Books 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.

For fans of How to Train Your Dragon comes the final adventure in the Dragon’s Guide series by two-time Newbery Honor winner Laurence Yep and Joanna Ryder, featuring enchanting artwork by Caldecott Honor winner and Harry Potter illustrator Mary GrandPré. Plucky pair Winnie and Miss Drake are traveling back in time to the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair. Waiting in the past are Winnie’s great-grandfather Caleb, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a centuries-old mystery: Who stole the Heart of Kubera necklace? Despite the excitement, Winnie’s only wish is to lose Rowan, an unusual boy who has the annoying habit of showing up at inconvenient times. But the wise Miss Drake knows her pet Winnie should be careful what she wishes for—especially when her wish-granting souvenirs follow them home. “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 “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 that will draw readers and leave them impatient for sequels.” —Booklist, Starred

When Miss Drake enrolls her dear human pet, Winnie, in The Spriggs Academy, an extraordinary school for humans and magicals alike, the feisty girl makes new friends and frenemies while outmaneuvering a kidnapping plot.

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

Ten-year-old Isabelle finds a creative way to use her talent for fashion design to help her older sister Jade, who is performing the role of Clara in the Nutcracker ballet

Isabelle is excited about starting her first year at Anna Hart School of the Arts, but her classmates are so talented -- especially her older sister, Jade. Isabelle loves ballet, but she wonders if she'll always be dancing in her sister's shadow. Isabelle's mood takes a leap when her mom asks for her help designing costumes for the Autumn Festival. Back in the dance studio, though, Isabelle still lags behind her classmates. Can she stop comparing herself to others and find a way to become her own kind of dancer?

When Isabelle''s idol, Jackie Sanchez, invites her to join a group of travelling performers, Isabelle jumps on board. But she''s not prepared for all the challenges of a travelling tour - or for performing for the first time without her big sister, Jade by her side. Isabelle is thrilled when she starts growing closer to Jackie, but then the travelling show itself starts falling part. Can Isabelle tap into her unique talents to help the show go on? When she realizes that she''s performing for some very special guests she''s determined to try.

Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep''s incredible JOURNAL OF WONG MING-CHUNG is now in paperback with a stunning repackaging! In 1852, during the height of the California Gold Rush, ten-year-old Wong makes the dangerous trip to America to live with his uncle, exchanging the famine and war of his native country for brutal bullies and grueling labor in America, Wong joins his uncle and countless others in the effort to strike it rich on the great "Golden Mountain." Unfortunately, he, and most of the rest of the dreamers, soon discover that there''s no such thing as a Golden Mountain, only dirt, mud, and occasionally tiny flecks of gold dust--flecks that are to be turned over to the owners of the mines, in return for barely livable wages. However, someone as clever and resourceful as Wong will have to find other ingenious ways of making money if they''re going to make it in America. But can they overcome the bitter, racist white Americans to find success?

Two-time Newbery Honor Award–winning author Laurence Yep brings his epic City Trilogy to an action-packed and heart-pounding conclusion Scirye and her loyal companions chase the villainous Mr. Roland for a final showdown at Riye Srukalleyis, the City of Death, located in the heart of the Kushan Empire, along the Silk Road. There, they reunite with old friends, meet new allies, and confront an even more dangerous foe.... This is the thrilling conclusion to the trilogy that began with City of Fire and City of Ice by esteemed storyteller Laurence Yep, who has been one of the preeminent Asian-American authors for children for the past forty years.

From the islands of Hawaii, Scirye and her loyal companions pursue the villainous Mr. Roland and evil dragon Badik all the way to the city of Nova Hafnia in the icy Arctic Circle, to prevent Roland from obtaining the power to alter the universe.

The Weaving Maid wove robes of silk for Heaven, but when she met the Cowboy, she abandoned her loom to be with him. But Heaven would not allow this, and put the Milky Way in between them. Silk binds the lives of four girls from different generations with the fate of the Weaving Maid. Across a span of seventy-five years both in China and America, each girl shows the strength and courage of a dragon as she fights and sacrifices for the survival of her family and the pursuit of passion. In this masterfully woven conclusion to the series that includes two Newbery Honor Books, Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate, award-winning author Laurence Yep brings the acclaimed Golden Mountain Chronicles full circle and pays tribute to the love of family, art, and heritage.

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.

When her older sister dies trying to prevent the theft of one of her people''sgreat treasures, Scirye sets out to avenge her and recover the precious item.320 pp.

Newbery Honor author Yep "breaks this collection of poems, stories and one short play into thematic sections .... work from the old and the young, the known .... and the unknown." --Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books

Rumble, rumble. Auntie Tiger''s tummy is growling, and she is on the prowl for something very, very tasty. Big Sister looks delicious. Little Sister looks yummy, too. But Auntie Tiger will have to be very tricky, because even though the sisters quarrel, they will do anything to protect each other. Award-winning author Laurence Yep''s deft adaptation of a Chinese tiger version of "Little Red Riding Hood" has been illustrated in vibrant colors that pop off the page by newcomer Insu Lee. Auntie Tiger is sure to make you laugh—and make you hungry!

Best friends Cal and Barney are down and out in Chinatown. In the America of 1939, they are trapped by invisible barriers created by racial prejudice. With no jobs and no real homes, it''s only their wizardry with a basketball that''s let them survive this long. That same skill suddenly flings a door open to fame and fortune when a professional basketball team, the Dragons, invites them to join the team. Soon they''re barnstorming across America and taking on all comers—from local amateurs to other professional teams like the Harlem Globetrotters. On that long, difficult road, they must battle rowdy teams and their even rougher fans on makeshift courts. Cal, aka Flash, and the team must also overcome terrible weather, crumbling highways, and their own disintegrating car. As the tour starts to fall apart, the tension between Cal and the team''s jealous captain comes to a head. Suddenly Cal must choose between loyalty to his teammates and the pursuit of his own celebrity. Inspired by the pioneering professional Chinese American basketball team the Hong Wah Kues, Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep re-creates a colorful era of barnstorming basketball and leads readers through the heartache and glory of the dragon road.

Standing beside his father, a man he hardly knew, at Angel Island in front of the immigration officials, ten-year-old Gim Lew fears the worst when the time comes for his father to answer very important questions that will decide their fates, in a dramatic tale about the process of Chinese American immigration.

Mia can't wait for Regionals. Or can she? Mia St. Clair has been training all year to master the moves she needs to compete at Regionals. She is eager for and worried about Regionals all at the same time. Is she a good enough skater? Does she have what it takes to survive in the world of competitive figure skating and still be a good sport? When a family crisis threatens Mia's chances of going to Regionals, Mia is heartbroken. But she knows that being a good sport means accepting challenges- even losses- with determination and grace.

When Mia grows tired of skating in her brothers'' shadows, she decides to pursue her passion for figure skating.

Tom has always been a reluctant apprentice. But since his grandmother''s death, he''s assisted the tiger Mr. Hu in guarding the magical phoenix egg. When the phoenix hatches prematurely, Tom faces his greatest challenge of all. The phoenix believes Tom is his mother, and suddenly it''s Tom''s turn to be a good teacher and parent, which is especially hard when your child has the power to destroy the earth. A full-blown war has erupted between evil Lord Vatten''s troops and the Alliance led by Mr. Hu. Tom and his motley crew of friends are in for the battle of their lives—and the hardest part may be keeping their allies united in the fight. In this exciting conclusion to the Tiger''s Apprentice trilogy, Laura Ingalls Wilder Award recipient and two-time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep reveals the ultimate strength of loyalty, friendship, and family and how the true power of magic is knowing when to use it.

Eight-year-old Henry and nine-year-old Chin love to read about heroes in popular "penny dreadful" novels, until they both witness real courage while trying to survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

When a loaded gun appears on the set of a hit television show, Auntie Tiger Lil, and Lily must follow a trail of firecrackers, gangs, and gambling to find the culprit in this page-turning mystery by Newbery Honor author Yep.

A Chinese American boy and his friends--a monkey, a dragon, a rat, and a tiger--must ensure that a magical phoenix egg does not fall into evil hands in the underwater dragon kingdom.

In this latest chapter of the acclaimed series by the two-time Newbery Honor author, tensions between the American miners and their Chinese rivals are high in a small mining town. But two young outcasts forge an unexpected friendship that saves them from the town''s hatred.

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.

A hilarious satire on small-town prejudice It all started with the Halibuts. Then came Elmira Degoochy the snake lady. Then the Flying Gambinis -- all seven of them and their mother. And Mrs. Harrison the fortune-teller, and Mr. Wydel the strongman . . . These are the new residents of Springfield, the formerly peaceful Midwestern town where up to now young Ivy's life had been pretty uneventful. Ivy becomes fast friends with Alfred Halibut, who is an aspiring writer like herself and the son of a circus publicity manager. She also befriends the other circus people who have moved into town. But many of her neighbors are not feeling kindly about this invasion of strange characters. Tensions somersault into a climactic tangle at the Springfield bake-off. In the midst of hurtling pies, one voice alone can bring peace and tolerance back to the community. When the Circus Came to Town is Polly Horvath's funniest novel to date, packed with vivid exaggeration and slapstick scenarios.

Called boyish by her new family for being able to read and write, twelve-year-old, orphaned Spring Pearl''s "odd ways" help save the family during the 1857 Opium War in Canton, China.

Robin, a young ballet dancer who is half Chinese and half white, works in a fish store for Mr. Tsow, a brusque Chinese who accuses her of being a half-person and who harbors a bitter secret.