Bandit’s Daughter

Kung Fu Girl in Ancient China

Illustrated by Amerigo Pinelli
An extraordinary true adventure story - how the bandit's daughter Mu Guiying became a great general in Ancient China

At the beginning of the 11th century, General Yang sends his son Zongbao to exterminate the bandit living in Dragon-Taming Wood. In the forest, Zongbao is surprised by the bandit's teenage daughter, a kung fu prodigy, who challenged him to unarmed combat.  Her deal?  If Zongbao wins, she will lead him to her father's secret hideout.  If she wins, she will take him to her father as her prisoner.
So begins Mu Guiying's extraordinary story, which will end with a spectacular battle for the destiny of her country.
Simon Mason has written numerous books for younger readers, including The Quigleys, Moon Pie, and the YA crime thriller series featuring Garvie Smith: Running Girl, Kid Got Shot and Hey, Sherlock!
He has always been fascinated by history, particularly by stories from round the world. He loves to find out how other people have lived.
His interest in China was inspired by his visits to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where he lives, with its stunning collection of Chinese art – some of it 3,000 years old – including delicate writing on animal bone, ceramic figures of camels from the Silk Road and tiny intricate carvings of fantastical animals.

Amerigo Pinelli lives in the heart of the city of Naples, Italy, among narrow streets and old churches. A long time ago, when he was a child, he met a pencil, and from that moment on he started to play, joke, fight, and make peace with it. He studied in the Art School of Naples and the Comic School of his hometown. He thinks making a living from doing the thing he enjoys the most is a great gift and he considers himself very lucky.

About

An extraordinary true adventure story - how the bandit's daughter Mu Guiying became a great general in Ancient China

At the beginning of the 11th century, General Yang sends his son Zongbao to exterminate the bandit living in Dragon-Taming Wood. In the forest, Zongbao is surprised by the bandit's teenage daughter, a kung fu prodigy, who challenged him to unarmed combat.  Her deal?  If Zongbao wins, she will lead him to her father's secret hideout.  If she wins, she will take him to her father as her prisoner.
So begins Mu Guiying's extraordinary story, which will end with a spectacular battle for the destiny of her country.

Author

Simon Mason has written numerous books for younger readers, including The Quigleys, Moon Pie, and the YA crime thriller series featuring Garvie Smith: Running Girl, Kid Got Shot and Hey, Sherlock!
He has always been fascinated by history, particularly by stories from round the world. He loves to find out how other people have lived.
His interest in China was inspired by his visits to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where he lives, with its stunning collection of Chinese art – some of it 3,000 years old – including delicate writing on animal bone, ceramic figures of camels from the Silk Road and tiny intricate carvings of fantastical animals.

Amerigo Pinelli lives in the heart of the city of Naples, Italy, among narrow streets and old churches. A long time ago, when he was a child, he met a pencil, and from that moment on he started to play, joke, fight, and make peace with it. He studied in the Art School of Naples and the Comic School of his hometown. He thinks making a living from doing the thing he enjoys the most is a great gift and he considers himself very lucky.

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Read more