A Letter to All Readers

Dear Readers,

I’d like to point out a few points before you start to savor these “hand-crafted” books.

First Glance at the Three Kingdoms in 300 Characters:

This series may very well serve your interest:

A Letter to Chinese Learning Readers

How did we start
this project?

I witnessed many writers and editorsput so much work into their books and seemingly get little in return for their extraordinary efforts. I thought I wouldn’t ever have the desire nor the ability to write a book in my life. Three years ago, teachers from our school started a project focusing on one of the great works of Chinese literature, Romance ofthe Three Kingdoms, at the request of our students. We were reluctant to start the project because those historical stories are difficult to teach. We then decided to simplify the stories to help students to understand and to enjoy the stories. We were pleased to see our students learn the stories with enthusiasm. They suggested that we turn our lessons into a book series. We were once again apprehensive but they kept pushing their idea with enthusiasm and persistence. They really loved the stories! And in the end, they convinced us! We began to work on this book series. Finally, after three years of hard work, here are the books for you. We hope you enjoy the stories as much as our students did.

Why should you
read this book?

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the four most famous novels in classic Chinese literature.

The original book had 120 chapters, over 800,000 words. It takes a long time to read. Good news for you: we have painstakingly selected and simplified the book into 5 short stories and calligraphy booklets.

The stories are entertaining and educational for any student or reader interested in history, politics, business, or art. The calligraphy sections that accompany the stories also help you to understand and learn how to write Chinese characters.

For beginning-level Chinese learners, you won’t be intimidated by this book series.  You only need to know 300-500 vocabulary words to understand the story. We have beautiful illustrations, pin-yin (phonetic guide), and hands-on activities to help you understand the language and its culture. The English translation is there for you just in case you want to double-check your comprehension. We also have review problems and online games if you need extra practice!

For the intermediate- and advanced-level Chinese learners, you won’t be disappointed by these short stories.  Reading one of the most famous Chinese classics can be a breeze! These books might give you the motivation you need to tackle the original text in the future.

Happy Reading,

Jean Cheng