Book Review – THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yep, Laurence. 2006. THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES. New York, NY: Harper Trophy. ISBN 978-0060008468
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This gripping novel describes the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 from two perspectives. The first is from the affluent Travis family, who are at home when the quake strikes at 5:12 AM. The other perspective is from their housekeeper, Ah Sing and his son Chin. When the quake strikes, the two have returned home to their tenement building. The book then alternates back and forth between the two experiences, describing how they survive and what they see. The children soon realize how brave and heroic their parents are when other’s lives are threatened. These adults put Marshall Earp and other fantasy heroes from the Penny Dreadfuls to shame! Also mixed in are descriptions of what is occurring deep underground and how firefighters are attempting to battle the blaze. Near the end, the two groups reconnect in Oakland, and the Travises move in with Ah Sing and Chin’s cousin. They vow to rebuild!
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES, author Laurence Yep blends several authentic threads together to make an impressive historical fiction book. One thread describes the basics of plate tectonics and tells what caused the quake. The next thread is how people from different cultures reacted to the catastrophic earthquake. In Chinatown, there is much talk about the Earth Dragon being angry and moving around, causing the ground to shake. This also ties into brief descriptions sprinkled throughout the novel of how Chinese Americans were discriminated against before, during, and after the earthquake. Another thread is describing how a fire caused by an earthquake gets started, how it spreads, and how the firemen can fight it. The author does an impressive job giving “life” to the fire, describing how it is “hungry” to consume more of the city of San Francisco. Finally, there are accurate descriptions of the highs and lows in how people respond to the tragedy. Some try to turn a quick profit, while true heroes sacrifice their life so that others may live. The whole book feels realistic, and does a great job making children think about the situation and how they would respond. The two young boys have a believable friendship, and the fact that they are the same age as the book’s target audience works to pull in readers. The novel ends with an afterword, filling in some details of what happened next. Also included are suggestions for further reading and photos from that fateful day, which could also help children picture what it was like to be there.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Reviewed in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “But the story as a whole should appeal to reluctant readers. Its natural disaster subject is both timely and topical, and Yep weaves snippets of information on plate tectonics and more very neatly around his prose.”
Reviewed in BOOKLIST: “Henry and Chin’s stories are told in alternating chapters with a few interruptions for the insertion of earthquake information. Told in the present tense, the narration provides a "you are there" sense of immediacy and will appeal to readers who enjoy action-packed survival stories.”
Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee
5. CONNECTIONS
Newbery Honor Books by Laurence Yep:
Yep, Laurence. DRAGONWINGS. ISBN 978-0822213260
Yep, Laurence. DRAGON’S GATE. 978-0785761549
Short chapters would make this a great read aloud to learn more about natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires. The book could also serve to prompt a discussion about racial discrimination.
Another great early chapter book for kids interested in the quake:
Osborne, Mary Pope. EARTHQUAKE IN THE EARLY MORNING. 978-0679890706
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