It’s not every day when a Korean folk hero falls off his tiger (that’s no typo, he really was riding a tiger, I swear) and ends up in your bedroom. Kevin is a bit on the bored side, playing with a bouncy ball when an arrow whisks his baseball cap off his head. Koh Chu-Mong, a legendary ruler from a Korean kingdom has traveled from the first century BC and landed in the present. Now Kevin must help him find his way back, but first he must learn more about his own Korean heritage and help Chu-Mong navigate the modern world.
Great for: Fans of The Year of the Dog will like the mix of the modern and historical information. I also think the time travel adventure part will appeal to fans of Gutman’s baseball series that aren’t there just for the sports. I would have loved to have this on offer for my third graders. I expect third grade and fourth grade would generally be able to read this and it’s a great choice for introducing some diversity to your reading library (as well as introducing students to a great author, Linda Sue Park).
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – “heck,” “scared spitless” which I’m including because it is such an obvious euphemism for another phrase, “jeez,”
Death, Violence and Gore – A stranger is in Kevin’s room pointing an arrow at him. The Archer says he’ll kill Kevin’s father when Kevin says that his father is going to kill him. The Archer does not understand modern figures of speech so Kevin explains. The Archer explains to Kevin that fathers do sometimes try to kill their sons. The Archer’s father wanted to kill him due to a prophesy. The Archer periodically threatens to kill people.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Kevin is worried that people would not believe the Archer’s story and would medicate him to try to make him well.
Frightening or Intense Things – The Archer enters a tiger complex at the zoo. It wasn’t particularly scary, but it’s certainly inadvisable.
Thanks for the tip on the author!