Serpent's Children [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Laurence Yep (Author), Alyssa Bresnahan (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997

In nineteenth-century China, a young girl struggles to protect her family from the threat of bandits, famine, and an ideological conflict between her father and brother.

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

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?Listeners familiar with Dragon's Gate by Lawrence Yep (HarpC, 1993) will be eager to hear [Laurence Yep's] rendition of its prequel (HarpC, pap. 1996). Set in early 19th century China, this is the story of eight-year-old Cassia Young and her family as they struggle against famine, violence, and the disapproval of other clan members. Her parent's life work has been their involvement in "The Brotherhood" whose goal is to drive foreign invaders from their country. Father, a skilled soldier, hopes that his only son, Foxfire, will carry on this mission and relentlessly drills the boy in proper fighting technique. But Foxfire, a dreamer who consistently fails to meet his father's expectations, ultimately flees China for the chance to succeed in the land of the "Golden Mountain" across the sea. Filled with riveting descriptions of daily life, including a horrifying scene in which Cassia's aunt and uncle attempt to bind her feet in an effort to improve her chances of making a good marriage, Yep's book provides realistic details of a young girl growing up under the harshest of conditions yet determined to keep the promise she made to her mother of keeping the family together. [Yep's] narration, once listeners get over the dissonance between her very American voice and the culture of the main character, effectively captures Cassia's spirited personality. This is an engrossing portrayal of a tumultuous period in China's history that is unfamiliar to many American readers. Recommended for all public library collections.?Cindy Lombardo, Ashland Public Library, OH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Laurence Yep is the acclaimed author of more than sixty books for young people and a winner of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. His illustrious list of novels includes the Newbery Honor Books Dragonwings and Dragon's Gate; The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee; and The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island, which he cowrote with his niece, Dr. Kathleen S. Yep, and was named a New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing" and a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book.

Mr. Yep grew up in San Francisco, where he was born. He attended Marquette University, graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and received his PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He lives in Pacific Grove, California, with his wife, the writer Joanne Ryder.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Recorded Books; Unabridged edition (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0788713345
• ISBN-13: 978-0788713347
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,756,884 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

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Restore the Light, June 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Serpent's Children: Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1849 (Paperback)

The Serpent's Children is the coming of age story of Cassia, an atypical Chineese girl. She struggles to keep the family together while her father is off fighting the people they call the demons. This book gives insight into what Chineese life was like, on both sides of the ocean. It is a good read, although sometimes a little dry. I enjoyed other books by Laurence Yep more than this one, but it is still a powerful story and one worth reading.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serpents Children, July 28, 2008

By 

Bonnie Cadwell (Conroe, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Serpent's Children: Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1849 (Paperback)

I bought this book for my granddaughter. It was for her summer reading program. I was pleased to get it for her. It came in good condition and I sent it on to her. I am sure she is enjoying it.

Bonnie Cadwell