Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society

by Adeline Yen Mah

Overview

The future belongs to you. Should anyone insult you, tell yourself this: I am a child of destiny who will unite East and West and change the world.

After enduring abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother, Chinese Cinderella (CC) seeks refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society.

Under the guidance of Grandma Wu, CC is introduced to the exciting world of espionage as a part of the Chinese Resistance movement. And when CC and her new comrades take on a daring mission to rescue a crew of WWII American airmen, they prove that true bravery knows no age barrier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060567361
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/21/2006
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.62(h) x 0.51(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Adeline Yen Mah is the author of Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter, an ALA Best Book for Young Readers and a Publishers Weekly Best Book. Her other books include the New York Times best-seller Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter; A Thousand Pieces of Gold: A Memoir of China’s Past Through Its Proverbs; and Watching the Tree: A Chinese Daughter Reflects on Happiness, Traditions, and Spiritual Wisdom. Millions of readers worldwide celebrate the way Ms. Mah conveys the power of the human spirit in her writings.

Ms. Yen Mah was born in Tianjin, China. When she won a writing competition at the age of fourteen, she convinced her father to send her to school in England, where she later received a medical degree. Following the success of falling leaves, she has pursued her lifelong dream of being a fulltime writer.

Adeline Yen Mah lives in California and England with her husband. If you wish to review this book or contact the author, visit her online at

Read an Excerpt

Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society

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By Adeline Mah

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Copyright © 2006

Adeline Mah

All right reserved.

ISBN: 0060567341

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Chapter One

The Boy Acrobats

It was a sunny afternoon in early spring when I set off after school to Big Aunt's place for my daily English lesson. I was thinking of a kung fu novel I was reading about a warrior monk with an iron hand as I hopped off the tram near the Du Mei Gardens, opposite my aunt's apartment.

The sounds of a bamboo flute drifted on the air with the heady fragrance of lilac blossoms, and suddenly I saw three boys, wearing colorful satin costumes with matching caps of red, blue and green, rounding a rhododendron bush into the park. I knew Big Aunt would worry if I was late, but I couldn't resist following them.

A large crowd was milling around the music pavilion, and an elderly woman signaled to the boys to hurry. Soon they were twisting, jumping and performing somersaults, all under the direction of the woman. The crowd gasped as one of the boys . . .

Continues...

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Excerpted from Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society
by Adeline Mah
Copyright © 2006 by Adeline Mah.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts areprovided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Full of adventure.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

After writing two memoirs about her childhood in China, suffering abuse from a cruel stepmother, Mah (Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter) writes an equally riveting novel set in 1942, featuring a young heroine from Shanghai with a background similar to her own. Unlike the author, however, 12-year-old narrator CC manages to escape her painful home life with a neglectful father and his tyrannical girlfriend by running away. She joins the secret Dragon Society, an academy devoted to "helping those who have suffered unjustly and have nobody to turn to." Under the guidance of kind "Grandma" Wu, a woman filled with pearls of wisdom, CC learns martial arts as well as the philosophy of kung fu. She also develops a strong camaraderie with three boys-also unwanted or orphaned children-who live at the academy. As Japan's occupation of China becomes increasingly treacherous, the Dragon Society prepares for a dangerous mission to save a group of American pilots from being captured by Japanese soldiers. For the first time since joining the academy, CC's courage and quick-wittedness are tested. This gripping tale based on a true event meshes action and suspense with Eastern philosophy to create a provocative and educational read. CC emerges as a noble, compassionate heroine who finds a path to happiness by helping others. Ages 10-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly