Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society [Hardcover]

Adeline Yen Mah (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

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.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Full of adventure.” (School Library Journal )

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

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (December 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060567341
• ISBN-13: 978-0060567347
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,193,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chinese Cinderella Saves the Day, April 26, 2005

By 

A. Frederick "Librarian in Tennessee" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society (Hardcover)

Ye Xian is a twelve-year-old girl living in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, China during World War II. She loves spending time with Big Aunt because she teaches her English and is much kinder to Ye Xian than her father's new wife. Ye Xian loves to go by her English name Chinese Cinderella or CC.

When CC's stepmother takes her abuse too far, CC runs away and finds refuge with a group of za zhong, or unwanted "mixed-caste" children. They invite CC to join their Secret Dragon Society and help them save China from the hands of the occupying Japanese soldiers. Mah's inspiration for this book came from the kung fu novels she liked to read as a child, real historical details about the war and from her own memories of living in China during Japan's occupation. American fighter pilots landed in China after bombing Tokyo and portions of their real letters home are featured in the book.

The action never quite picks up enough so that the book feels like a real adventure story. The author's introduction and historical notes will help explain to readers the set-up of the story, and will help them understand a part of World War II they may have been unaware of. Fans of Mah's autobiographical Chinese Cinderella memoirs may not be as interested in this fictional tale.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be Chinese to appreciate this story, October 28, 2008

By 

Born in a Library (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society (Paperback)

The setting is China, but the story is universal. It is about love of family. The importance of loyalty and bravery. The heroine in the book is written beautifully. Everything about her is realistic and you feel her pain, lonliness, her longing. The story is also very exciting and the book leaps along. Not a boring moment in it. Highly recommended for all ages.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The future belongs to us!, July 10, 2005

By 

Toni Masters - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society (Hardcover)

When Chinese Cinderella is thrown out of her house, she finds herself in the deadly streets of Shanghai during World War Two.She becomes a member of a small resistance, that help the American during war.Join CC, David, Sam and Marat with the help of Grandma Wu, as they fight for survival in the war.Helping innocent prisoners escape from jail and stopping the Japanese from evil.This is the sad tale of an unwanted child who has much promise.This book is all that i wanted it to be and to tell the truth i was truly satisfied.Read this book and you will learn all about life in different areas in China and the truth of religion, how no religion is better than another.But what you will always remember how these four unwanted children chanted this very sentence: The future belongs to us! and it didn't it?