for Gunpowder Man

Carried away by bandits, Wang Lee is rescued by the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace and he joins the group's leader, Mai Lin, in the battle against betrayal, oppression, and tyranny.

Newbery Medal author Paterson presents the story of Wang Lee, the young son of starving peasants in 1850's China. Abducted from his home, the fifteen-year-old is rescued from slavery by a mysterious girl who introduces him to the Taiping Tienkuo, a secret society partly based on Christian principles and dedicated to the overthrow of the Manchu government.