Dragon's Gate: A Newbery Honor Award Winner

by Laurence Yep

Book Overview

In 1867, Otter travels from Three Willows Village in China to California -- the Land of the Golden Mountain. There he will join his father and uncle. In spite of the presence of family, Otter is a stranger among the other Chinese in this new land. And where he expected to see a land of goldfields, he sees only vast, cold whiteness. But Otter's dream is to learn all he can, take the technology back to the Middle Kingdom, and free China from the Manchu...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064404897
• ISBN13: 9780064404891
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Dragon Gate - A Clash of Cultures

Dragon Gate is a heartbreaking story about a young Chinese boy's life America. Otter had to move to America after he got into some trouble in China, and worked on the railroad during the industrial revolution. This compelling story is about the hardships, clash of cultures, and discrimination that Otter had to deal with. It is a deeply moving story that I enjoyed immensely. It is a story that many people can relate to, which is why I encourage that it should be read. The themes and lessons in this book are very poignant, and relate to everyone on some level. The Characters are very life like and seem almost like real people, and you start to see a little of yourself in Otter. You can't help but put yourself in the characters shoes, and imagine what you would have done in their place. The words and descriptions pull you into the story and make you feel as if you were there; going through every thing Otter was going through. I would recommend this book to anyone above middle school level and to teenagers especially. Older readers can identify more with the feelings of change, loss, and not fitting in that Otter goes through. At one point in our lives we all have an idol that we try to emulate, and sometimes when that idol does not live up to are high standards we feel let down and betrayed. Otter goes through these feelings with his Uncle Foxfire, and the story makes you realize that our idols are only people and that we should allow them to make mistakes. Even though the book seems simple it is the hidden messages in it that make it such a good read. The story teaches us the lesson of forgiveness, of standing up for what you believe in, but it also enlightens us that it is okay to be scared and make mistakes along the way.

Nourhan's Review

Dragon's Gate is a truly enlightening book that I have had the pleasure of reading. Both the plot and the excellently mastered figurative language in this novel make it a great book to read. Laurence Yep has beyond the doubt mastered the art of personification, transforming inanimate objects into living and breathing things. Although figurative language is a valuable asset to any story, it alone cannot alone create a page turner. That's where an elaborately planned out storyline based on non-fictional information and events that occurred in history play a major role. This gives a flavor of reality to the story making it all the more enjoyable. Laurence Yep begins off his novel by sweeping the reader away into the exotic orients of a land known as the Middle Kingdom (now known as China). We look through the eyes of a wealthy young man with what some may consider a dark past. An outcast at his own home, Otter truly seeks acceptance and struggles to find his own identity in a world built on racial discrimination. We follow Otter through the darkest and brightest of days and gradually grow close to this novel's protagonist as we find that we can relate to him in many different ways. This is the main reason I that I (personally) found this novel so compelling. I would recommend this book to readers with exceptional reading skills (grade 6 and up) in order to really appreciate the excellent figurative language used in the story. I would also recommend this book to people who are unfamiliar to the abuse and mistreatment that the Chinese faced while building the transcontinental railroad. I think this book is great the way it is and would not change a single word in it for I think everybody would enjoy it the way it is.

Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep

This truly excellent book, Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep, is a magnificently written book that most certainly deserves a five star rating. In this adventure filled-book, Otter, a boy from the Middle Kingdom, China, is forced to join his father, Squeaky, and his Uncle Foxfire in America, the Land of the Golden Mountain. Back in China, Otter's father and uncle were always beheld as heros and legends, but Otter soon learns the truth that Squeaky and Foxfire are no greater than the rest of the Chinese laborers working on the enormous task of completing the transcontinental railroad. To make matters worse, Otter has barely any friends, he gains no respect from the other workers, and has had no expirience with physical labor before in his life. In his time of need Otter's own uncle deserts him and refuses to help him in any way. The headman of this massive project is an almost heartless man named Kilroy. Kilroy pushes the Chinese workers to exaustion and gives them a measly amount of supplies. When Otter's father is blinded by an accident on the job, Otter forces himself to work harder and help out more. Eventually Otter gains more friends, he earns respect from his fellow workers and also ajusts to the backbreaking work that he and the other workers have to do. In the end, Otter and his uncle take on a mission that will determine the fate of the entire camp and change Otter's life forever in a way that Otter will never forget. If you like to read adventure-filled, action-packed, stupendously written books, Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep is the perfect book for you!

Dragon's Gate

Have you been searching for a book that helps you learn on what to do to become a man? Look no further because Dragon's Gate is a book that you can't put down! A teenage Chinese boy named Otter lives with his Mother while his Uncle Foxfire and Father go to "The Land of the Golden Mountain" [also known as America] to help build a transcontinental railroad. When Otter kills a Manchu, he gets in trouble and will not go to America. Somehow, he escapes with strangers and he went there because he wanted to avoid his punishment. He also wanted to see his Father. As Otter progresses in building the railroad, he developes character and really impresses his Father. Otter fights for rights to be able to have less work and larger breaks, but the atrocious Kilroy [the "Master"] does dreadful things. The only way to find out the horrible actions and the rest of the rest of the inspiring story [the consequences of Otter's actions and the way he talks about his Uncle] is to read Dragon's Gate! I highly recommend kids from grades 5/up to read this book because it is very advanced. The events that I like this are the decisions Otter tried to work out and the hard work Otter demonstrated when he did work. I liked these events because Otter's character really developed. Dragon's Gate is an amazing book. If you want adventure, Dragon's Gate is the specific book to choose!

west junior high

Dragon's Gate is definitley one of the best books I have read; its historical, yet realistic and something I can compare myself to. This book is about a young 14 year old boy who dreams of going to America,to gain his skills from this New World, come back and help the economy of his country--at least thats what he hopes to get. Otto hopes things will turn out so well because of his social status in his home land. You see, in China, his family is highly respected (because of their wealth and high order family). On the contrary, in America they are treated simply as slaves, laborers, inferiors: nothing else. So, now here in America, Otto, must learn to adapt, and overcome his fears of the cruelty of this New World. Meaning that he now must learn to survive and get along with many different kinds of peoples while also fighting to understand his new surrounding. In conclusion, I would like to reccomend this book to anyone who has time to spare and read a really well written book! Its just a really good book! :)