Dragon's Gate

"Dragon's Gate" is a 333 page book by Laurence Yep. In the story Otter a young Chinese boy from Three Willows village wants to join his adoptive father and Uncle Foxfire in America, The Land of the Golden Mountain, so that the people may learn how to overthrow the Manchus, who invaded and took over, with technology like trains and other gadgets. When Otter finally goes to America unlike everyone in China's belief he finds out that his uncle and dad are not at the top but rather almost like slaves of the railroad contractors where they work 8 to 12 hours a day chipping away at the mountain the workers call "The Tiger" so that the railway can go through the mountain itself. At the end Foxfire dies, his father is blinded, and Otter is a hero for saving the camp from an avalanche so he can get off the darned god forsaken mountain and back to his pampered ways in China but he carries on his Uncle Foxfire's dream of studying the American tech for the aforementioned overthrow of the Manchu invaders power over China.

The House of the Scorpion

The wall slid open at Matt's touch.The House of the Scorpion is a 373 page science fiction story by Nancy Farmer that tells Matt the Clone's story of life. Growing up Matt lived a poor life with Celia, his adoptive mother, in a house lying in a field of poppies, but all that changed when Mateo Alacran,El Patron, the real Matt reveals his clone. Written for seventh and eighth graders, the characters Celia, Tam Lin, Matt, El Patron, Felicia, Tom, and Maria are warm but a little devious or just plain evil. It takes place in Opium and Aztlan, which are future broken up Mexico countries.
I recommend it absolutely for many reasons. First, the author was hinting at things the whole time so that the reader could guess what would happen next. I liked the fast paced, action filled plot with secretive yet lovable characters like when Matt escaped from the house in the poppies or when Matt escapes Opium to go to Aztlan. When Matt finds the secret passage he doesn't tell anyone proving that he is secretive.
That is why you should read The House of the Scorpion if you enjoy a great Newberry honor book for proficient readers.