The Imp That Ate My Homework - Hardcover

Laurence Yep is the author of The Imp That Ate My Homework, about which Kirkus Reviews said, "Readers will not be able to put this light, funny fantasy down." He received Newbery Honors in 1975 for Dragonwings and in 1994 for Dragon's Gate. Mr. Yep lives in Pacific Grove, California.

Grade 3-5?Jim's Grandpop is the meanest man in Chinatown so it is a challenge to describe him for a school essay. However, that problem seems insignificant when an imp, released from an ancient jar in China, starts to harass the boy and his parents. It starts a fire at the sweatshop where Jim's mother works and a panic in the butcher shop where his father works. The boy knows that his grandfather will be the next target. Strangely, the elderly man relishes the fight, hinting that he might be the reincarnation of the Chinese hero Chung Kuei. Although he is old and without magic, Grandpop is still a fighter. Can he stop the imp? Maybe there will be hope if his "native-born, no brains" grandson can team up with this crotchety guardian of Chinese tradition. Yep has written a fast-paced, light adventure that is full of the flavor of San Francisco's Chinatown. The clash of modern and traditional cultures is common among many immigrant groups and perhaps this whimsical look at the conflict will help children value and understand their grandparents. Huang's humorous and lively illustrations capture the personalities and action of the story.?Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library
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