Sign of the Green Dragon in The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club

Mar 28, 2016 Beverly McClure rated it it was amazing

Most children simply want a home, a mother and father, someone to love them. They like to hang out with their friends, play sports, or other activities they enjoy. Life doesn’t always turn out the way a child, or an adult for that matter, wants it to.

In SIGN OF THE GREEN DRAGON, by Author C. Lee McKenzie, Sam is one of the children whose life is out of control. For six months Sam has been an orphan and lived with his Uncle Jasper. According to Uncle Jasper, the arrangement hasn’t worked out, an ...more

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Apr 11, 2016 Jemi Fraser rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

...And I'm so glad I did! This is a fantastic fun-filled adventure that is going to appeal to so many of my students (and their parents and teachers, too!). Sam is a terrific character - smart without being annoying, willing to take risks without being obnoxious and a good, loyal friend.

The cast of the supporting characters (human and otherwise!) is rich and textured with terrific details. The mystery plot is fun and intriguing.

Rea ...more

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Apr 11, 2016 Bish Denham rated it really liked it

Shelves: children-s-lit

Ms McKenzie's has an excellent feel for 11/12 year-old boys. The Sign of the Green Dragon takes Sam and his best friends, Joey and Roger, on an adventure and mystery. There's the treasure map, he and his friends find, plus skeletons, Chinese boxes and Chinese dragons. There's a labyrinthine gold mine that an old Chinese man and his nephew live in. There are chase scenes and forged paintings. But the real question is, will Sam, who recently lost his parents and is living with a grumpy uncle, be a ...more

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May 02, 2016 Yolanda Renee rated it it was amazing

Sam Denny's already lost too much; he can't miss his opportunity to play in the District Championship baseball game too. Surely, his Uncle Jasper would understand, but no, Sam has been scheduled to leave for boarding school.
When he shares this information with his two friends, Roger, and Joey, they have another idea. Sam can hide in a cave until the game. Not the best solution, but it's better than missing the game altogether. However, the discovery of a box of bones, a cave-in, and a message th ...more

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Apr 11, 2016 Juneta Key rated it it was amazing

This was a very imaginative and fun read with plenty of adventure and mystery thrown in.

Sam's already knows that bad things happen to good people. After losing his parents he goes to live with his uncle who after a few months wants to send him to live at boarding school. He was just starting to fit in and make friends. He was the best player on the baseball team and the coach thinks with him on the team they have the chance to win the playoffs.

His two best buds come up with an idea to hide him ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Jemima Pett rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, middle-grade, childrens, adventure

I was going to say that the blurb pretty much tells the story, but no, it really only covers the introduction. What happens after is fascinating, enthralling, and a bit scary at times. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a book for middle grade readers.

And it is. Ms Mckenzie also makes sure that younger keen readers or reluctant boys will continue with the story by her writing. It is clean, crisp, and short. The three boys are entertaining and a good mix of characters. Sam uses his head, Joey use ...more

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May 10, 2016 Mary Aalgaard rated it it was amazing

I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing an advanced e-reader copy of Sign of Green Dragon. It was like reading the Hardy Boys mysteries or watching the Goonies or National Treasure. McKenzie puts as much adventure in her stories as she does personality in her characters.
From the first sentence, I cared about Sam and his plight. He’s recently orphaned and living with an uncle who is a reluctant caregiver. He doesn’t know where he fits in. When he finally finds acceptance from peers on the ba ...more

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May 30, 2016 J. Dorner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I received this ARC free from the mailing list. My review and rating are honest.
This was an exciting adventure book for young people. There's diversity in the characters. Emotion was well-done. The settings are spectacularly fleshed out. (I want to live in the cave house!)
If you cut down an early Harry Potter book to just the three of them on an adventure-of-purpose, you'd have the feel of this book. It reminded me a bit of my own youth, which is, perhaps, why I enjoyed it so much. ...more

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May 28, 2016 Pat Garcia rated it it was amazing

A boy named Sam, orphaned by a tragic loss, and an Uncle forced into an unwilling parenthood. Two boys, Joey, and Roger bring friendship and some stability into Sam’s life, and Carmela, the nurturer, who in many ways is the surrogate mother, that keeps caring and loving alive in Sam’s heart.

The Sign of the Green Dragon tells the story of a boy who wants to help his team win the district baseball championship. Torn between with his desire to help his team, and his Uncle’s wish to send him to boa ...more

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Feb 08, 2017 Tonja Drecker rated it really liked it

This book not only is packed with adventure, treasure hunting and mystery but gives a glimpse at an often overlooked part of American history.

Sam's life, especially in terms of baseball, is about to be ruined; his uncle wants to send him off to boarding school. To help out, his two best friends hide him out in a cave. When an earthquake hits, and a dragon chest is revealed, the adventure begins.

There are so many things for middle graders to love: caves, treasure maps, secrets and dragons. The au ...more

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May 29, 2016 Elizabeth Seckman rated it it was amazing

A fun read. It reminds me of books like Hardy Boys, only up-to-date and relevant to today's young audience. Three friends head off on an adventure. They need to find treasure to keep their orphaned friend in their fold. Well written and fast-paced, this is a great little story. ...more

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May 31, 2016 Elizabeth Arroyo rated it it was amazing

A middle grade action adventure book that includes a treasure map, dark, creepy places, and bad guys...oh, and dragons! What's not to like!

Sam is being sent away before the school's big baseball game, and they finally have a chance at winning! Friends, Joey and Roger can't let Sam leave, so they decide to hide him in a cave. The cave ends up revealing a chest with bones, a note, and a map. With the mention of treasure, the boys are off to find it.

Clues lead them to a sad tale of hope, murder, a ...more

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Jun 25, 2018 Toi Thomas rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, rated, mystery, reviewed, children-teen, action-adventure

This was a very fun story. It made me think of great cinematic adventures such as The Goonies and Flight of the Navigator. I will say though there was a lot more innocence to this story than some of those cinematic features. This story reminds me of my childhood in a lot of ways; reminiscing about all the little adventures I went on that my parents, even to this day, still don't know about.

For me, the best part of this story is its portrayal of friendship and devotion. Yes, there are lots of she This was a very fun story. It made me think of great cinematic adventures such as The Goonies and Flight of the Navigator. I will say though there was a lot more innocence to this story than some of those cinematic features. This story reminds me of my childhood in a lot of ways; reminiscing about all the little adventures I went on that my parents, even to this day, still don't know about.

For me, the best part of this story is its portrayal of friendship and devotion. Yes, there are lots of shenanigans in the story, there's a mystery to be solved, and there's a bit of action and magic, but overall it's a story about family, friendship, and honor.

At the beginning of the story, we meet Sam, a boy who's been orphaned after the death of his parents, though he does live with his uncle. However, his situation with his uncle is not ideal. The only things that bring him joy are the fact that he gets to live in his hometown, hang out with his friends, and play baseball. When his uncle tells him that he has to send him off to boarding school, Sam’s whole world is torn apart. For me, the uncle seemed unnecessarily cruel at the beginning of this story, but his behavior is eventually explained.

The adventure of this story begins when Sam decides that he's going to run away to avoid being sent away. He and his friends decide to hide him out in the mountains so he can be in town in time to play their big baseball game. When they go to seek their hidden shelter they find a mystery instead. The other boys look at this mystery as either a challenge or an adventure but Sam, right away, sees it as an opportunity to change his situation. Thus, the hero's journey begins. While the boys are out for an adventure and Sam is looking for an opportunity to improve his situation, they all end up finding that they can actually help someone else with their efforts.

Another really cool thing about this story is the cultural diversity that it shows. I love it when a story can sneak in new or different ideas for me to learn. There are Asian and Hispanic characters in this story as well as a significant Chinese cultural influence. The undertones of myth and legend are where the magical elements of the story come in. This isn't exactly a high fantasy story; I wouldn't even call it a low urban fantasy either. It's more of a magical realism setting. That's not to say we don't get to see something really cool at the end.

Another thing I really appreciate about this story was the fact that it didn’t lean too heavily on the kids vs. adults trope. While there is some, mostly the kids recognize that some adults are helpful and understanding. While some adults are portrayed as bad guys, some are clear allies.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I would say the only reason that I'm not giving it a 5-star is that there were a few parts that seemed to drag a bit. Still, the story never fully lost my attention. I was engrossed in the story from start to finish. Definitely a 4.5 star performance.

I highly recommend this story to fans of adventure. This is a perfect book for middle-grade readers, probably upper elementary school grades through middle school. This is a perfect book for a classroom, a library, or even your own home.
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Oct 13, 2022 Ronel Janse van Vuuren rated it it was ok

Shelves: dragons, middle-grade-fantasy, contemporary, iwsg-member-book, tbr-2022-challenge, book-club, a-z-s

Not being able to access each chapter individually from the drop down table of contents is inconvenient.

I’m not too keen on what the boys are planning – the sensible side of me is screaming that something horrible is going to happen, not to mention the implications of running away from home and lying to every adult they know just to win a baseball game. But I’ll try really hard to suspend disbelief (and my sensible side) and continue past chapter one.

Using night mode (my preferred setting) the c ...more

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May 22, 2016 Tyrean rated it it was amazing

This fun, middle school read captures the heart of friendship between three young men on an road-trip style adventure that takes them on a journey of history, spelunking, and culture. Plus, there are dragons! After I finished, the song "Stand By Me" kept running through my head. This story has an iconic yet contemporary feel with some exciting and surprising twists of adventure fantasy and cultural history. In short, C. Lee McKenzie has a created another great novel! ...more

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May 02, 2017 N.J. Burggraf rated it it was amazing

What a fantastic adventure. I don't usually read middle-grade books but I enjoyed this story so much I shared it with my ESL students. It was lovely to see their excitement to read in the English language and they engaged in every step of the journey. C.Lee McKenzie really knows how to communicate with this age group (as well as us older readers). A super read! ...more

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