Book excerpt: Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Yoon Ha Lee's companion to the best-selling and award-winning DRAGON PEARL, another space opera inspired by Korean mythology, this time told from the point of view of a nonbinary tiger spirit. "A zesty mix of Korean folklore, magic, and science fiction that will leave you longing for more adventures in the Thousand Worlds!"--Rick Riordan, intro to DRAGON PEARL "With crisp dialogue, a winning protagonist and a propulsive plot, this tale is enormously entertaining."-- New York Times Book Review of DRAGON PEARL Sebin, a young tiger spirit from the Juhwang Clan, wants nothing more than to join the Thousand World Space Forces and, like their Uncle Hwan, captain a battle cruiser someday. But when Sebin's acceptance letter finally arrives, it's accompanied by the shocking news that Hwan has been declared a traitor. Apparently the captain abandoned his duty to steal a magical artifact, the Dragon Pearl, and his whereabouts are still unknown. Sebin hopes to help clear their hero's name and restore honor to the clan. Nothing goes according to plan, however. As soon as Sebin arrives for orientation, they are met by a special investigator named Yi and Yi's assistant, a girl named Min. Yi informs Sebin that they must immediately report to the ship Haetae and await further instructions. Sebin finds this highly unusual, but soon all protocol is forgotten when there's an explosion on the ship, the crew is knocked out, and the communication system goes down. It's up to Sebin, three other cadets, and Yi and Min to determine who is sabotaging the battle cruiser. When Sebin is suddenly accused of collaborating with the enemy, the cadet realizes that Min is the most dangerous foe of all... Yoon Ha Lee brilliantly turns the tables on DRAGON PEARL in another unputdownable sci-fi adventure about what honor really means. Complete your middle grade fantasy collection with: Rick Riordan Presents: DRAGON PEARL by Yoon Ha Lee Rick Riordan Presents: RACE TO THE SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse Rick Riordan Presents: SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Hernandez Rick Riordan Presents: THE LAST FALLEN STAR by Graci Kim Rick Riordan Presents: PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER by Lori M. Lee