Such a fun and descriptive fantasy book for middle graders! Lots of new themes to explore for their minds and just an overall pure joy to read!

I read this book with my daughter and we definitely enjoyed the adventure it took us on. The characters had us laughing, my daughter did not get bored. The way the book was written made us enjoy it as if we were watching it as a movie.

A cute and adroble story as well as funny .one that no matter what age you are ,you can set back enjoy .

Having had the opportunity to read Katie Zhao’s previous works, I’ve had familiarity with her writing style and enjoyed all her novels overall. Reading Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend was like having a nice, fluffy blanket wrapped around me while having a nice cup of tea. This is the first novel in the Winnie Zeng series inspired by Chinese mythology, and like Zhao’s debut series (The Dragon Warrior and its sequel, The Fallen Hero), it was a fun and delightful read with humor and heartwarming moments.

In Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend, our protagonist Winnie Zeng just wants to survive her first year of middle school while also wanting to outdo her archnemesis, David Zuo. The rivalry extends to their class bake sale, so Winnie comes up with a plan to make mooncakes, a delicacy traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But not just any mooncakes (although, if you want my humble opinion, mooncakes are by default delicious): the mooncakes are a family recipe from her grandmother’s cookbook. Little does she know it’ll awaken the stuff of legends and the spirit of her dead grandmother. She quickly learns she must embrace her heritage as a shaman to save the chaos that’s about to unleash in her town and, ultimately, the world.

Like many of the characters in Zhao’s novels, Winnie Zeng spoke to me a lot as a character. Growing up as one of the few Asian Americans in classes (if not the only one), identity and embracing my culture was something that’s long been a struggle, from traditions that others found “odd” to food that others automatically thought of as “gross.” Winnie’s feelings of isolation, loneliness, pressure from her family despite her love for them, and like the second-best all struck a chord with me. I think younger me definitely would’ve appreciated this book a lot, or at the very least felt more validated in my experiences.

Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend was slightly disappointing compared to The Dragon Warrior; it felt like something was missing that I can’t put a finger on (beyond the rushed training Winnie seems to go through, thus resulting in a somewhat rushed ending). While this didn’t live up to the enjoyment of her past works as much as I hoped it would, I had a good time reading this, and I think that’s all that matters in the end.

I was drawn to this title because of the Chinese connection — my daughter is in a Chinese Immersion program at her school.
I was not disappointed!

Winnie is fantastically funny and the true-to-life middle school moments are relatable.

These types of stories, based on mythology, are still super popular in my schools. I know Winnie will be a hit!

This was a very sweet coming-of-age story that beautifully wove Chinese mythology into its story. I'll be highly recommending this to my readers that love fantasy.

An utterly delightful story about balancing two worlds, one of middle school, and one of spirits, saving the world, and how rivalries can sometimes bloom into something close to friendship. This story was packed with exquisitely good writing, beyond relatable characters, and delicious food references. I especially enjoyed the pop culture references sprinkled throughout. A fun adventure that leaves you wanting more.

I loved this book and would recommend it to any child heading into middle school. We have a main character who is off to middle school and has been planning on ways to survive. Her goal is to be the very best student. She encounters evil spirits, the stuff of legends by using her grandmother's old cookbook to make mooncakes for the class bake sale. Now she must vanquish demons. What an exciting and fun ride! I couldn't put it down!

This is a fantastic middle grade adventure novel from the great and inimitable Katie Zhao! The last middle-grade series I read and loved was the Aru Shah series, and fans of that series will find lots to love here as well. It’s a fantastic entry into Percy Jackson readalikes, and it was a quick read. Also, I really enjoyed the plot device of a magic cookbook. This left me craving mooncakes. Four stars.

All children have a hard time fitting in, especially in middle school, and Winnie Zeng is no exception. Her sister warned her that middle school was going to be hard, and it turns out she was right. As if she doesn't have enough things going on, Winnie learns she is a shaman and that brings on a whole other set of problems.
This story was fun, fast-paced, and full of adventure. The family dynamics were relatable(minus the dead grandmother coming back to haunt you after you make one of her recipes.)
I love her rivalry with her arch-nemesis David.
If you are a fan of Aru, then you are going to love this book.

Winnie Zheng is 11 years old, and just about to start middle school - and she is stressed out about it. Her parents immigrated from Shanghai and have very high expectations for her and her older sister, and compare them to each other constantly to spur competition. They require both of their daughters to attend Chinese school, and to excel there as well. Winnie’s parent also constantly compare her to David Zou, her equal in, well, pretty much everything - regular school, Chinese school, and piano. Oh, and just after starting middle school, Winnie bakes some moon cakes for a school bake sale, and her long-deceased grandmother appears, tells her she’s a shaman, and begins training her to fight evil spirits…l and the first week of middle school isn’t even over yet.

This is a wonderful novel about family, friends, cultural differences, and fitting in, as well as Chinese mythology. It joins the growing genre of cultural mythology-based fantasy, and provides a nice entrée into Chinese mythology for those with no previous knowledge of it. Winnie is a normal, if a bit driven, student, who gets yet one more thing added to school, piano, and sibling problems, and it’s all a bit much for her. It’s a story that any middle school students will be able to relate to and enjoy, along with older teens and adults.

Although Winnie Zeng looks forward to middle school, things are not as they seem when she arrives. True to her sister's warnings, Winnie encounters kids who think her home-packed lunches are weird. She also discovers that her rival is now attending her school instead of the private school he previously attended. When Winnie finds an old cookbook and cooks moon cakes, she unleashes the powers of her grandmother! Soon Winnie is embroiled in a fight against evil, and must partner with her rival David in order to vanquish the evil spirits and save her town from chaos.

This adventure-filled story will surely appeal to middle school kids, especially those who have felt the sting of middle school "frenemies." The book contains a balance of magic, heroism, and family life that will keep young readers engaged in the story.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this!

This was so cute and fun, Winnie has the perfect narrative voice. I loved the characters and the plot was well-paced. Definitely recommend for fans of Percy Jackson and Aru Shah!

Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend is a solid middle grade book, which is already more than can be said about most of the genre. I quite liked it, despite some plot holes (how many mooncakes could there possibly be in one batch??) and some unresolved issues in character growth. I mean, Winnie struggles with too many demands and expectations, but in the end she accepts yet another role in more of a "well, if I have to" way, rather than through understanding and reflection.

In any case, the book is well written and well paced, and I wouldn't hesitate giving it to any middle grader. I even recommended it to our public library. On the other hand, when I asked my little one, who is Winnie's age, he said he would give it 3 stars because it was too straight forward. So there is that. As a bonus, he now developed anxiety about middle school, which he didn't have before.........

This was a fun one, quickly paced and easily enjoyable. There were moments where I felt somewhat confused about what the main conflict or plot was, outside of Winnie becoming a shaman, as things felt somewhat scattered at times. I loved Winnie and thought she was a fun narrator. However, the other characters felt flat next to her, and I found myself forgetting details about them as they were seemingly just tossed in and not always clearly relevant.

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 7 | Atmosphere: 5 | Writing: 5 | Plot: 6 | Intrigue: 8 | Logic: 8 | Enjoyment: 7
total: 6.57/3 stars

This book was honestly so much fun to read. Winnie is witty, with a truly hilarious sense of humor. I actually laughed out loud about her observations several times while reading. I loved that the book is inspired by Chinese mythology. I loved that Winnie had to team up with her arch nemesis (again, lots of funny moments here). I loved that this book discussed the pressures kids can feel to be perfect and make others proud. Overall, this was a great read. Readers that enjoy fantasy (especially mythology based fantasy) will enjoy this one. Looking forward to more books in this series!

Winnie Zeng has lots going on for a sixth grader. She's trying to navigate the nuances of middle school, live up to her parents expectations and beat that David kid her parents are always comparing her to, at anything! When Winnie discovers and old family cookbook contains spells that unleash her grandma's spirit, she feels a little put out. She has so many other things she needs to get done.

I'm a sucker for a good grandma story, and this one does not disappoint. Winnie and Lao Lao's relationship is special and evolves as Lao Lao helps Winnie discover she is more powerful than she initially believes.

My students will enjoy the antagonistic relationship Winnie has with David and his guide, Joe. There were many laugh out loud moments that will delight them.

I can't wait to add this book to my classroom library. And I'll definitely be looking for the next book in the series, it will be a series right?

There may not be a great time to tell an eleven year-old she's going to awaken hereditary powers and attract scary monsters, but I'm sure Winnie would have appreciated a warning. Wouldn't you?

A decision to bake some Mooncakes* from her deceased grandmother's [magical] cookbook has more than dessert consequences!

The spirit of Lao-Lao (her grandmother) announces that Winnie is a shaman. Well, she doesn't have time! But can she afford to ignore the "calling?"

This is an adventure story with humor, that also examines some of the realities a middle-schooler (6th grader) faces, such as competition, unhealthy pressure and comparison from parents (aka manipulation), and what can happen when everyone else in a community is basically clueless.

The gripping and fun story of a reluctant hero, her dessert cakes, her rabbit, and her Lao-Lao's spirit! Great for all ages, including adults.

5/5 Stars

Thanks to Random House Children's publisher and NetGalley for the preview of this ebook! The review is voluntary.

*Mooncakes (recipe included): Pressed and formed honey dough with a spoon of red bean paste inside; apparently delicious but fussy to make. (An inexpensive mini mold-press is required.) **For alkaline water, stir 1/8 teaspoon baking soda into 8 ounces of water.

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Inspired by Chinese mythology, this is a perfect book for readers who have been enjoying other similar mythology based stories like “Paola Santiago”, “Aru Shah”, “City of the Plague God” or “When You Trap a Tiger” or, of course, any of Rick Riordan’s books.
Full of action and loads of laughs, follow Winnie Zeng as she and her arch nemesis David Zuo, as they take on evil spirits that have invaded their town. And always keep some mooncakes available, because they have the power to subdue lesser evil spirits if you happen upon them.
Loved this and while the story seems over, apparently it isn’t as this is the first of three Winnie Zeng books, the next due out in summer ’23.

This book was incredibly heartwarming and fun. The characters were well fleshed out, and you were always rooting for them throughout the book.