Inthisaction-packedadventureandcoming-of-agestorythatfinelyweavesfactandfiction,thirteen-year-oldMinglivesinasmallvillageinMaoistChinainthe1970s.HisfatherisconvincedthatEmperorQin'stombandthelife-sizeterra-cottaarmycreatedtoserveandprotecttheemperorintheafterlifelieshiddeninthehillsaroundthem.ButifMing'sfatherdoesn'tproveitsoon,thetown'sPoliticalOfficerwillcondemnhimtothebrutallaborcamps.Fromthestoriesofaterra-cottasoldierwhohassurvivedthroughthecenturies,MinglearnsthehistoryofEmperorQin,knownforbuildingtheGreatWallofChina,andhowandwhytheterra-cottasoldierscametobe.Astheirunlikelyfriendshipdevelops,Mingexperiencesthemysterioustombfirsthand,bravingdeadlytrapsandwitnessingtheterra-cottaarmyinaction.Mostimportantly,hecomestoseehowhecansaveboththeterra-cottasoldiersandhisfatherfromthecorruptPoliticalOfficerandhisCommunistcronies.ThebookisillustratedwithphotographsofCommunistChinesevillagelifeinthe1970s,theGreatWall,and,ofcourse,theexcavatedtombwithitsmanyterra-cottasoldiers.Italsofeaturesaspecialrecipefromthestory.PraiseforSecretsoftheTerra-CottaSoldier"HistoricalphotosandIndianaJonesstyleadventureenrichthistaleofanunusualmeetingbetweentheQinDynastyandthe20thcentury."--KirkusReviews"Despitethehardships,bothcourageouscharactersworktoupholdtheirrespectiveduties:ShitoprotectthetombandMingtoprotecttheculturallegacyofChina'speople.Witharchivalart,recipes,andendnotes,thistitleissuretobeahitintheclassroom."--Booklist