review: The Gate, The Girl, And the Dragon

Title: The Gate, The Girl, And the Dragon
Author: Grace Lin
Date: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; May 2025
Main character: Jin
MG Asian American fantasy

The Gate, The Girl and the Dragon is steeped in Chinese folklore. Grace Lin begins the book with the narrator speaking directly to the reader, provided context for the folklore in the story. Here, we learn that some stones have spirits, and some people know how to find and care for these stones. Then, we move into the story where we meet Jin, a young lion cub who is more interested in playing zuqiu and shooting for a Golden Goal than answering the call to an emergency meeting for all Gonshi- stones with spirits sleeping inside them. Our little stone cub has so much to learn!

Oh, Jin gets to take his kick, but it’s the wrong time and the wrong place! He disturbs the Sacred Sphere, causing it to roll out beyond the gate. Jin’s selfish response to the call has consequences he could never have imagined. He’s taken on an important quest to get back the Sacred Sphere before the Gonshi are destroyed. On the way, he meets a girl, a worm, and a dragon. Lin weaves ancient folklore into Jin’s contemporary urban story to explain how things have come to be. At the same time, she seems to be reminding readers how connected we all are.

In a recent interview, Lin explained that the book, which she actually began in 2016, took lessons from the pandemic about the need for connection, sharing responsibility, and finding joy.

Lin is an award winning Taiwanese American author and illustrator of more that 20 children’s books. Her books, often celebrating her culture, convey universal themes, celebrate childhood, and encourage empathy.

Lin is such an incredible storyteller! In The Gate, The Girl, and the Dragon, she balances an array of elements to create a quick moving story that is captivating and believable. Using animals and folklore in such a way allows readers to take away many lessons about growing up and learning to be responsible to others. The gentleness of the book makes it perfect for reading aloud to early learners through middle schoolers.

Lin has prepared short videos, Quick Cultural Ideas, to extend the book for interested readers.

Filed under: Reviews