Monkey (The Five Ancestors, Book 2) [Library Binding]

Jeff Stone (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: The Five Ancestors, Book 2

At 11-years-old, Malao is the youngest of the Five Ancestors. Master of the monkey fighting style, he’s curious and quick, fast and fun-loving. But now, with the destruction of the temple and the deaths of his older brothers and Grandmaster, Malao the fun-loving monkey is forced to face things he’d rather not. As he grapples with these new and unwelcome feelings, Malao has an encounter with a dangerous band of bandits, is adopted by a troop of monkeys commanded by a one-eyed albino, and hears tantalizing rumors of a mysterious recluse called the Monkey King, who is said to act, and look, a lot like him. . . .


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9–Set in medieval China, each book in this series focuses on one of five young orphan monks. Each one is named after a specific animal and is learning a kung-fu-style martial art based on its characteristics. In the opening pages of Tiger and this sequel, their secret temple is attacked by a former student who is attempting to turn himself into a dragon. Their teacher, the Grandmaster, is killed and the five scatter into the forest. This sets up a tense plot that moves quickly from fight scene to fight scene with character and plot development being filled in between battles. Eleven-year-old Malao, the Monkey, is the youngest monk and is prone to giggling and avoiding baths. Initially uncertain without his brothers by his side, he is befriended by an albino macaque who is the leader of a troop of monkeys. Human/animal interaction is a central theme of both books as is the idea of the Chosen One or, in this case, Chosen Five. While both books begin at the same moment and then follow a separate character, their stories meet at points and the second book takes readers farther along in the narrative. Mysteries abound, with many left unresolved at the end. It is important to read this series in order. Stone has done a masterful job of managing an intricate plot, developing authentic characters, and writing well-described fight scenes. An easy and worthy sell to middle-grade readers.–Kathleen Meulen, Blakely Elementary School, Bainbridge Island, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. The youngest of five orphaned monks who escaped the pillage of their monastery, 11-year-old Malao races through treetops, leaps amazing heights, and practices a monkey style of martial arts. Too squeamish to help brother Hok protect the corpse of their Grandmaster, Malao meets up with brothers, Lu and Seh, as they attempt to take their sacred scrolls to Shaolin Temple. Along the way, mischievous Malao encounters bandits; an army of macaques and a ferocious enemy, Tsung. Monkey retains the intriguing kung fu elements, exotic setting, and pell-mell pace of Tiger (2005), but heavy-handed plotting, stilted conversations, and hokey relationships make this a disappointing sequel. Avid fans will want to continue the kung fu saga, but this second of five projected installments does not measure up to the first. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 208 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375930736
• ISBN-13: 978-0375930737
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,909,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff Stone lives in the Midwest with his wife and two children and practices the martial arts daily. Though Mr. Stone isn't Chinese, his wife is. She's from Hong Kong and speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English fluently. They have two children, a daughter age 5 and a son age 3. Both children speak Cantonese and English. Mr. Stone thinks his English skills are pretty good, but his Cantonese still needs a lot of work.
Like the Five Ancestors, Mr. Stone was adopted as an infant. He began searching for his birth mother when he was eighteen and found her fifteen years later.
Mr. Stone has worked as a photographer, an editor, a maintenance man, a technical writer, a ballroom dance instructor, a concert promoter, and a marketing director for companies that design schools, libraries, and skateboard parks.
When he isn't busy hiking, fishing, reading, playing sports, practicing martial arts, or traveling to Hong Kong with his wife and two children, Mr. Stone can usually be spotted writing at home.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Ancestors Monkey, February 24, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Monkey (The Five Ancestors, Book 2) (Hardcover)

Monkey is a book for the wittiest minds.
This book is the second book in the mind racing series called the Five Ancestors. To read these books, you have to think about every little thing. It makes the book the hardest to put down. This book is going to become super popular. You better read this awesome brain thriller.

This story is about five monks and their temple that gets destroyed by a so called traitor monk. The young monks fled the temple and went their different ways. But four of them meet up again to fight the so called evil one. In the book the monks are also looking for a relative because they're orphans. This book is filled with action, mystery and more. At the start you might think it's only action but if you do, you are wrong.



This series is written by Jeff Stone a good writer. One thing that is different about his series is that in each book, the same thing happens but in a different character's mind but still different. Another thing is in each book it switches from the main character to the so called traitor and his men. It makes you think even more.


I hope your brain is up for the challenge to read this book and series. By the way, the first book is called Tiger.


Happy Reading!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book, January 17, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Monkey (The Five Ancestors, Book 2) (Hardcover)

I really liked this book. It was a fun, easy read that kept me engaged. It was not only about kung-fu. After reading the first book in the series, Tiger, I hoped that Monkey would retell the story and it did not. I recommend that you read the books in order because it may be confusing if you don't.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monkey ( 5 Ancestors), March 11, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Monkey (The Five Ancestors, Book 2) (Hardcover)

I think the book was better than hope for. You need to read the frist book first than you will get the story.