Cover Image: Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan

Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan

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Member Reviews

A very entertaining chapter book full of action. Advanced readers, middle graders, and some high schoolers will enjoy this adventurous tale of Chengli’s caravan journey to find his father. I was even captivated by his exploits, good and bad.

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This is the first story I have come across about the Silk Road. I found the descriptions of the land and people quite interesting, and there was just enough adventure to keep me reading. The chnages that took place in both Chengli and the princess were quite good, too—it was fun to finally learn, at the end of the book, the truth behind Chengli's past.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

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This book was a great adventure. I truly enjoyed every part of it. The book was easy to read and was accurate historical fiction. The book is fast-paced and filled with friendship and beautiful scenery.

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This was an interesting children’s read. I love diverse books. I liked that this story of Chengli, a young orphan, tell us about a world most of us have never know. The Silk Road, a caravan, camels, nomads, traders, An adventure of finding oneself and the root of family. It is vividly descriptive. You feel like you are right along for this journey. This is a wonderful book for those who want to expand their children’s awareness of other cultures and history. I think it would be fantastic for a classroom read.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion

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I received the arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic read, a great introduction to kids into the world of history and the Silk Road, I highly recommend it if you like road trips and adventure.
The story is quite slow at first as it is laying down the setting and the characters, it pick ups it's pace along with the caravan where Changli is riding with, and then you just can't stop reading , this is such a ride, it really makes you feel you are in the desert with a caravan.
I didn't like much the ending because thought I felt the story was realistic enough the sudden compasión from people just didn't quite fit the rest of the book, but I get it's made for children and pre-teens so I understand the reasoning behind the outcome.

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I enjoyed the story but I wish it had either been shorter or moved quicker. It touches in some important themes, and exposes younger readers to a time and culture they may be unfamiliar with. Good read overall.

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Without a plan, a thirteen-year-old Chengli joins a silk road caravan journey in search of his father's 'legacy'. In the middle of the way, when a princess is in danger, without a plan, he takes on an unknowing journey to save her.

Intended for middle grade readers, this book is a quite a page turner and easy to follow. Set in a silk road rute, this book quite fulfill my curiosity about the rute. Chengli is a likeable character. The progress of the plot is rather slow, but it doesn't lessen the enjoyment of reading. It is also satisfying that, in the end, the main characters get what's right for them.

If you like a short middle grade read with the touch of historical setting, this book is for you.

I voluntarily read and review a copy of this book in accordance with the terms of Netgalley.

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This book gets a little boring about 3/4ths of the way through, but it's short enough that I was able to push forward and finish. It's a nice story for younger readers, and even as an adult I enjoyed the overall atmosphere of this book from the very beginning.

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This book is a quick easy read. Gives some great descriptions of the way life was on the silk caravans. And how difficult it was. Even for a 13 year old. Especially, for a young man not yet grown into an adult body. Chengli is a very likeable character. He makes the book easy to want to read on. You just want to keep reading to see how he makes out in the end as well as how the princess is in the end as well. 3.5⭐enjoyable.

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I made it through about half the book, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately it seemed to simply slog along, and my interest waned. For me it suffered through mid-book syndrome in that not enough was going on to carry the story forward.

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What a great historical adventure read for children. Even for adults it was entertaining and full of characters that had you captured from the first market. Thank you for my Free ARC.

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Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan is a historical fiction story for older children. But I would say that adults also can enjoy this story which is full of impressions of the Silk Road and nomadic life. There are some amazing details about the locations included. The reader is quickly drawn into a story and wants to know what happens next.

Chengli is an orphan boy who decides to join the caravan to learn about his father. His adventure takes us on the Silk Road and into the unknown.

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This was a fabulous story about a topic that I have rarely seen in books for children. I love when the "unusual" topics are included in children's books. I think that this book is written in a way that will truly draw the reader to the story and will want them to keep reading!

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Title provided for an honest review via Netgalley.

I love stories that involve other cultures. So many of them are underrepresented in the publishing world. Not entirely the case for young readers - the diversity is what gets them reading to begin with. Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan, is easily intriguing adventure full of its ups and downs. However, the one thing I didn't enjoy particularly is just how far in the past the story takes place. In some cases that is a good thing for fantastical and mythical reads, this however is a historical fiction set in A.D. I feel it may be hard for its intended audience to connect with in regards to setting when so many kids are heavily involved with technology. Also, given that I wonder if Chengli would need to be more relatable in that sense in order for the story to really bring in the reader. If they can't relate to the setting and journey, what about the main character sort of thing. 3.5 stars.

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Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan (Hardcover)
by Hildi Kang
This is a great book for the kids to read. They will learn more of the trade and Middle Kingdom China than I have seen in many stories. I learned so many things I did not know prior. The young by Chengli wants to conquer the wind he is haunted by. He leaves his silk selling master to find a job with the wondering caravan going to the end of the China silk road. The character is remarkable, but the description of the life then was an amazing accuracy, young readers learn so much from the connection they will have with this young adventurer.

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On the surface, Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan is a story about a boy searching for his father and his own history. However, through Chengli's experiences, the author instead allows the reader to take a journey through the historic Silk Road and learn about ancient Chinese culture along the way. This exposure is so needed in literature -- diversity in both setting, cultures, and eras is present in Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan. I think this book is extremely appropriate for middle grade readers, both in its content and its writing level. It's not too simplified, but it may present more of a challenge. The glossary of terms, explanation of locations and customs at the end of the book are a bonus. For readers not familiar with ancient culture, this glossary is a helpful tool to make connections to what they know.

This book has great imagery. The author's ability to describe settings is detailed without being excessive and allows the reader to picture crowded cities or arid deserts. I especially loved how the book started and ended with the wind, yellow with dust. Chengli's adventures also provide opportunities for the reader to think creatively and problem-solve along with him. Instead of it being a simple story, it's an opportunity to reflect on one's own approach to troubles.

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Chengli and the Silk Road by Hildi Kang

Taking the caravan along the Silk Road is an adventure for the reader to China, the Middle East and portions of Europe. Chengli and the Silk Road is a rich, historical fiction well written to engross students in Middle Grades.
Chengli is searching for meaning and his father. The character development is well defined along with the vivid depiction of the setting and other story elements.
Ms. Kang provides her audience with an understanding of surviving as an orphan in a foreign country and perhaps gives the audience appreciation and gratitude for life in America as well as different cultures and history.

Chengli and the Silk Road lends itself to multiple avenues for doing additional research, and discussion about China's history and the culture and traveling across the desert. What an excellent read!

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I received my copy through NetGalley.
This was a charming and fun adventure; great for kids. It has a cool ending.

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Adventurous ~ Atmospheric ~ Charming
tl; dr: Young boy travels along the Silk Route.

This sweet novel tells the story of a young orphan boy who travels with merchants along the Silk Route in 630. This is a short book that strong young readers will be able to finish quickly. The book does a great job of dropping the reader into this amazing world, full of sounds, smells, and camels. But, the story gets a little boring about 2/3 of the way through. I think the author was more in love with the Silk Route than her story.

3.5

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Chengli is an orphan who has worked as a servant all his life watching the caravans come and go. In a somewhat sudden decision, he chooses to leave everything he has known in order to join the next caravan heading off on the silk road laden for trade. However, before they can leave the caravan are ordered to take on transport of a carefully guarded princess, en route to a marriage awaiting her at the other side. Along the way Chengli learns more about the world and the father he's never know, experiences great cities and festivals, comes to learn more of the princess, and finds his own way.

As someone on the lookout for vivid non-western settings, I definitely did enjoy this. It's quite short, around 4 hours for me to read, and more geared toward children as a historical novel exploring life on the Silk Road, however well written enough it didn't strike me as boring or simplistic being an adult reader.

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