immortality, but ultimately Aru must decide who deserves immortality–the devas or the asuras–and an unexpected answer comes from an unexpected place.
I’ll Go And Come Back
When Jyoti visits her grandmother halfway around the world, she is overwhelmed by the differences between India and home. At first she feels lonely and out of place, but soon, despite a language barrier, she and Sita Pati are able to understand each other. They form a bond-looking at books together, making designs with colored sand, shopping at the market, playing games, eating chapatis, and sipping warm milk with saffron to bring sweet dreams. When it’s time to part, Jyoti doesn’t want to leave, but then she remembers that in Tamil, people don’t say goodbye, they say “I’ll go and come back.” Sure enough, the two reunite the next summer when Pati visits Jyoti in America, and it’s Jyoti’s turn to make her grandmother feel welcome. Can they create some special memories that will last until the next time they see each other?
Featured in WOW Review Volume XV, Issue 2.