*Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Award* This program includes an original song written and recorded by Henry Lien Welcome to Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, where the blades are sharp and the competition is fierce. Peasprout Chen dreams of becoming a legend of wu liu, the deadly and beautiful art of martial arts figure skating. As the first students from the rural country of Shin to attend Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, Peasprout and her little brother Cricket have some pretty big skates to fill. They soon find themselves in a heated competition for top ranking. Tensions rise when the dazzling pearl buildings of the Academy are vandalized and outsider Peasprout is blamed for the attacks by her rivals ... and even some friends. Now, she must uncover the true vandal to ensure peace between Shin and Pearl – all while becoming a champion. Song and lyrics copyright 2017 Henry Lien Recording (p) copyright 2017 Henry Lien Praise for Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword: "Delivers all the joys of a classic new-kid-at-school story. . . . Wu liu may be an invented martial art, but Lien's descriptions of fantastically beautiful complicated moves and spins will doubtless inspire many young readers to wish it were real." —Parents' Choice Foundation "The narrator, Nancy Wu, finds just the right blade edge between girlish naïveté and brashness for our protagonist" —New York Times "Massively entertaining...Peasprout Chen is a future legend, indeed." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Wu glides deftly through the narration with distinct characterizations...This unique heroine will skate into the hearts of middle-grade listeners." —Booklist, Starred Review
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“With dazzling versatility, narrator Nancy Wu immerses listeners in this complex East Asian-inspired fantasy about a martial arts legend in the making…Wu’s narration captures Peasprout’s every nuance—hubristic yet vulnerable, snarky yet sincere—alongside character voices that range from subtly accented to all-out caricature. Peppered with breathless wu liu action and bookended by original music, this memorable performance will leave listeners hoping for a sequel. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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