The Golden Rat

by Don L. Wulffson

Book Overview

Since the death of his mother, Baoliu has grown apart from his family and is bitterly resentful of his father's new wife, who wears his mother's clothing and even her jewelry. One night, Baoliu's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599900009
• ISBN13: 9781599900001
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 11 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 6 and higher

Customer Reviews

great YA historical novel with mystery and action

A sixteen-year-old boy in 12th century China, upset by the death of his mother and his father's remarriage, is flunking out of school and causing trouble. It all changes when his new stepmother is robbed and murdered and he is accused, tried, found guilty and sentenced to death. His father pays a man in a ritual of ka-di to take his son's place at the gallows. Baoului then finds himself abandoned in the streets, trying to prove his innocence and clear his guilt-ridden conscience. Most of all, he must grow up. A deeply dramatic, interestingly historical/cultural, murder mystery/coming-of-age tale. Not perfectly well-written, but an easy, engaging read for young adults. Grade: A-

Ancient Chinese Adventure

The primary draw of Don Wulffson's THE GOLDEN RAT is its exotic setting -- 12th century China. A quick read at 160-plus pages, it should appeal to young readers interested in faraway places and times. The protagonist, 16-year-old Baoliu, is charged with a murder he did not commit (the slaying of his despised mother-in-law). When Baoliu's wealthy merchant father pays to spring his son via the ancient Chinese custom of ka-di (in which an innocent man is substituted on the day of execution in exchange for money), Baoliu is free but shunned by everyone -- his father, his brother, his countrymen. He is forced to survive in the slums, where he befriends a boy willing to help him solve the truth of the crime. When he gets mixed up with the daughter of the man beheaded for him, additional strands of suspense and ambivalence come to the fore. Chased by constables bent on returning him to prison, Baoliu and his friends lead readers on one frantic escape after another until their luck runs out. A "golden rat" is the name the Chinese gave for a guilty party freed by ka-di. Only in this case, the rat is innocent. Though the characterization is never fully fleshed out and the descriptions are minimal, the book should have enough plot to pull along readers who are not intimidated by the many Chinese names and locales. Readers who stick with it until the end will be rewarded with both a twist in the plot and a satisfying conclusion.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

When sixteen-year-old Bailou's mother died he was devastated, but when his father takes a new wife who wears his mother's jewelry, it's just too much. Bailou is the second son, and in twelfth-century China, second sons are not very important in the household. And then one night, his step-mother is murdered, and the jewelry stolen. Everyone is sure that Bailou is the murderer and thief. To his horror, Bailou is convicted in court of killing his step-mother and sentenced to be beheaded. On the day he is to be executed, his father purchases another man to be executed in his place, giving Bailou the Golden Rat status. Wulffson's premise is based on the ancient Chinese custom of Ka-di, where substitutes could be purchased and executed. Bailou watches the man die in his place, and is then turned out in the street to survive however he is able, since his father has also disowned him. Bailou knows that he is innocent of the murder, and is determined to find the real killer, but surviving in the slums of medieval China is a struggle. He makes an unexpected friendship, and the two boys work on the ship docks, and scrounge whatever they can to survive. Bailou is a sympathetic and likable character who is haunted by the man that died in his place, and searches for the truth about this man. But when he finds out about him, nothing is quite as it had seemed in this exciting, action-packed story. Don Wulffson is a master at characterization and his powerful multi-level plot and vivid descriptions take you right to twelfth-century China. This story is a real winner for reluctant teen readers; storytelling at its very best with real emotion, fast-paced action, and a satisfying ending. Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

A Young Adult Librarian's Review

A mystery/adventure set in 12th Century China. 16-year-old Bailou's privileged life is shattered when he is falsely convicted of killing his Stepmother. He waits in horror for the beheading that will follow, only to be spared when his father purchases another to be executed in his place. The adventure that follows finds a disowned Bailou struggling to survive on the streets, while at the same time seeking to trace the real murderer. What's more, he is haunted by the man he watched die in his place, and searches for the truth about his substitute. The Golden Rat grips readers as it moves through the foul streets of medieval China to teeming hillside slums. Bailou is a sympathetic character, forging unlikely friendships and proving noble beyond his birthright. Readers are easily caught up in The Golden Rat's fast-paced action and vivid descriptions. They will also be intrigued to find that Wulffson's premise is based on the ancient Chinese custom of Ka-di, where substitutes could be purchased and executed. An especially good choice for reluctant readers aged 10-14.