How could Ling Tan, a simple Chinese farmer who paid little attention to the world outside his own valley, be prepared for what was about to happen? He knows nothing of the great political changes that are currently sweeping through country after country. He thinks only of his land and his large family, and with them, he is content.

His life changes suddenly and cruelly when the armed forces of the East Ocean enemy attack. Ling Tan's peaceful life is shattered as some of his family are killed, and others leave.

Shocked, terrified, suffering unimaginable horrors, the remaining family members survive, and, in their different ways, begin to fight back.

The New Oxford Progressive English Readers offer a great selection of classic novels and plays at six levels from renowned authors that have been abridged in the form of easy-to-read stories for children to enjoy.

The readers contain: Adaptation of popular classics and modern fiction by well-known writers Wide range of titles within each grade allows students to read widely,enabling them to progress to the next level confidently Illustrated throughout Questions,activities,and background information such as cultural context,character profiles,and author biographies included A template at the end of the books to assist students in writing book reports Each book includes a complete list of all titles available in the series and relevant teaching resources