Dragonwings

Review: Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

• ISBN-10: 0064400859
• ISBN-13: 978-0064400855

Review by George Zheng

The story:

The main character Moonshadow was eight years old and he lives in China with his mother and grandmother. He never seen his father before. One day he got a letter from his father in San Francisco. The letter said about Moonshadow’s father miss him and wanted him to come to San Francisco, Windrider, Moonshadow’s father live in San Francisco and try to find golds in the great Gold Rush. Moonshadow was excited and his mom and grandmother didn’t let him go because they don’t want these “White Demons”( white man in America) to kill him. However Moonshadow decided to sailed to San Francisco and saw his father.
Moonshadow first be very nervous. He went to school and study English. Sometimes the white kids didn’t like him and bully him, he didn’t feel inferiority. He and his father had a great dream to built a aerocraft, they live in a laundry and to wash clothes to living. One day Windrider dreams a dragon asks his help and he promises to help the king of dragon. Uncle Bright Star’s son smokes opium, because he had no money to buy opium, so he steal all of their money to buy opium. When the great earthquake happens in San Francisco, the earthquake destroyed their home and they have no place to live. Windrider bought the plane model from Wright Brothers and spent all his money to made a aerocraft, meanwhile he needed to built a new home. One day when he was tested his aircraft, the aircraft crashed on the cliff and broked. Windrider felt very disappointed and got sick. Moonshadow managed their laundry to collected money to take care of his father and bring his mother and grandmother to America and live together.(290)

My opinion:

When I first open the book, I have been attracted by the boy: Moonshadow. His brave, clever, and insist made me think he is a great man. He overcomes his difficulty in English and the afraid of Americans because he is new to america. He also helps his father to do a lot of works, when his cousin Black Dog steal all of his money, he did not blame his cousin and his uncle, but he try to make money with his industrious hand. That is the reason when I like him. He also yearn to study new languages. Although the life is not fair to him, he never give up. When his father indulge in the fantasy, he did not abandon his father, he did his best to help him. He is also very brave, when he undergoing bullying, he kept to resistance himself and try to counterattack. He never let other despise the people who is new to this country. When the great earthquake happens, he is not only care about himself, but also try to help others, that is the reason I admire him. When his father failed on his test on his aircraft, he tried his best and comfort his father.

Finally because of his strive, his family met together.(214)

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1: Why did Moonshadow came to america（8）

1a: Because his father was in America and he wanted to see his father.

2: Why his father’s name was windrider? （10）

2a: Because he is good at making kites.

3: What was the story take place?（14）

3a: It took place in San Francisco, California.

4: Where was Moonshadow’s mother?（14）

4a: He was in Middle East Kingdom, China.

5: Why does this book’s name dragonwings?（26）

5a: Because the book is about dragon, the kite looks like dragon, the myth is talking about dragon and the story which Windrider dream is about a dragon.

miserable(15)

patch(32)

squirmed(47)

testimony(69)

fuss(80)

MIDDLE SECTION

1: Why does the king of dragon need help from Moonshadow？（48）

1a：Because the kite of Moonshadow can save him in the dream.

2: Why does Black Dog steal their money? （106）

2a： Because he was addicted to the drugs and he had no money to buy drugs, so he stole their money.

3:Why did Moonshadow leave gold mountain and back again?（154）

3a： Because they wanted to find new jobs in other place, but they couldn’t find any jobs there, so they came back to work with there laundry.

4: Why does Moonshadow make a deal in his dream that he did not want to help the dragon?（168）

4a: Because he thank that the dragon is dangerous to him and his family.

5： Why does the King of the dragon died in Moonshadow’s dream?（204）

5a: Because Moonshadow didn’t help him anymore.

Incense (180)  

Porcelain (201)

Riddance (239)

Squatted (278)

Jammed (296）

LAST SECTION

1： How did Moonshadow survive in this great earthquake？（248）

1a： He hided into a cave for three days.

2: How did Moonshadow and his father build their new home?(263)

2a: The used wood, stone and brick to build a temporary home.

3: Why did Moonshadow’s father buy Wright Brother’s aeroplane model？(279)

3a: Because he wanted to built a aeroplane, that is his dream.

4： Why did Windrider broked his aeroplane （288）

4a: Because he crashed on the cliff.

5： How does Wind rider sick?(300)

5a: Because he failed his dream and lose all his money.

Ingratiatingly (209)

shimmering(232)

mortician(251)

cordial(277)

spontaneously(301)