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The Ghost Fox
Growing up in seventeenth-century China, nine-year-old Little Lee protects his mother while his father is at sea and must rescue her from the mysterious ghost fox. Reprint.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
Laurence Yep
120 books295 followersBorn June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 26, 2010
Published: 1994, Scholastic, Inc.
Age: 8-11
Nine year old Little Lee’s father’s job is to go away to sea for long periods of time. Before he goes, he and Little Lee have a confrontation with a man who vows revenge. Lee’s father shrugs it off and when he travels to sea, Little Lee is left home alone with his mother. Little Lee and his mother have a very loving relationship. Everything is great until an evil fox appears. It also takes the form of a man. It is up to Little Lee to outsmart the ghost fox and save his mother's soul. The change of the mother's personality from loving to very dark is eerie. A tense but sometimes humorous ghost adventure set in Chinese tradition; like an ancient Chinese ghost story.
Age: 8-11
Nine year old Little Lee’s father’s job is to go away to sea for long periods of time. Before he goes, he and Little Lee have a confrontation with a man who vows revenge. Lee’s father shrugs it off and when he travels to sea, Little Lee is left home alone with his mother. Little Lee and his mother have a very loving relationship. Everything is great until an evil fox appears. It also takes the form of a man. It is up to Little Lee to outsmart the ghost fox and save his mother's soul. The change of the mother's personality from loving to very dark is eerie. A tense but sometimes humorous ghost adventure set in Chinese tradition; like an ancient Chinese ghost story.
February 4, 2011
I have enjoyed other stories by Laurence Yep but I didn't really enjoy this one. A boy's father is away traveling for work and a fox is stealing his mother's soul. Maybe I just don't understand Chinese folklore to really enjoy the story.
August 15, 2017
For a children's book, this is probably quite spooky, but for anyone else, it's a quick, fun read, especially if you have an interest in Chinese folklore and mythology.
December 3, 2018
This book was an easy read and recommend it to our young readers.
October 28, 2011
I enjoyed this little Ghost story from China. Based on an old Chinese tale (I'm not exactly sure which), it has the flavor of traditional literature. The story relates the courage and cleverness of a little boy outwitting his the ghost fox to save his mother. There are some moments at night - with sounds of scratching and strange happenings that would offer a mild, scary thrill. The detailed illustrations are scattered to highlight particular moments and capture life in the Chinese village in a vivid and culturally authentic way.
I'm not sure I'd teach this book, but it might be good have in a classroom library to introduce younger readers to an important author.
I'm not sure I'd teach this book, but it might be good have in a classroom library to introduce younger readers to an important author.
July 25, 2012
the book was so scary that i had nightmares, but the story was soo nice that once i started reading i did not stop...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews