New Releases by Laurence Yep

A boy and a group of magical animals carry the fate of the world on their shoulders in this fantasy adventure by a two-time Newbery Honor–winning author. It isn''t every day you meet a tiger. And certainly not a tiger in a suit and tie who informs you the fate of the world is in your hands . . . Tom has always felt different from everyone else living in San Francisco''s Chinatown, but he has no idea just how very different he is until he discovers he''s part of a long line of magic-wielding beings called Guardians. For centuries, a Guardian has protected a powerful talisman that can either bring peace to the world or cause its destruction. For centuries, it has been kept safe—until now. The evilest being of all has sent his terrifying minions to lay siege to the talisman and its latest Guardian, a tiger called Mr. Hu. The Guardian has his own allies in the battle, including an outlaw dragon, a mischievous monkey, and his new apprentice—Tom. But Tom doesn''t want to be the tiger''s apprentice. What can he possibly do to help? And can they all stop bickering long enough to unite their powers in time? Now an original animated movie streaming on Paramount+, starring Henry Golding, Lucy Liu, Brandon Soo Hoo, Academy Award–winner Michelle Yeoh, and Golden Globe–winner Sandra Oh.

If only Artie had kept his mouth shut. But his mean cousin Petey was putting him down, so Artie started bragging. Now he has to come up with enough money to buy firecrackers for all his cousins by the Lunar New Year. Luckily, there''s one person he can count on . . . Uncle Chester! Newbery Honor Book author Laurence Yep celebrates family and Chinese New Year traditions in this story of a boy and his uncle who discover that age doesn''t matter when it comes to helping out a friend.

A family crisis threatens Mia''s chance to compete in the Regional Ice Skating competition.

Teddy''s idea of a good vacation is a triple-feature at the movie theater. So when his uncle invites him to go camping, he is more than a little reluctant. To make matters worse, his know-it-all little brother, Bobby, is coming, too. Teddy practices his camping skills in his Chinatown apartment and watches Wilderness Scout for tips, but nothing can prepare him for his meeting with Mother Nature. Soon Teddy, Bobby, and Uncle Curtis find themselves in the woods, sleeping on rocks, and battling raccoons, mosquitoes, and poison oak. Through it all, Teddy is determined to prove he is just as smart as his little brother. But the worst is yet to come. A hike leaves them lost in the woods-and is that a skunk coming down the path?

Steve can hardly believe it. With his new paintbrush, whatever he paints becomes real. Now he, Grandfather, and Uncle Fong can wish for anything they want. Uncle Fong uses the paintbrush to return to China, to the village of his childhood, and Grandfather wants to visit the Lady on the Moon. Steve wonders if the paintbrush can bring his parents back. But they all soon realize the paintbrush might have its own agenda. .

In 1927, as Christmas approaches, fifteen-year-old Joan Lee hopes to get permission to celebrate the holiday, since she belongs to the only Chinese American family in her small West Virginia town.

When a poor farmer falls into the clutches of a dragon, only Seven, his youngest daughter, will save him—by marrying the beast. Publishers Weekly praised "Yep''s elegant, carefully crafted storytelling" and Mak''s "skillfully and radiantly rendered illustrations" in this captivating and luminous Chinese variation of the beauty and the beast tale. A 1998 Notable Children''s Trade Book in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC) A 1997 Pick of the Lists (ABA)

But now she''s living it. Amy feels like one of the evil stepsisters when her mother becomes an amah (a nanny) for Miss Stephanie. While her mother''s at work, Amy has to watch her younger brothers and sisters. That means missing ballet practices, which jeopardizes Amy''s role in the recital. And when Amy''s mother is home she can''t stop talking about how perfect Stephanie is-and how less than perfect Amy is. All Amy wants is for things to go back to the way they were before her father died, before her mother had to work. But maybe the solution to Amy''s problems lies not in changing the circumstances of her life, but in changing herself. Book jacket.

Jim doesn''t know what to do when his teacher tells him to write an essay about his Grandpop. There''s just nothing nice to say about the meanest man in Chinatown. Jim manages to scribble something down and go to bed. But imagine his surprise when he wakes up to find a green, four-armed imp peering down at him. When the imp starts to eat his homework, Jim knows he''s in for trouble. Then the imp threatens Grandpop, too. What can they do? Jim''s just a kid. And Grandpop''s an old man. Or is he? After all, this is Chinatown, where statues speak, stone lions prowl the streets, and an elderly man turns into a supernatural warrior. Join Jim and his Grandpop on a wild, magical ride that teaches Jim there''s more to Grandpop and Chinatown than meets the eye.Two-time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep interweaves fantasy, humor, and a celebration of family into this entertaining tale. 2000 Georgia Children''s Book Award and 01-02 Land of Enchantment Book Award Masterlist (Gr. 3-6) Two-time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep interweaves fantasy, humor, and a celebration of family into this entertaining tale.

When $2000 is stolen during the opening of a restaurant, Lily and her aunt, a Chinese American movie actress, search for the thief throughout San Francisco''s Chinatown.

Their families fought one another for generations, maintaining an age-old blood feud. But that changed when they found themselves on the same side of a new struggle against the tyrannical Manchu dynasty. By devoting himself fully to the revolution, Squeaky Lau wins Cassia''s trust -- and her heart. But winning Cassia''s love is not enough. Now Squeaky must prove his worth as a man -- to Cassia, to his villa village, and most importantly, to himself. And the only way he can do that is by giving up everything he has worked for and traveling to the Land of the Golden Mountain, the place foreign demons call America.

Tree Of Dreams is a masterful collection, Newbery Honor author Laurence yet ascends the tree of dreams, taking young readers on a journey through its branches to offer a new perspective on dreams and dreaming.

"Culled from 69 stories collected in a [1930s] WPA project, [these 20] tales are organized into sections with themes like ''Tricksters'' or ''Virtues and Vices,'' each with a thoughtful introduction placing the individual stories in the context of feelings and background of the original tellers. Yep''s telling is vigorous, often poetic, imbued with earthy humor and realism touched with fatalism. A handsomely designed collection." —K. Notable Children''s Books of 1989 (ALA) The USA Through Children''s Books 1990 (ALA) 1989 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Nonfiction 1990 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book) 1989 Children''s Editors'' Choices (BL) Notable 1989 Children''s Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC) Children''s Books of 1989 (Library of Congress) 1989 Children''s Books (NY Public Library) "The Best Books" 1989 (Parents Magazine)

"This poignant, gently humorous novel is about prejudice and acceptance....15-year-old Joan Lee is a child of two worlds. As a Chinese American, she has never felt her separateness more than now, in 1927, in this new place in West Virginia. Only Miss Lucy, their landlord and neighbor, seems welcoming....There''s nothing coy about Yep''s portrait of prejudice, which he sketches from several angles."--Booklist. "A pleasure to read, entertaining its audience even as it educates their hearts."--Horn Book.

The author describes how he grew up as a Chinese American in San Francisco and how he came to use his writing to celebrate his family and his ethnic heritage.

A retelling of seventeen Chinese American folktales from a variety of Chinese communities in the United States.

Twelve-year-old Casey is waiting for the day that Barney, her father, hits it big -- ''cause when that horse comes in, he tells her, it''s the penthouse suite. But then hr ends up in the hospital, and Casey is sent to Chinatown to live with her grandmother, Paw-Paw. Now the waiting seems longer than ever. Casey feels lost in Chinatown. She''s not prepared for the Chinese school, the noisy crowds, missing her father. But Paw-Paw tells her about the mother Casey never knew, and about her family''s owl charm and her true Chinese name. And Casey at last begins to understand that this -- Paw-Paw''s Chinatown home, her parents'' home -- is her home,too.

Shimmer, a renegade dragon princess, tries to redeem herself by capturing a witch with the help of a human boy.

In the early twentieth century a young Chinese boy joins his father in San Francisco and helps him realize his dream of making a flying machine.

Fans of How to Train Your Dragon will love this whimsical tale, the first in a series, by a Newbery Honor winner, featuring charming illustrations and pet "training tips" in each chapter. Crusty dragon Miss Drake has a new pet human, precocious Winnie. Oddly enough, Winnie seems to think Miss Drake is her pet—a ridiculous notion! Unknown to most of its inhabitants, the City by the Bay is home to many mysterious and fantastic creatures, hidden beneath the parks, among the clouds, and even in plain sight. And Winnie wants to draw every new creature she encounters: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Winnie’s sketchbook is not what it seems. Somehow, her sketchlings have been set loose on the city streets! It will take Winnie and Miss Drake’s combined efforts to put an end to the mayhem . . . before it’s too late. This refreshing debut collaboration by Laurence Yep, a two-time Newbery Honor winner and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winner, and Joanne Ryder features illustrations by Mary GrandPré. Praise for A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans *“Warm humor, magical mishaps, and the main characters’ budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series a special shine.” –Booklist, Starred “Aternately comical, suspenseful and sometimes sweetly emotional.” –Kirkus Reviews “With a black-and-white spot illustration opening most chapters, an engaging narrator, and a consistently fluid writing style, this title makes a fine dragon choice for readers.” –School Library Journal “In this series launch, Yep and Ryder conjure up a world where dragons and humans interact, and the results are heartwarming and quite funny.” –Publishers Weekly “A clever and amusing novel that imagines a magical world that nestles right up against our own and sometimes crosses over.” –The Bulleting of the Center for Children’s Books Praise for A Dragon’s Guide to Making Your Human Smarter "Yep and Ryder keep the magic coming with their whimsical fantasy, enhanced by Grandpré's sweet drawings. The story positively vibrates with fun." —Kirkus Reviews " Lighthearted episodes of unusual school lessons and field trips, illustrated by GrandPré’s winsome spot art, are grounded by Miss Drake’s more serious encounters with the goons...a gratifying development as this buoyant, fantastical series continues."—The Horn Book Review

As Isabelle rehearses for *The Nutcracker*, she struggles with her pirouettes, in part because her castmate Renata points out her *every* mistake. Isabelle takes her mind off her troubles by helping to design costumes for the other dancers. She's distracted, too, by her older sister, Jade, who seems moody and withdrawn. When Isabelle figures out the problem, can she tap into her design skills to find a solution for Jade? And can Isabelle find the confidence to tune out Renata and polish her own performance, too?

The dragon princess Shimmer and her companions fight a war against the evil Boneless King in order to rescue their friend Thorn and restore the dragons' underwater home.