Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
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Rick Riordan Presents Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling author Stacey Lee's modern reimagining of a classic Chinese folktale―replete with magic, boba, and lots of trash talking.
Twelve-year-old Winston Chu is supposed to learn impulse control at the cooking academy his mom enrolled him in. But learning to think before he acts won't happen overnight.
While skateboarding home with a pie in hand, Winston inadvertently stops a robbery at Mr. Pang's Whimsies, an oddities shop in Chinatown. As a reward, Mr. Pang invites Winston to choose any item in the store. But the strange old man warns Winston to browse carefully, for the first thing Winston touches will be the thing he gets. Before Winston can decide, a magpie flies under a shelf, and he impulsively grabs an old broom to sweep it out.
Mr. Pang hands him the broom, along with a dustpan. "Two for one. Congratulations."
Deflated, Winston returns home, determined to put the broom incident behind him. Or at least in the closet. But when some of his most beloved possessions go missing, all Winston can think about are the broom and dustpan. Did they somehow take his stuff? And what―or who―will they dispose of next?
It's time to break into Mr. Pang's Whimsies, where clearly there's more going on than meets the far-seeing eyeball. It's time to fight magic with magic. And this time, Winston better have a plan.
Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.
Look for these other exciting adventures from Rick Riordan Presents:
Rick Riordan Presents: The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim
Rick Riordan Presents: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
Rick Riordan Presents: Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee
Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Twelve-year-old Winston Chu is supposed to learn impulse control at the cooking academy his mom enrolled him in. But learning to think before he acts won't happen overnight.
While skateboarding home with a pie in hand, Winston inadvertently stops a robbery at Mr. Pang's Whimsies, an oddities shop in Chinatown. As a reward, Mr. Pang invites Winston to choose any item in the store. But the strange old man warns Winston to browse carefully, for the first thing Winston touches will be the thing he gets. Before Winston can decide, a magpie flies under a shelf, and he impulsively grabs an old broom to sweep it out.
Mr. Pang hands him the broom, along with a dustpan. "Two for one. Congratulations."
Deflated, Winston returns home, determined to put the broom incident behind him. Or at least in the closet. But when some of his most beloved possessions go missing, all Winston can think about are the broom and dustpan. Did they somehow take his stuff? And what―or who―will they dispose of next?
It's time to break into Mr. Pang's Whimsies, where clearly there's more going on than meets the far-seeing eyeball. It's time to fight magic with magic. And this time, Winston better have a plan.
Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.
Look for these other exciting adventures from Rick Riordan Presents:
Rick Riordan Presents: The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim
Rick Riordan Presents: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
Rick Riordan Presents: Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee
Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Editorial Reviews
"From creepy Coco to delicious bubble tea, Stacey Lee weaves together elements from west, east, and in between to create a magical world all its own. I became a fan all over again."――Abigail Hing Wen, New York Times best-selling author of the Loveboat, Taipei series
"It is a spectacular kind of joy to find a book that makes you wonder and dream and believe that magic is just around the corner waiting to happen―Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies does this and more. In her explosively clever middle grade debut, Stacey Lee has written a brilliant adventure full of humor, heart, and whimsically wicked objects."――Stephanie Garber, New York Times #1 & internationally best-selling author of the Caraval series
"Lee deftly crafts an adventure that strings together seemingly random clues only to have them fall satisfyingly into place in the end. Themes of friendships, grief, and family love are explored throughout . . . There's plenty of magic, healing, and love to enjoy on this roller-coaster ride."――Kirkus Reviews
"Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is a roller coaster ride of enchanting surprises and chaotic magic that leads the reader through the most epic journey! I didn't want it to end!!"――Ellen Oh, award-winning author of Finding Junie Kim and the Spirit Hunters trilogy
"Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is the best kind of adventure story―one with both hilarious magic and a heartfelt emotional core!"――Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
"We read to learn, right? Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies teaches you all sorts of useful skills, like how to get your sister's soul out of a doll, how to help celestial spirits find love, and what not to choose when a strange shopkeeper offers you one free gift. Lee's tale is full of family, friendship, hijinks, hilarity, and flying pizza slices that will slap you if you're not careful―all told by a master raconteur."――Carlos Hernandez, award-winning author of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
"It is a spectacular kind of joy to find a book that makes you wonder and dream and believe that magic is just around the corner waiting to happen―Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies does this and more. In her explosively clever middle grade debut, Stacey Lee has written a brilliant adventure full of humor, heart, and whimsically wicked objects."――Stephanie Garber, New York Times #1 & internationally best-selling author of the Caraval series
"Lee deftly crafts an adventure that strings together seemingly random clues only to have them fall satisfyingly into place in the end. Themes of friendships, grief, and family love are explored throughout . . . There's plenty of magic, healing, and love to enjoy on this roller-coaster ride."――Kirkus Reviews
"Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is a roller coaster ride of enchanting surprises and chaotic magic that leads the reader through the most epic journey! I didn't want it to end!!"――Ellen Oh, award-winning author of Finding Junie Kim and the Spirit Hunters trilogy
"Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies is the best kind of adventure story―one with both hilarious magic and a heartfelt emotional core!"――Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
"We read to learn, right? Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies teaches you all sorts of useful skills, like how to get your sister's soul out of a doll, how to help celestial spirits find love, and what not to choose when a strange shopkeeper offers you one free gift. Lee's tale is full of family, friendship, hijinks, hilarity, and flying pizza slices that will slap you if you're not careful―all told by a master raconteur."――Carlos Hernandez, award-winning author of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
Readers Top Reviews
Pezhead28
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun read and another great mythology book! I liked how Winston and his friends didn’t let anyone or anything stand in their way. This definitely makes me want to read more about Chinese myths!
Winston Chu Vs. the Whimsies is another example of well written fiction coming from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. It was a fun read. The characters of Winston, Cassa, Bijal, and Maverick were quirky which made for a great dynamic between the gang. Mr. Pang, Cowherd, and Cloud Weaver were interesting ways to bring in the Chinese folktale aspect. I wish there had been a little more of the backstory between Cowherd and Cloud Weaver but it didn't detract from the overall storyline, Overall, the story was well paced and developed. I will definitely be adding it to my classroom library and will encourage my students to give it a try.
E. Thiessen
4 stars This was different from other Chinese mythology books I've read in that it talked about Qi, Feng Shui, good luck and bad luck, and changelings. The title encapsulates the story perfectly, in my mind, as it felt like a whimsical tale of adventure and working with friends to save the world from the bad guy. I enjoyed getting to know Winston and the things that mattered to him. At first, I wasn't sure about his friends, especially his wealthy friend, and the rest of his family were also unknown, but as the story progressed, I got drawn into his quest to save his baby sister. I liked that he started out thinking he was the only one who was really struggling, only to find out that he was not alone in his struggles, and I also liked how the different friends worked together at the end and that even though Winston had powerful chi as a legacy of his father's, he needed each of his friends to accomplish what he wanted. The magic system of this story was a little different from what I've seen before, and I didn't quite get it until close to the end. However, by the time we got to the end, I think it was developed enough that it will work well for future books. This book was not listed as part of a series, but the ending is open-ended and leaves many things hanging about the villain(s) and makes me think there is much more to come. Overall, I enjoyed this introduction to Winston Chu's world and I look forward to future books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Karen
Every Rick Riordan Presents book is an exciting new adventure, and as I continue reading the stories that come out of this imprint, I learn more and more about other cultures and their mythologies. In Winston Chu, Stacey Lee presents a story I’m wholly unfamiliar with—that of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. In her book, the characters of the Cowherd and Cloud Weaver are pulled from their mythological origins and placed in a modern setting, allowing kids (and adults!) to better relate to this classic tale. One of the highlights of this book is Lee’s ability to capture the spirit of a 12-year-old kid. Children can be so random and strange at this age, and she really tapped into that voice for Winston and his friends. But Lee also wasn't afraid to tackle large topics like loss and grief. All of Winston’s emotions—from the sadness to the anger—are completely valid, and it was truly inspirational to see the author write such a big, profound story in a children’s book. Loss is a part of life, and I’m glad Lee talked about this issue head-on without fear that it might be too much for a kid to read about. Stacey Lee’s imagination is also top-tier because each one of Mr. Pang’s whimsies has a clever name and a truly inspired magical property. His shop opens up a whole new avenue to Winston and his friends, where each whimsy could either be a tool used to aid them or distract them from their ultimate goal. All of them are fun and clever and even a little scary at times, but they’re also full of a magic I’m dying to explore further. Lee plants each detail in Winston Chu with care, and doesn’t forget to go back to every single one of them in order to provide us with a satisfying ending to this book. I loved all of the full-circle moments, as well as the way she wrapped up all the threads she had exposed in the beginning. I’m so excited to see what’s next in the Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies sequel. Something tells me it’ll be even more magical than this one!
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This book is a fun adventure full of magic, with likable characters abound. The Good vs Evil aspect doesn't really involve some grand journey like many books in the imprint, instead focusing on one dangerous location the kids repeatedly visit. The main character's friends are all likable and developed, but his love interest feels almost tacked on up toward the end. I'm not opposed to m/f romances, but it's frustrating when authors barely develop them at all and ignore potential pairings with much greater chemistry- in this case, Winston and his best friend Mav. They're great together and I hope the sequel (that I assume we're getting) throws a curveballs and makes them a pair. Or make the three of them a polycule.
