Crane

Five Ancestors #4

by Jeff Stone

Hok, a crane-style Kung Fu master, is also a master at hiding. For the past 12 years, she has hidden the fact that she is a girl. Now her rogue brother, Ying, and his army have placed a huge price on her head. Fortunately, she manages to make it to Keifeng where she finds her mother and a "round-eye" with the very funny name of Charles. Together Hok and Charles start to make some sense of the magnitude of Ying's plans.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

JEFF STONE is the bestselling author of the International Reading Association (IRA) and American Library Association (ALA) award-winning, middle-grade, kung fu action/adventure series, THE FIVE ANCESTORS, and its follow-up trilogy, THE FIVE ANCESTORS: OUT OF THE ASHES. Published by Penguin Random House, there are 10 novels in total with nearly 700K copies sold in 14 languages. Audio versions by Listening Library/Penguin Random House Audio. Film rights previously optioned by Nickelodeon and Likely Story.

A veteran writing coach and former college writing instructor with 30+ years experience, Jeff has facilitated more than 150 writing workshops at universities, educator conferences, and K-12 schools on three continents.

Like his main characters, Jeff was an orphan. Unlike them, he was adopted into the very best family imaginable. He spent 15 years searching for his birthmother before finding her. He found his birthfather a year later.

A Detroit native, Jeff is the proud father of an adult daughter and adult son. His former wife is from Hong Kong, where they had a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in the mid-90’s. His immersion in Chinese culture and shared ethnic experiences with their children informs his writing, as does his training in animal-style kung fu.

In 2005, Jeff traveled to Shaolin Temple in China with ambassadors from the Shaolin-Do Association and was given the HUGE honor of testing for his black belt in Shaolin-Do Kung Fu at Shaolin Temple. His highly interactive, kung fu storytelling school and library presentations are unforgettable.

Reviews

[Jeff Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um, I wrote it. :-)

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, we get to find out about Hok, who we learned in previous books was not a boy, but a girl. She never really appeared in the first three books, so I was excited to learn more about this mysterious monk. Once again, Jeff Stone has created another tale of mystery, intrigue, and kung fu way back in China's past. The Five Ancestors is probably my favorite series today and one of the best that I have read in a long, long time.

I love each one the monks that I have gotten to know and look forward to leaning more about Long. I really enjoyed the when the monks teamed up to look for their missing brother and also enjoyed the fight club scene. As always, the dialog and character development are wonderful. The reader feels quite a connection with all of the monks. The action if fast and furious in Crane and I highly recommend this book to any reader, as this series is quite different from all other books out there.

Overall, Crane is an excellent book and I cannot wait to see how it continues in book five, Eagle.

I rated this book a 9 out of 10.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It is Jade. Some people believe the precious green stone absorbs pain. Wear it over your heart. That is where you will hurt most."

Crane diawali dengan momen apa yang dialami Hok (biksu master ilmu Bangau) di ending buku sebelumnya. Yang seru di sini, fakta mengejutkan tentang identitasnya yang tersembunyi selama ini akhirnya terungkap dan bagaimana Hok menerima dirinya apa adanya. Di sepanjang buku, kita akan mengikuti perjalanan panjang pelarian Hok sejak kuil Changzen mereka di serang utusan Kaisar yang dipimpin oleh salah satu saudara seperguruannya yang memberontak, Ying.

Well, seri ini jelas angin segar di genre YA yang biasanya di dominasi dystopia, cinta segitiga dan narasi galau gadis-gadis. Buku ini mengingatkanku pada versi serius film Kungfu Panda. Diceritakan dengan gaya lugas dari POV 3 serba tahu dari masing-masing karakter utama sesuai judul, setting China yang tidak asal-asalan, dan karakter-karakter yang menguasai bela diri ala binatang tertentu, kisah ini akan memikat mata tiap pecinta kungfu. Konflik cerita ini terus bersambung dari buku pertama, alur ceritanya cepat, twist kejutan seru dan penuh dengan adegan jurus-jurus laga Kungfu yang mendebarkan.

Karena endingnya yang cliffhanger dan beberapa momen yang mengaduk emosi, buku ini sudah pasti tipe yang asyik untuk dibaca maraton hohoho.. Seri ini gampang dipahami dan bisa dinikmati oleh anak-anak juga pembaca dewasa yang gemar cerita berlatar belakang bela diri China. Tak sabar lanjut ke buku selanjutnya yang akan mengkorek-korek motivasi, isi hati dan perjalanan penuh ambisi si anti hero Ying.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots going on in this book, the 4th in The Five Ancestors series. To be honest, there was probably a little too much that went on, making the story drift even further from any kind of clear center. I really have no idea any longer what our monks are trying to do, because they are continually being swept off course and then brought back together only to be swept away from one another again.

That said, I did enjoy this installment. I found Hok to be an interesting character. She was a nice blend between masculine and feminine, hardness and softness, tenderness and firmness. Of any of the characters up to this point she was much more of a yin and yang character, making her, I think, the most enigmatic and unpredictable character in the story. I love that she so well embodies the tenacity that martial arts requires of students.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hok (Crane), now known to be a girl, meets up with 3 of her brothers only to be separated by an attack by Tonglong and Seh’s mother. Hok and Seh escape and vow to rescue their brothers but both must first heal. By the end of this installment, they have found their captive brother’s and all five brothers are set to reunite but first they must fight for it!

[Trudy Monk · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning it was odd and unusual from typical books, but very eye catching and intriguing. I like the girl is knowledgeable and young. And what she goes through would be stressful, I think this is very great for children series. But probably for older than toddlers because this could be a little scary.

[Eric Potterhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es imaginativo y divertido, muy raro, al menos desde el punto de vista de un niño de 10 años. Pero me ha gustado mucho y me lo he leído en 2 días. El final queda abierto y eso me ha frustrado mucho y tengo muchas ganas de leer el siguiente.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one dragged a little bit more. I didn't find Hok's story as interesting unfortunately.

[K Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A confusing start- as it should be, because it's told from the character's drugged viewpoint. I liked how different this one felt from the others, being told from a girls' perspective.

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty exciting

[Luchin Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi favorito de la saga (hasta ahora). La revelación sobre Grulla, muy interesante. Me muero por saber que sigue...

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A direct continuation from the previous book, so there's not much I can say without spoiling the story. I will say this: I'm totally hooked. Excellent series.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to see female rep in different ages and characters. Story is still going strong. I still don’t like how animalistic Stone makes each character to match their name. It’s nonsensical.

[Amy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books a amazing! I looove Hok and Ying ugh this book is perfect

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I continue to enjoy listening to these books. I'm not sure what we'll do when we get done with the next one since it is the last one on audiobook at our library and there are a few more books in the series! Great read if you like a bit of Chinese history with your young adult kung fu. :)

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hok has always needed to be more careful than her brothers---no one must know she is a girl. And not only a girl, but a girl with brown hair, whose color will betray her mixed blood. After the temple is destroyed, she finds an unexpected chance at new life. But the secrets that placed her at the temple as a child, the national intrigue that continues to broil, and the false accusations laid against her will make any kind of life difficult. . .

Hok's perspective is similar to Seh, in that she's much more likely to think things through before doing them. Unlike Seh, however, she's more relationally-focused. On the one hand, that makes sense as her past required her to constantly be aware of what other people noticed about her. On the other, though, she's just much better than he is at reading people.

There is an interesting twist involving Seh about halfway through that did a lot to show both his character and hers, and force them into a much more dependent teamwork. In some ways this is his story as much as hers. There's another interesting twist that implies Hok has probably done the most of any of them so far when it comes to fulfilling Grandmaster's request to win Ying over.

Now that the separate storylines look to be closing in, it will be interesting to see how the plot proceeds. One thing I don't know if the kids have realized yet is that the changing national forces will deeply affect them no matter what happens with Tonglong and the others. They've certainly managed to get the Emporer's attention . . . I rate this book Recommended.

[Angel Cortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book is about a little girl name hok. she was a little girl at the beginning of her life. but then she had to be changed just like china. china was taking her mom away and her mom had to turn her daughter into a boy so that she could practice marcial arts. but the temple was only for boys and the master accepted her only because he showed sympathy for her. but soon after that she was very good at marcial rts and she left the temple and left to find her mother. but she was stoped in the middle of her journey and she had to fight for life and deth. and she won but was wounded. and her journey countinued.
i can connest to this book because remember whe i had to go on a journey to go to my moms job. so i had to go and take the train alone. so i had to go and transfer and i didnt take the right stop and i hit a bump in the road just like in the book. she got injured in the book so she had to get help. just like when i had gotten lost and i had to get help to go to my moms job.
i rated this book 5 stars because it was very interesting. it wasvery suspenceful. i couls connect to it and i liked the action. so i would reccomend this book to anyone who likes action.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I guess I should comment on this series, as I have just blustered through the four currently available books in this seven book series: It's not really deep, but it is very engaging. And there are many twists that develop as the series moves along, which is, perhaps, why _Crane_ (number four) receives higher marks than the others.

Details regarding the actual movements of martial arts are quite good (although for me, a bit much---I just want to know what else is going to happen), and quite informative (for me, an ignoramus in regards to the different fighting styles). I am personally tickled to have the story move on to Kaifeng (I've been there!), and make historical references.

I am puzzled by the mixing of Cantonese and Mandarin naming (I know, it is part of the plot, but gets me wondering about a broader history of martial arts in China.... and I don't think I really want to go into that line of inquiry right now, so someone just tell me).

Finally, I have enjoyed seeing how the author's biography has evolved over the four books. Pretty neat (check it out).

[Paula Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Hok. Life has been extremely hard for her, yes her, since the destruction of her Temple. Hok was admitted to the Temple to train as a boy as girls were not allowed. The Grandmaster was the only one who knew Hok's true identity. He allowed her presence as that was the only way to protect her life.

Hok means Crane. That was the Kung Fu in which she was trained. She was separated from her brothers, found some of them only to be separated again. Drugged with Dream Powder and finally escapes. She and Seh (snake) escape together. Hok finds her mother and discovers that she was a younger sister but has to leave once again. Hok and Seh head out to rescue Fu and Maleo who have been captured. Seh is facing an uphill battle as he has been blinded due to too much Dream Powder.

Crane like the previous in the series has a great deal of action. Good vs. Evil. Personal challenges.

Fantastic series for grades 5-8.

[Anna Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another book in the five ancestors series that has interesting plot development but which doesn't stand alone. (If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars, but this site doesn't allow for halves). The end clearly is an opening to the next book in the series as the fates of most of the main characters are up in the air. This is an active book with an intelligent female protagonist. However, some parts of the story were so dark and violent that it took me longer to get through this one than the others that preceded it in the series. Although I do feel for the characters and like getting to know Hok (the protagonist) and her family better, I would only recommend this book to people who want to read the rest of the series.

[Jeph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the books in the series, Crane seems to get inside the head of it's focal character the best. Each book tells the story from a different perspective of one of the main characters, and Hok, the young female Crane stylist tells the story the best. Crane introduces Cheung, the Leopard stylist, Bing, Hok's mother and Charles, a foreign boy who is a crack-shot with pistols.

Hok's outsider perspective, being forced to live as a man adds a nice touch to the ever-present charms of the series and the story itself continues to introduce interesting characters while keeping the action flowing, as ever.

[Anthony Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I was confused. I think it was because the first 3 books was based on boys and this book was on a girl. Because it was talking about a girl and was used to thinking that the main character was a boy. Anyway, the book was okay. Hok went back to the temple and spied on Ying. But she got caught, which was the bad part. I guess my favorite part was when she reunited with her mother, Bing, and learned a lot of herbal stuff. I like how the author made it really realistic. At the same time, it was very interesting for me and kind of fun to read. I couldn’t stop reading and read faster than usual.

[VeeDawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kids series, but I am really enjoying it. This book was the best of all so far. Hok is a girl, this fact is a big surprise to most of the brothers, but she is an amazing fighter using her Crane style attack. She has some very intense battles and helps Ying (her brother responsible for destroying their temple home) escape from prison! Interesting plot development! She is a great character. One thing I was not happy about--Seh (Snake) is blinded in this book. I really like his character so I hope he comes through this OK. At the end Ying saves Hok, Malao, and Fu, but he is not really a good guy--so the next book (from his point of view) should be interesting.

[Hira Chaudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hok was always my favorite character in this series, and I loved getting inside her head and seeing how she found her family and how happy she is with them. I love her friendship with Seh, how close they are, and how she's always there for him, how she wanted to do whatever she could to help him after he was blinded. I loved the two of them to no end. I love how Hok was always the one they all loved and looked up to, how she was the peacemaker. I adore her, and I love how she befriended Ying and was the first to see good in him. I love how she was the one to make him see the error of how he had been doing things.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definetly the best of the whole series so far. They get better as they go along!The best thing is now I know a bunch of Cantonese!!

LaoShu: Rat
Seh: Snake
Long: Dragon
Cheen: Deep
Sum: Shallow
PawPaw: Grandmother
Malao: Monkey
Fu: Tiger
Hok: Tiger
HaMo: Toad
AnGangseh: Cobra
Hung: Bear
Sau: Vengeful
Ying: Eagle
OnYeen: Peaceful
GongJee: Princess
San: Mountain
Tsung: Monk
Gao: Dog
Mong: Python
Xie: Scorpion
Bing: Ice
Tonglong: Mantis
NGung: Centipede

That was all from memory!

[07ChaseS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than the other ones, i think it was because the book was longer. I liked how it kept going and going, but then it ended it stunk i loved the book so much. I really like this author because he always has something to bring to the table to make him better as an author. I like this book because of how it tells what hok did any pretty much only what hok did during the story he is a really good author like i said before i really like him i look forward to reading the later on books

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth installment in The Five Ancestors series follows the exploits of Hok, the crane. Hok, who has always had to pretend to be a boy, is enjoying her freedom to dress as a girl. She is briefly reunited with her brothers Fu, Malao, and Seh; but then Malao and Fu are captured by their enemies and Seh is injured. First Hok must help Seh and then they must find a way to rescue Fu and Malao. Can they succeed? Who are their friends? Who is the enemy? This wonderful adventure continues. Boys will especially love these tales, loaded with kung fu action, deception, and danger.

[Janell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is fun to read and not too complicated. Plus, there are quite a few twists in each book, keeping you involved in the story and wanting to know more. However, this one seemed to have a few too many storylines going on; not bad, but it got a little confusing here and there. And like the previous 3 books, there was no resolution to the main storyline of the series so a definite cliff hanger. Although the books would probably appeal more to young boys, this installment was about Hok, the one girl among the young monks.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drugged and can't remember a thing is the way this book starts out. It did not make sense at first but when I kept reading everyting Hok was doing made more sense. In this book she encounters new friends and more or less new enemies. She is reunited with her brothers and find her long lost brother Long. Marlo and Fu are okay but Seh is blind. The other four books fit togehter with this one. This book is alot like the movie Kung Fu Panda.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the Crane book 4 of Jeff Stones, The Five Ancestors trilogy.
In this lovely book we find out that Crane is actually a young women trying to find her lost brother's. Fu, Maloe and Seh but she reuintes with her Mother and younger sister along the way and finds new friends. She does come across Seh along the way and many twist and turns happens. More fightening and more secrets are in this book, it'll keep you guessing till the end.
Can't wait to read book 5.