Archer's Quest

Archer's Quest
by Linda Sue Park

Clarion Books, 2006







Genre:  Asian literature, Science-fiction

Honors:  None known

Review:  Kevin is busy trying to do his homework in his room when he is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of an archer and an arrow shot through the baseball cap he was wearing on his head. It takes some time for Kevin to realize that this archer Chu-Mong is a real Korean figure from the past and together they endeavor to find a way to send him back to his time before it's too late. The story takes the two on an adventure that relates to the start of the country of Korea as well as the intricacies of the Chinese Zodiac.

Opinion: The humor coupled with the historical background created a fascinating and intriguing story line. Additional science fictional elements of time travel add another fantastic aspect to the novel, and I found the book to be a quick and uncomplicated read.

Ideas:  As the story addresses the beginning of Korea and it's first emperor, as well as the cycle of the Chinese Zodiac, this book would be great for a suggested reading list of Asian literature. It also would work on a display during the Chinese New Year, which relates to the zodiac.