The Case of the Firecrackers (Chinatown Mystery) [Paperback]

Laurence Yep (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 27, 2005 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Chinatown Mystery (Book 3)

An ex-movie star turned publicist, Auntie Tiger Lil can't seem to stay away from the big screen'or from danger! When she takes her niece Lily to the set of TV's hottest show, tempers flare and fuses ignite as a loaded gun finds its way into the scene. Somebody is trying to cause trouble, and everyone is suspect. Auntie Tiger Lil and a new cast of characters are once again in the center of action as they travel from Chinatown to the dangerous Tenderloin District of San Francisco in search of clues. They follow a trail of firecrackers, gangs, bad food, and gambling to dead ends. How will they ever find the real culprit?

01-02 Young Hoosier Book Award Masterlist (Gr 4-6)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Once again, Lily and her aunt are on the trail of a mystery in their native San Francisco. Auntie, also known as Tiger Lil (a role she played in several movies) takes Lily, her brother Chris, and his girlfriend to the set of the television show "East Meets West" to meet the teen-heartthrob Clark Tom. Once there, the group is cast as extras in a scene. Unknown to the actors on the set, someone has put real bullets in the gun that is fired at Clark during the filming. Suspicion is cast on the actor using the weapon and Auntie promises the young man's grandfather that she will try to prove his innocence. During their investigation, the characters travel about town and learn a bit about their Chinese heritage, information and details that will also hold readers' interest. Both fans of the series and those new to it will enjoy this well-written mystery.
Cathy Coffman, Sunrise Mountain Library, Peoria, AZ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Tiger Lil Leung and her great-niece, Lily, last seen in The Case of the Lion Dance (1998), return in their third Chinatown mystery. This time Tiger Lil, an aging film star who moonlights as a public relations specialist, an entertainment agent, and a detective, has been asked to meet with teen heartthrob Clarke Tom, who is filming on location in Chinatown. When someone makes an attempt on Clarke's life and Lily's brother is suspected, Tiger Lil and Lily are swept into the case. Various leads take the sleuths to the Tenderloin district (where they are held hostage), to a Chinatown social club, and finally to a Chinese laundry, where they prevent a second murder attempt. The details of the Chinatown neighborhood are a real plus, and the carefully plotted mystery, sprinkled with judiciously placed clues, makes the story hard to put down. Give this to mystery buffs as well as children fascinated by Chinatown. Kay Weisman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (December 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064405540
• ISBN-13: 978-0064405546
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurence Yep has been fascinated with tales of sibling rivalry from the day he was born. His older brother, Tom, chose his name Laurence - after a saint who died a particularly gruesome death. Laurence has been trying to get even ever since. Laurence Yep now lives in Pacific Grove, California, with his wife and is one of children's literature's most respected authors. His award-winning titles include Newbery Honor Books Dragonwings and Dragon's Gate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Firecracker Bonanza, April 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Case of the Firecrackers (Chinatown Mystery) (Hardcover)

The title of my book is The Case of the Firecrackers by Laurence Yep.
Lily, her great-aunt Tiger Lil, her brother Chris, Chriss girlfriend Evie, and Grandpa Eng are enjoying a nice dinner when, suddenly, the phone rings. Lily, Evie, Chris, and Tiger Lil are on their way to meet handsome teen heartthrob, Clark Tom!
While visiting Clark, he asks the group if they wouldnt mind playing a small role in his next Chinatown movie. Of course, they all oblige and are quickly dressed and whisked away to the set. Norm, the director of the movie, had hired a gang member to play the murderer of Clark Tom. While the scene was rolling, the gang member got ready to shoot blanks. Bang! Instead of shooting blanks, he shot real bullets! Tempers began to flare, fuses ignited as the gang member is arrested and hauled away for the attempted murder of Clark Tom. But Tiger Lil doesnt think hes the one who exchanged the blanks for the real bullets. Auntie Tiger Lil and her crew follow a trail of firecrackers, gangs, bad food, and gambling to dead ends. How will they ever find the real culprit?
Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5. The book uses great words and a climax that never seems to end. There is a similar book called Maude, but that story was about a witch trying to put a spell on a little girl. It related to The Case of the Firecrackers because they both used firecrackers, spells, and mysterious people in the plot to add suspense. Once you start to read this book, I guarantee you wont be able to put it down! Happy reading!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCITING!!!, March 4, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Case of the Firecrackers (Chinatown Mystery) (Hardcover)

This novel takes place in Chinatown. It could have happened now, but I don't know when it really did take place. There is this really big TV Star in Chinatown shooting a scene for his show, "East Meets West." In this scene, Clark will act like a mobster is shooting him. The mobster is actually just shooting blanks though. But, somehow they got switched with real bullets. Now everyone around is in danger because the mobster can't tell that he is shooting real bullets. Then, when he does figure it out, no one is hurt but the police are investigating and he might get taken off to jail for something he really didn't mean to do.
I thought this book was really exciting and good. It has just the right amount of excitement to make you read on. I had a hard time to put it down in some parts. It was a well-written book. I think it was well written because it was about other cultures and how they can do the same things that we do even if they are 10,000 miles away, and they speak a different language or something like that. This book was kind of like the Hardy Boys because it is so exciting and well written.

4.0 out of 5 stars DoodleDot's Review, April 3, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Case of the Firecrackers (Chinatown Mystery) (Hardcover)

I have read this book, The Case of the Firecrackers, and I say that overall this is a great book to read. The setting of the book is in Chinatown and the main character is named Lily. Her great-aunt Tiger Lil is a famous actor who goes on a set of a television show and wants to be in it. The star of the show, Clark, gets shot at during one of the scenes by a real gun filled with real bullets! One of the co-stars, who shot at Clark, says that he was framed and didn't know the gun was real, and when his grandfather asks Tiger Lil and Lily to help, they are determined as ever to find out who really did it.

This is a great book, because it gives you a good story and also tells some about the Chinese culture. It talks about a Chinese game called Mah-jong. The game is like poker, but instead of cards they play with tiles made from bones. Even though there is only one Chinatown, the areas in Chinatown do differ by dialects. The north part of Chinatown speak with a Cantonese dialect,and the south has a Mardarin dialect. The book also talks about chinese gangs in some particular spots in Chinatown. They usually sell illegal firecrakers. As you can see I've learned a lot.

This book has given me a feel about the chinese culture and has taken me through a typical chinese person's life. This book is a fast-paced and kept me on edge from beginning to end. The book has a surprise in every chapter and will definitely surprise you in the end. Usually a book's end isn't very good, but I'm pretty sure readers will be satisfied. If the other books in Laurence Yep's series are as good as this one, I would recommend those and I most absolutely recommend book-lovers to read The Case of the Firecrackers by Laurence Yep.