Hidden Monastery

by Gabrielle Wang

The Abbot said, 'Peng is so powerful he can fill up the whole sky, and yet shrink so small he can sit on a blade of grass without it bending under his weight.'

'No creature on earth can do that!' said Jax.

'But Peng is not from this world,' the Abbot replied.

From the moment Peng fell from the stars as a tiny young creature, he and Jax have been connected. But it is not until twelve years later, when Jax stumbles across a mysterious monastery hidden deep in an ancient rainforest park, that he begins to discover his destiny – and what it means to be a Peng Master . . .

124 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Gabrielle Wang is an award winning children’s author born in Melbourne of Chinese heritage. Her great grandfather came to Victoria during the Gold Rush, settling in the town of Wahgunyah on the Murray River. In her twenties Gabrielle lived in China and Taiwan where she studied Chinese language, traditional painting and calligraphy. After working as a graphic designer she discovered a love of painting pictures with words. Since then she has written 16 books for children and young adults. Gabrielle’s stories are a blend of Chinese and Western culture with a touch of magic. She has twice won the Aurealis Award for Best Children’s fiction, and her books have been named Notables in the CBC Awards and highly commended in the Prime Minister's Awards. She is also published internationally in US, UK, China, Korea and South America.

Reviews

[Elise Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet, an easy read in an afternoon. The book follows the young boy Mingzi/Jax on his journey to realise his destiny as a Peng Master. A beautiful story, grounded in myths and mysterious forces but also dealing with the more everyday challenges - working parents, changing friends, the death of a beloved pet - of a little boy growing up in Australia.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid tale, suitable to extend adventurous primary readers.

[Dr Dabbler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant gentle read.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and interesting, this book is a short read, one that can be finished in one afternoon. The book follows the young boy Mingzi/Jax on his journey to realise his destiny as a Peng Master. A creative and exciting story, grounded in tales, fox spirits and mysterious forces, but also deals with everyday challenges.

[✨ aida ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite books when I was younger so I decided to re-read it. What a sweet story.