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The Iron Dragon

The Courageous Story of Lee Chin
by Paul B. Thompson
160p. 978-0-76603-389-4.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4—6—Twelve-year-old Lee Chin, his father, and his cousin Yi have come to America to help build the transcontinental railroad. After a harrowing Pacific crossing, Lee Chin is placed as a cook's assistant in a Chinese labor camp. He is a bright, hardworking, observant person who dreams of using his earnings to rescue his little sister, Sunshine, who has been sold into slavery by his father. Lee Chin finds that Americans can be both inhospitable to the Chinese and capable of kindness. He describes the hard and dangerous work the Chinese do for the Union Pacific Railroad. Yi is killed in an accident involving the use of nitroglycerin during the work on the Summit tunnel. Lee Chin's tale is compellingly told as he shows imagination and tenacity, befriends Americans, and makes the best of the opportunities offered to him. Historical information is accurate and honest about the period depicted.—Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
In 1866 Lee Chin works on the transcontinental railroad, earning money to free his sister from bondage in China (Iron). In Nazi-occupied Poland, the title character escapes the Warsaw ghetto (Simon's). Sarah Wright attempts to exonerate her father, accused of witchcraft (Devil's). The character-driven narratives can be choppy. "The Real History Behind the Story" is appended to each. Reading lists, websites. Review covers these Historical Fiction Adventures titles: The Iron Dragon, Simon's Escape, and The Devil's Door.
Reviewed by Kathryn Kosiorek , Jan 01, 2011

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