The Emperor’s Riddle is by Kat Zhang. It is a book about adventure, culture, history, family and mystery. It touches upon how the main character Mia is visiting China with her family. What is introduced is the relationship between Mia herself and her Aunt Lin. Aunt Lin shares wondrous stories about where their family came from and mentions an Emperor Ming and his lost treasure. Mia’s aunt Lin disappears and the family is not too concerned but Mia is.
Together with her brother Jake they go looking for her while following clues and solving riddles. She is driven due to her relationship with her aunt and attempts to solve the riddles left by the Emperor as she believes that is the path her aunt took. My favorite part is the beginning as it ties down Mia’s relationship with her Aunt Lin. This gives readers an anchor towards feeling empathy for Mia once her aunt goes missing. It is relatable to many people as a reminder of those who inspire us and those who we connect with.
If you like this book I would also recommend is Summerlost by Ally Condie. It is a similar book about mystery and it also deals with loss of a loved one.
Hi Pedram,
Thank you for this book review! I have never heard of this book before but I am now showing interest in purchasing. I was immediately intrigued because this book is centred around the Chinese culture – one that I am also proud to be apart of. Thus, I feel like I would be able to relate to some aspects of this book.
I am always a fan of mystery books that run the readers mind and one’s that require the reader to solve riddles along the way. It keeps me on the edge of my seat and constantly engaged while reading. I am sure I will love this book and plan on sharing with my students in the future!
Haley Chau
This book sounds both engaging and insightful! I think the theme of connection to one’s culture and family is one that many Canadian children of newcomers will be able to relate to. Mystery isn’t usually a theme I see often in children’s novel studies, so it’s nice to see a work that has the potential to inspire self-reflection as well as encourage the use of logical reasoning. Will have to check this one out ^__^