The Seven Chinese Brothers, by Margaret Mahy, Illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng

            This story tells of seven brothers from China who each has a special power. First Brother has super hearing, Second Brother has super sight, Third Brother has Super Strength, Fourth Brother has unbreakable bones, Fifth Brother can lengthen his legs, Sixth Brother never overheats, and Seventh Brother cries ocean-sized tears. Upon learning how cruelly the Emperor was forcing his people to build the Great Wall of China, Third Brother intervenes and finishes the wall. This greatly enrages the Emperor, so he sentences this brother to be beheaded. However, the Fourth Brother trades places with him since his neck will never break. Throughout the story, the Emperor changes the punishment and the brothers keep switching places until the first six brothers endure a punishment. When Seventh Brother can no longer bear this conflict, he cries two ocean-sized tears that sweep the tyrannical emperor away and save his brothers. The book ends with the brothers reunited and dining together after a grueling week.

            This story would be most appropriate in a third-grade classroom because it is simplistic in its vocabulary and structure, but is intense due to the severe punishments sentenced by the Emperor. I would most likely use this book when the students learn about Chinese history. The book takes place during the construction of the Great Wall of China, and this is a valuable part of Chinese history. Additionally, the editor’s note at the beginning of the book goes into detail about Emperor Ch’in Shih Huang, who is the emperor in this story. While the story is fiction, there are many real facts about this ruler in China’s history. Because of this, the book would also help third-grade students learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction. We could have a class discussion after the book that differentiates the realistic aspects and the fictional aspects of the tale. Furthermore, this story would add cultural diversity when studying tall tales in an English Language Arts classroom.