February 22, 2006

Tiger
By Jeff Stone
208 pages, March 2005

Monkey
By Jeff Stone
189 pages, October 2005

both published by Random House, $15.95

By LESTER GRAY
Arts Editor

Jeff Stone, in his Five Ancestors novel series for young adults, tackles a stubborn issue: how to prepare physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the inevitable violence one encounters in the world. Self-defense is an age-old problem and any kid who has consulted mom or dad on handling the school bully can testify to the ineffectiveness of such parental nostrums as “go tell the principal.”

As a time-tested approach to this conundrum, proponents of Asian martial arts — lethal fisticuffs balanced by a philosophy of restraint, rectitude and reflection — offer their disciplines. But on the road to popularity, kung fu, tai chi and the rest suffered a dilution. The message of peaceful resolution, with the help of the entertainment industry, has taken a back seat to the glory of kickin’ some serious ass.

Author Stone, like the classic marital artist he is, has managed to shift the weight of gratification oh so slightly — maintaining the action but taking the savor out of revenge-driven, chest-thumping retaliation. Recently releasing the second installment of his Five Ancestors quintet, he allows young readers to have their cake and eat it too.

At the foundation of this unfolding epic is the well-worn legend of China’s Shaolin Temple, where both Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism are said to have originated. Once the home of warrior monks, it was overrun by invaders in the 17th century.

There are countless accounts of Shaolin’s fall, but most include a reference to the escape of five monks. Stone adds a twist by assigning each one a separate Kung Fu personality type based on the animal with which he or she shares similar traits: Tiger and Monkey of the first two books, joined by Crane, Snake, and Dragon. The five protagonists are basically teenagers — all orphans, one a girl, still learning the ways of their discipline and its applications outside the walls within which they have been confined.

The first book in the series focuses on Fu, the acolyte with a constitution and disposition of the titular cat. Impulsive and strong, much of his story involves extracting himself from dilemmas that he himself creates. As the introductory volume, it also lays the groundwork for the five-book set.

Tiger opens into darkness and flames with the temple under siege. The five young monks, hidden in a barrel and forbidden by their master to come out until instructed, anxiously await to join the conflict. Their grandmaster, deep in skill and wisdom but in his elder years (think Dumbledore at Hogwarts), confronts the leader of the attackers, a formidable adversary who himself was once a member of the temple.

The young monks escape, with a cryptic message from the grandmaster to seek out their pasts. From their individual viewpoints in the surrounding forest they witness the final moments of the temple’s history. Sent into the real world they wander, often singularly, left to their own devices — which, much to their chagrin, prove less empowering than anticipated.

The second book, entitled Monkey, focuses on the acolyte with simian tendencies. His mind is quick, but it is always in motion, as is his mouth. Meditation and stillness come with difficulty.

With the groundwork of the Five Ancestors series having been laid, the reader and the young monks discover that things aren’t always what they appear to be. The circumstances of the orphan’s birth, the grandmaster’s true agenda, and good masking itself as evil all emerge as mysteries.

While Jeff Stone’s adventure is unlikely to inspire a Potter-like following, it introduces young readers to another mindset, with practical applications in today’s world. Like other contemporary martial arts tales, it offers the lure of exciting and acrobatic hand-to-hand combat. Unlike those sagas, it continually demonstrates that violence is not a solution.