Lily Dragon

A quest set in contemporary China as two children race to find Imperial Chinese treasure to save their own farm in England.

Lily was born in the Year of the Dragon. She’s an impulsive child who jumps at the chance to visit her maternal grandparents in China for New Year. Mum and Dad can’t be with her because their farm in England is in financial trouble. Lily and her brother Tom travel to China and both are fascinated by the different way of life. They hear about their ancestor – Grandfather Tsui, who was a Court Artist in Imperial China, over 300 years before – and who helped to hide Court treasures from being plundered. He left behind replicas, in a beautiful wooden box – Lily’s heirloom. When Lily finds a scrap of paper covered in Chinese characters in the box, she senses it is a clue to where the real treasure is hidden and she determines to seek this out. Together with her brother and her aunt, Lily travels to a country village between mountains and paddy fields... to search for her heirloom... her destiny.

"Never look back at the setting sun, only forward to the rising moon."

Lily was born in the year of the Dragon – she has an impulsive nature. She and her brother, Tom, travel to China for the New Year celebrations, where they find Grandpa Zhang's miniature treasure box. Inside the box is a riddle. But does the riddle point to real treasure, buried over three hundred years ago?

Lily and Tom journey across China by train and bicycle to the land of the Green Gauze Belt and the Blue Jade Hairpins, and on by boat to beyond where the sleeping tigers lie. For Tom, it is the adventure of a lifetime. For Lily, it is her destiny.

From the author of 'The Arctic Fox'

'It is a pleasure to find such a talented newcomer to children's books.'
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