Stranger on the Silk Road

"Sassy, graphic-novel-style illustrations give these great little first chapter books extra appeal. Each one tells its story-that of an arrogant artist's apprentice (Painting), a fisherboy with low self-esteem (Dragon), the garrulous daughter of a wealthy silk merchant (Silk Road), and an outspoken orphan girl (Terracotta Girl)-against the backdrop of some aspect of Chinese culture. Thus readers learn about scroll painting, jiao di wrestling, the silk trade, and Emperor Qin's terracotta soldiers. While this is by no means an unusual formula, it is one that is seldom seen in first chapter books, and rarely executed with such verve: the characters learn their lessons (often with help from the words of Confucius) and children learn about China without ever feeling hit over the head. Wonderful introductions to historical fiction."