''Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier'' is a 2014 children's

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

with fantasy elements written by

Ying Chang Compestine Ying Chang Compestine (born March 8, 1963) is a Chinese American author, speaker, television host and chef. She has written over twenty books including '' Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party (novel)'', based on her life growing up during the Chinese ...

and her son, Vinson Compestine. It is set in 1970s China.

Plot summary

The story follows thirteen-year-old Ming, who lives in Communist China during the 1970s. Ming's father believes the lost tomb of

Emperor Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ...

lies beneath the village and is forced to prove so before the village Political Officer sends him to a

labor camp A labor camp (or labour camp, see spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons (especi ...

. While Ming's father is away on business, Ming befriends a Terra-Cotta soldier who has come to life. Together they embark on an adventure to uncover the mysteries of Emperor Qin's Mausoleum and save Ming's father's life.^{/sup>

Characters

* Ming - Protagonist

A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, an archaeologist's son
* Ba Ba - Ming's father, an archaeologist

Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

* Shí - A Terra-Cotta Soldier from Emperor Qin's Terra-Cotta army
* Gee Brothers - Farmers, first to unearth the Terra-Cotta Soldier * Political Officer (Goat Face) - Antagonist

An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
, political officer of Red Star, a Maoist government department
* Emperor Qin Shi Huang - First emperor of China
* Teacher Panda - Ming's teacher
* Old men in tea-house - Ming's friends
* Feng - Shí's best friend, a Terra-Cotta soldier
* Liang - Shí's mentor
* Political Officer's Wife
* General Wang - Famous general in Emperor Qin's army, a Terra-Cotta soldier
* Si Ji - A Terra-Cotta soldier
* Director Gu - Ba Ba's friend, director of the Xi’an Museum
* Comrade Ding - New political officer of Red Star

Critical reception

''Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier'' has received praise from readers and other literary organizations such as '' Publishers Weekly'', ''Kirkus Reviews

''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
'', Common Sense Media, and '' The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books''.

Awards

* CALA Best Book Award of 2014

References

{{Reflist

2014 American novels
2014 children's books
American children's novels
Children's historical novels
Novels set in China
Novels set in the 1970s
Abrams Books books
Works by Ying Chang Compestine
Children's books set in China
Children's books set in the 1970s}