AsianAmericanBooks.com - AACP, Inc.
A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts
A Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales
Home About Contact New Specials Browsing Ordering Conference Links Help
Search our site: Google

Check this out.

Book cover picture

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts
A Collection of Deliciously
Frightening Tales

By Ying Chang Compestine
Illustrated by Coleman Polhemus
2009, 180 pages, Hardback.



Book Description from the Front Cover Flap
Comments and Reviews
About the Author and Illustrator

ORDER -- Item #3621, Price $16.99

Request More Information

Go to Browsing Page


Book Description from the Front Cover Flap

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories, Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. Hungry ghosts have prevailed - from the building of the Great Wall in 200 BCE to the modern day of iPods - and continue to torment those who wronged them.

At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales - complete with historical notes and savory recipes - will both scare and satiate.

Back to the Top


Comments and Reviews

"Compestine (Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party) pens a gruesome but delightful grouping of eight stories about so-called hungry ghosts…who return to seek vengeance. …Compestine includes historical context for the stories and a number of recipes (though some readers may find they lack an appetite). The stories are laced with beautiful (as well as lurid) images and chilling illustrations of the ghosts and their victims. Like the ghosts themselves, Compestine's memorable stories should prove difficult to shake."
-Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Eight grisly horror stories are arranged to feed the hungry imaginations of readers fascinated with blood, gore, murders and ghosts, who, like their Western counterparts, want to avenge their deaths and have the things they had in life, especially their favorite foods. … This will whet the appetites of a certain type of ghost gourmet with a sophisticated palate; those with weak stomachs should stay away."
-Kirkus Reviews

"This collection offers up enough fright-and food-to keep kids returning for seconds."
-Horn Book Review

"Compestine (Boy Dumplings, 2009) presents an eight-course offering of chilling tales honoring Chinese food and ghost lore."
-Booklist

"In this collection of gruesome ghost stories, Compestine takes readers through China's history, from the building of the Great Wall to the modern day. … These stories are not only deliciously frightening but also introduce readers to ancient and modern Chinese customs and beliefs."
-School Library Journal

Back to the Top


Background on Ying Chang Compestine and Coleman Polhemus

Ying Chang Compestine grew up in China and now lives in California with her husband and son. She is the author of many picture books and the acclaimed novel Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, which was named an ALA Notable Book, among numerous other honors.
www.yingc.com

Coleman Polhemus is the illustrator of several books for children and young adults, including The Crocodile Blues and Daemon Hall. He lives with his family in Mentone, Australia.

Back to the Top

Other Related Books

The Runaway Rice Cake
By Ying Chang Compestine

Other Related Links


AACP Home Page
About | Contact | New | Specials | Browsing | Ordering | Conference | Links | Help
Copyright © 2010 by AACP, Inc.
Most recent revision September 28, 2010