Genre: Fantasy / Adventure / Folklore
Recommended Age: 8-12
Recommended Grades: 3-7
Pages: 333
Series: Not Yet
“The human artists think of sculptures as their creations, but the statues think of humans as their responsibilities. Behind the statue’s still gaze, they are thinking, “I have been woken to watch you.””
If you have ever thought that a statue was watching, this book proves you right. It’s a fun imaginative look into the world of spirits and where they go when they are not watching us humans. This is a beautifully crafted middle school novel that will appeal to students looking for a good fantasy adventure. If your child or student wants to expand past Greek Gods and Goddesses, this novel might bring them to the folklore of China.
The Story:
The story revolves around a little lion statue named Jin who really just wants to play ball in the spirit world. He also wants his father, the stone lion, to see his value. Unfortunately, a desperate sculptor in the real world decides to steal the sacred sphere to bring back his family. Jin is forced out into the real world where he meets Lulu and Worm. Together, the three only have four days to save the spirit world and the real world by returning the sphere. They have to deal with dragons, gates, earthquakes, and dust storms. Along the way, they are also forced to deal with what it means to be a friend, and what family means to each of them.
What I Loved:
Illustrations: The illustrations were everything in this book. As an adult, I really appreciate the full color illustrations, and I know that my daughter will love this when she finally reads it. Many students gravitate towards books with pictures because they think that the book is easier to read. While I wouldn’t say that this book has tons of pictures and reads like a graphic novel, the illustrations do make the story stronger, and might help struggling readers connect a little more.
Relatability: Jin is so relatable with his love of sports. I myself am not a big sports fan, but my students will spend hours talking about sports. Jin seems like a typical middle school kid (with the exception of him being a stone lion and guarding a magical gate). That relatability will drive students to want to see what happens next to Jin.
No Romance: Many of my students get frustrated with young adult novels and the middle school novels when there is always a couple who gets together by the end. My students are always looking for a book that doesn’t necessarily include romance. They want a fantasy story with a group of friends. This book fulfills that wish.
Parents who Care: I forgot who said that the best way to sell a middle school novel is to take out the parents. But for the most part they are correct. Most great middle school novels do take the parents out of the story. However, my students get frustrated by this because they feel like their parents care and try to protect them. They may not always have time for them, and may not understand everything in their lives, but they feel that connection. They would like to see more involved parents in children’s literature. In this book, all of the parents are involved, loving, and want their children. That is a big plus to my students.
(Slight Spoiler Alert) Relatable as a Parent: On occasion, I read a middle school novel, and I am so annoyed with how unrealistic the characters are, and what actions that they take. In this case, I completely understood the sculpture’s pain and his reasoning for why he did what he did. If you manage to pick up this book as a parent (and I do encourage you to read it), I think you will really connect with the sculptor. I was crying at the point when the sculptor was able to be with his family again.
What I Disliked:
Overall this was a great book that I would recommend, but there are some issues with the novel.
Easy to Figure Out: The story has interconnecting characters, but you realize very quickly who each character is related to. The characters were more shocked than I was to find out the relationships between characters. Some of my students would be bothered by this. They like it when a story is able to stay mysterious, or when they don’t see a plot twist coming. There were no real plot twists, and it was easy to figure out where the story and characters were going, so that might frustrate some kids. If your student/child is all about the plot twist and big reveals, this story won’t meet their expectations.
(Spoiler Alert) Confusion at the End: The ending confused me in the fact that Jin actually returns home but that wasn’t supposed to be possible. The ending was rushed, so maybe there was an explanation in there, but I didn’t get it on the first read. I felt like the book needed to be ten pages longer with a better wrap up. I loved how the narrator started and ended the book, but it didn’t provide enough explanation.
Struggling Readers:
Reading Age: I tend to think that most kids won’t do well reading this book in 3rd grade, but might be better off in 5th or above. Since I work more with struggling readers, I think the reality is that the book is well written with slightly higher language than a 3rd grader would get.
Ancient Stories Remixed: Students who enjoy Percy Jackson might get into this novel. Most students like Percey Jackson because God and Goddess stories are always fun. This is a folklore story, and while many students may not be as familiar with Chinese folklore, this book easily explains the various spirits. It doesn’t require knowledge of any Chinese Gods or Goddesses. It also serves as a great transition book for students moving beyond Greek mythology-focused series like Percey Jackson.
Style: This book has an interesting style, and while I enjoyed it as an adult, my struggling readers might not enjoy it. The story goes from present day to past folklore stories. Luckily, the author added in illustrated line breaks to show the change, but if you teach this in class or talk about it with your kid, you might need to point out that text feature.
Heads Up:
The story mentions a plague time, and a great loss of life. While some students are past the COVID era, I know several of my 8th graders that still talk about the trauma of that time. Several of my students lost grandparents, or other loved ones. While it is just one small section in the book, it could bother more sensitive students.
Teacher Trick:
If you teach a creative writing course in high school, then read the back Author’s Note. Grace Lin talks about stories as if they are a garden in the mind. It is a beautiful metaphor and it explains that not every writer is quick, but that you are planting the seeds at all times. In this day of fast creation with AI, some of our students are still willing to take the time to write, and need to hear this advice. It’s also a great reminder for all ages that storytelling is a process, not a race.
Final Verdict:
This is definitely a book I will let my daughter read when she gets older, and I will be recommending it to my students. I don’t think I will be recommending it to my most struggling readers, but I may do it as a reading opportunity with a group of struggling readers. I would go through some of the styling and text features, and probably read excerpts with them. The story line is strong, the writing is engaging, and the characters are deeply relatable. That makes it a great book to show off to kids
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
Read if you like: Percy Jackson, When You Trap a Tiger, The Tale of Despereaux, Where The Mountain Meets the Moon
