"Day of the Dragon King"

Two children, named Jack and Annie travel in a magical tree house to ancient China in order to find a story.  They are given a research book, called The Time of the First Emperor. Once they get to China, they receive a ball of silk from a silk receiver and are asked by a cow herder to give a message to the silk weaver.  Jack and Annie must run from soldiers after Annie saves a bundle of bamboo strips from being burned with the rest of the books.  They get lost, but the ball of silk helps them find their way out of the hall.  They make it out of the city just in time before the wooden gates close.   I would do a read-aloud with this book and ask the characters what they predict.  I would also teach them about the time period and what an emperor's job is.