Wild Orchid: A retelling of the Ballad of Mulan by Cameron Dokey

This was an incredible read. It was very fast; I read it in one day. It's classic Mulan, except it's probably more historically accurate than the disney movie. Mulan is a tomboy. She wants nothing other than to do exactly the opposite what most other girls do- she doesn't want to sew, or look pretty, or embroider, she wants to climb trees and learn to fight and read. Thanks to her friend Li Po, and the fact her mother died in childbirth, she can. She learns to ride horses, shoot bows better than most men, swordfight, and read. And no one knows except her nurse. But what Mulan wants more than anything else, are 3 things: For her Father to come home from the war, For him to love her, and For her to know her mother's name. One day, everything changes. She is climbing a tree when she sees a horseman riding through. Li Po loses his balance and almost falls- but hangs onto Mulan, knocking her out of the tree. Her efforts at learning boyish skills are then brought to the attention of her father, who was one of the men on the horses. This brings a great deal of events that leads her to risk her life and reputation for her father's welfare. Good for ages 12 and up. I give it 4 stars.