Exciting mix of adventure, history, compelling boy hero.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Most violence is in the fantasy realm with intense action from battles and fights using magical abilities and powers. Pain is briefly described. A couple of passages describe stabbing ghost-like creatures with a magical sword in detail and mention pooling and dripping blood. Zack's father was executed by the Chinese government, and a video is described of him as he's being taken away by force. Some bullying, verbal aggression, and micro aggression.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Several mentions of adults drinking without any specifics. A fantasy character who's the spirit of a historical figure is mentioned as always drunk, and seems tipsy in fantasy interactions with him.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Lots of Chinese history and culture. Lots of words and phrases in modern and ancient Mandarin, usually translated. Different ethnicities of mainland China with information about their regions and history. Some Muslim dietary practices. Mentions of Chinese government suppression of the Uighur people and some of its tragic consequences.
Positive Messages
a lot
Stop caring so much about what other people think of you. You won't be accepted just for trying to live up to their expectations. Be true to yourself, and seek out friends who are kind and dependable because friendships like that are much better and more fun than shallow friendships with no real affection or loyalty. Passing down stories is a powerful way to keep memories alive and stay connected to your heritage and community. Things aren't just black and white, and people aren't either good or evil. Most people have some of both, and choose how to act for complicated reasons.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Zack is a good model of courage, perseverance, and integrity. He's scared a lot of the time but doesn't let fear hold him back from what he needs to do. When he becomes powerful, he realizes he doesn't want to use it to do bad, hurtful things. When Melissa and Simon understand how their lies of omission hurt Zack, they agree to always be truthful. All three model teamwork and communication.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Zack is Hui, an ethnic and religious group of Chinese Muslims. He moved to the U.S. when he was very young. He only gets crushes on boys. His friend Melissa is Miao. Characters, including historical figures, represent various Chinese ethnicities and cultures.
Parents need to know that Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is the first of a planned fantasy series that combines intense action with Chinese history and culture. Parental separation and loss are strong themes. Zack's father was executed by the Chinese government, and his mother is in a coma. Most of the violence is in the fantasy realm with intense action in fights and battles. Most aren't gory but a couple describe stabbing and mention blood. There's some bullying, verbal aggression, and Zack experiences microaggression from characters who stereotype him.
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
ZACHARY YING AND THE DRAGON EMPEROR tells the story of how Zack, who's 12, came to be almost possessed by the spirit of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. But the attempted possession went wrong, and instead of binding himself to Zack's body the emperor accidentally possessed Zack's augmented-reality portal-lens instead. And when a demon steals the soul of Zack's mother, Zack agrees to help the emperor save the world, and his mom. All they have to do is to steal a magical artifact from the bottom of the ocean, bargain with the Eight Immortals, and find Qin Shi Huang's tomb where the portal is hidden, for a start.
This intriguing fantasy blends intense action with stories, myths, and legends from Chinese history and culture. Author Xiran Jay Zhao has said that they thought of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor as "Chinese Percy Jackson meets Yu-Gi-Oh!" and fans of both will find a lot to enjoy here. And it has broader appeal as a thoughtful exploration of identity, cultural heritage, friendship, with a healthy sprinkling of good vs. evil.
The structure of alternating intense action with rest periods that explain and educate gets repetitive because it almost never varies, and the rest periods sometimes seem too long. But middle-grade readers will relate to Zack and his friends as they learn that the world is more than black and white, people are more than good or evil, and the value of true friendship. The cliffhanger ending will have fans eager for the next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. Was it scary, exciting, or both? What helps you feel better when you get scared?
Why is it important for books, movies, and other media to show diverse cultures and people? How do we feel when people like ourselves are represented? What do we learn when we read about others?
Available on:
Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Last updated:
May 26, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
