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183 pp.
| Random
| September, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-87020-0$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-97020-7$19.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-375-98761-8
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes series.
Having survived the seedy world of the dragon bone drug, Jake and his crew of BMX bikers get back to riding. But when they are wooed into attending a street race in China, they find dragon bone waiting for them. Jake's optimistic and honest voice is enjoyable, and one needn't be a bicycling enthusiast to like this energetic (if melodramatic) third series entry.
227 pp.
| Random
| September, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-87019-4$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-97019-1$19.99
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes series.
Trying to beat a dragon bone addiction ("it gave me extra strength and stamina") is no easy task. But Ryan (Phoenix), a skilled young bicyclist, does so while also rescuing his kidnapped cousin from magical dragon-bone dealers. Good-natured if slightly melodramatic and over-explanatory, this second installment is suited for the middle-grade reader interested in bicycle racing or Chinese folklore.
277 pp.
| Random
| September, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-87018-7$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-97018-4$19.99
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes series.
After Grandfather's dragon-bone powder is stolen, thirteen-year-old Phoenix, a top-notch mountain bike racer, learns that "Grandfather" (from Stone's previous Five Ancestors series) was actually born in 1638, and without his dragon bone, he'll die. So Phoenix jets to China to find more. Action-packed bike racing and kung fu sequences will likely distract readers from the wooden dialogue and frequent bouts of tell-rather-than-show mode.
231 pp.
| Random
| February, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-83079-2$15.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-93079-9$18.99
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors series.
In this series ender, the Emperor has been kidnapped. It's up to Long, the teenage kung fu master, to try to find him. With his allies--both old and new--Long leads the fight to defeat Tonglong and save the Emperor. While there's plenty of martial arts action, the multitude of characters makes it hard to keep track of who's who and what's what.
223 pp.
| Random
| April, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-83083-9$15.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-93083-6$18.99
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors series.
Ying, erstwhile antagonist and former "sibling" of the young kung fu–fighting monks featured in the series, takes center stage in this fifth installment. Allied with Hok for survival, he questions past decisions and beliefs. Ying's conflicting sense of honor and anger, combined with nonstop action, makes for compulsive reading, though the profusion of story lines and minimal plot progression grow frustrating.
248 pp.
| Random
| February, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-375-83077-8$15.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-375-93077-5$17.99
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors series.
In the fourth kung fu adventure about a makeshift family of young warrior monks, Hok battles crisscrossing evil plots involving Seh's villainous mother and an illegal fighting ring that holds Fu and Malao captive. Despite some implausibly convenient reunions, the nonstop creative action sequences and easy affection between characters make it easy to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the ride.
200 pp.
| Random
| March, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-375-83071-5$15.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-375-93071-X$17.99
(4)
4-6
Five Ancestors series.
This first installment of the projected series introduces five orphans raised together as brothers at a Buddhist temple in seventeenth-century China. This story features Fu, or Tiger, who is charged with retrieving ancient scrolls stolen from the temple. Fast-paced and action-packed, this Kung Fu adventure doesn't offer much depth, but the detailed (and vivid) fight scenes will enthrall fans of the genre.