The Scroll of Chaos

Gr 5 Up–Chapman’s latest book takes readers on a fast-paced adventure starring gods and demigods from Chinese mythology. Astrid Xu is a 12-year-old with long black hair and a lingering confidence problem. She has an upcoming clarinet solo, but she’s afraid that her asthma will ruin her performance. Worse yet, she fears that playing poorly will cause her mother to slip further into a depressive fog. Astrid must learn to trust herself and her family after she accidentally opens a cursed scroll and plunges into Zhen, a world where all the Chinese myths from her childhood are real. This title is broad in a scope comparable to epic fantasies like The Chronicles of Narnia, exploring Chinese traditions and mythologies. The world of Zhen has many vibrant corners for Astrid and her sister Marilla to explore. There they find warm and likable mentors who gently guide their understanding of complex issues like codependency and mental illness. Chapman’s book strikes a balance between humor, action, and insight as Astrid is shown finding her way from Zhen back to her everyday life.