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Book Review and Music Pairings: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society, by Adeline Yen Mah

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chinese_cinderella_secret_dragon_societyAs devastatingly drawn in Adeline Yen Mah’s autobiography, Chinese Cinderella, Adeline lived a terrible childhood in Shanghai (see my review here). However, to get away from the cruelty and the monstrosity of her upsetting life, she wrote stories about what she endured. One piece of writing was turned into a book: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society.

The story begins with Adeline seeing a wonderful acrobatics show in the park one day. They hand her a business card with some words scripted on it that foreshadows the next few chapters. She walks home to her beloved Aunt’s house to find a man talking to her. Adeline learns his name is Master Wu, and he teaches Kung Fu. This is the start of a new beginning for Adeline. Master Wu was speaking in English with Adeline and decides that the name CC for Chinese Cinderella would really fit Adeline. So she is referred to as CC from then on.

CC’s aunt leaves to take care of a family member on a far-off island. CC knows that she will miss her aunt, but it is not until she gets kicked out of her own house by her father that she realizes how homesick for her aunt she becomes. She keeps wandering all by herself, alone and afraid until she comes to the park where just the day before she had seen the amazing Kung Fu acrobats. She rushes to a gardener nearby and wonders when they would perform next. He leads her right into them via…The Secret Dragon Society of Wandering Knights. CC has found her “home.” At this point in the story, I thought of the song “I can go the distance” from the Disney movie, Hercules. After all of CC’s troubles and wanting to belong, she had found the place. While enduring the rigorous training to become a Kung Fu master, her father calls her and wants her back home. She pretends she’s dead.

In both Chinese Cinderella and Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society, CC had some epic adventures. She is a character of great strength, and I admire her courage and potential. I felt like I was a part of her life while reading this story. Though I have never experienced devastating hardships like the ones she faced, I can draw inspiration from her promise to never give up and use it when I face my own challenges.

When you read a book about a character, real or not, who survives against all odds, how do you feel? Inspired? Moved? Motivated? And do you think you would be able to handle the situation? For example, I don’t think I would have the strength to survive being kicked out of my home and have the courage to join a Kung Fu society all within a day. Let me know your thoughts.

By the end of this book, I feel as though an uplifting song like “Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas should be played in the movie version of this 10 out of 10 book. It reminds me of all of CC’s adventures as a Kung Fu fighter and her friends she made in the Society.

-Maya Salem, 6th grade

Book Review & Playlist: If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, by Pseudonymous Bosch

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bosch_cover2The truth is. . . if you are reading this, it is too late!  Now members of an unknown society in an unknown neighborhood in an unknown town, Cass and Max-Ernest’s adventure is all about the gift of sound and Cass’s oddly shaped ears.  The first book in this series, The Name of This Book is Secret, is about smells, hence The Symphony of Smells.  If this wonderful series of books by Pseudonymous Bosch was made into a film, this story’s beginning should start with the song ‘Secret Garden’ by Bruce Springsteen.  After the first chorus of “Secret Garden,” it should fade away to the opening scene of Cass’s dream.

The story starts out with Cassandra experiencing a bad dream.  She has a field trip to the tide pools, and Cass and Max-Ernest are supposed to meet Pietro, but some kids get in the way.  They finally see a ship with a familiar man staring back at them.  At this point in this story’s movie, “Message In a Bottle” by The Police reflects the panic the characters feel at that moment.  Oh no!  It is the Midnight Sun (a group of evil alchemists who are the antagonists).  The crew assures them it is not really the Midnight Sun and everything is fine until they begin hearing familiar voices… Cass and Max-Ernest are once again in the Midnight Sun’s grasp.

This story engaged me from the beginning.  There were many times I was expecting  something to occur when just the opposite did.  As was the case with the first book, I would recommend this hard-to-put-down novel for all ages.  In the movie version, “Fooling Yourself” by Styx should close the film. This song shows how many times Max-Ernest and Cass made mistakes and put themselves in harm’s way but always using cleverness to overcome obstacles.

-Maya S., 6th grade