Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

When a girl awakens the stuff of legends from an old family recipe, she must embrace her extraordinary heritage to save the world. An epic fantasy series inspired by Chinese mythology.

"A hilarious tussle between homework, family, and heroism." —Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Winnie Zeng has two goals: survive her first year of middle school and outdo her stuck-up archnemesis, David Zuo. It won’t be easy, since, according to her older sister, middle school is the pits. Luckily, Winnie studied middle school survival tactics in comic books and anime, and nothing will stop her from being the very best student.

But none of Winnie’s research has prepared her to face the mother of all hurdles: evil spirits. When she makes mooncakes for a class bake sale, she awakens the stuff of legends from her grandmother’s old cookbook, spilling otherworldly chaos into her sleepy town.

Suddenly Winnie finds herself in a race against time, vanquishing demons instead of group projects. Armed with a magic cookbook and a talking white rabbit, she must embrace her new powers and the legacy of her ancestors. Because if she doesn’t, her town—and rest of the world—may fall into chaos forever.

Story Locale:Suburbs of Detroit, MI

Series Overview: Pub Schedule:#1 Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend HC: Summer 2022#2 Winnie Zeng Vanquishes a King HC: Summer 2023#3 HC Summer 2024

About the Author

Katie Zhao is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned a BA in English and political science in 2017 and an MA in accounting in 2018. She is the author of the Dragon Warrior series, How We Fall Apart, Last Gamer Standing, and the Winnie Zeng series. She's a passionate advocate for diverse representation in literature and media.

Author Residence: New York, NY

Author Hometown: Detroit, MI