Welcome back to the Brainstorm! With the final day of Lunar New Year coming up this next Wednesday, I thought I would share some more Lunar New Year stories. You can find more reading ideas for this holiday in Brainstorm 310 and Brainstorm 100. As always, click the title of the book to see my full review including any content notes/trigger warnings.
Amy Wu and the Lantern Festival (Amy Wu, #5) by Kat Zhang, ill. by Charlene Chua
In a nutshell: When a family heirloom is damaged, Amy is worried their Lantern Festival celebration is ruined.
More info: Amy Wu, her family and her friends are getting ready to celebrate the Lantern Festival on the last night of Lunar New Year. Amy is excited to pull out her family's special lantern that her dad got from his mom, but when an accident happens, Amy is afraid the Lantern Festival will be ruined.
Extra thoughts: Amy’s Dad model’s an honest but overall positive response to the accident, and I love how they work together to find a positive solution to the minor crisis. The book also includes some nice details on Lunar New Year traditions for those learning about the holiday.
Target Readers: Lunar New Year celebrators/studiers, Family Story Fans, Chinese American Character Fans, Picture Book Readers
Friends Are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu, ill. by Lynn Scurfield
In a nutshell: A holiday story about holding friends far away close, while also making new friends.
More info: On Lunar New Year's Eve, two friends in China share a final night together before one of them moves to America. In her new home, Dandan struggles to learn the language and make a friend. But on her birthday, a girl at school says something nice and Dandan finds a new friend who she eventually shares her Lunar New Year's Eve tradition with as her Chinese friend requested her to do.
Extra thoughts: This is the first LNY story I’ve read that highlighted the tradition of making paper cut outs and freezing them in ice to make snowflake decorations. I also liked the way this showed the struggle of adjusting to a new place and culture and finding a good friend who is willing to learn about your roots.
Target readers: Friendship Story Fans, Lunar New Year’s Celebrators/Studiers, Readers Who Have Moved, Readers with New Friends Who Moved, Picture Book Readers
Hybrid series by Candace Kade
In a nutshell: An adopted girl with no genetic enhancement struggles to find her place in a futuristic Beijing where she has to hide her genetics, up her social point score, while also balancing university life and searching for answers about her past.
More info: Enhanced (book 1 summary): In future Beijing, pretty much everyone whose anyone has genetic enhancements from birth. Some people can breathe underwater, some can fly, some are really smart, and pretty much all are good looking and free from disease. Lee Urban may be part of one of the wealthy families of Beijing, but she doesn't have any of those enhancements, and she has to hide the truth or her family's social ranking and chances at future success will take a huge hit. It isn't a secret she was adopted along with her sister, but while her sister was enhanced, Urban wasn't. She's about to face the challenge of her life as she enters university and lives off campus. Urban wants to go for the artisan track but her family doesn't believe it is a good choice. They will only allow her to go that route if she can achieve a ridiculously high social standing, something pretty much impossible for anyone without enhancements. She's also trying to balance school life, boosting her social standing, and a boyfriend in the outskirts. Oh, and someone has been hacking her personal files, even altering her memory files. Who could it be and why are they after her? Hybrid (book 2) picks off where this one leaves off and sees Lee Urban joining her family for a big Lunar New Year party where the action picks up and takes off sprinting.
Extra thoughts: I really like the world building of these books and the ethical questions of genetic enhancements, social rankings, and more that arise throughout. The author spent many years in China and it shows in how she weaves Chinese culture into the book. There’s also a team that Lee Urban joins that competes in some crazy games, so dystopia fans who like the competitions in Hunger Games should pick this up.
Target readers: Dystopia Fans, Science Fiction Fans, Thought-Provoking Read Fans, Action/Thriller Fans, Asian Setting & Character Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Young Adult/Adult Readers
Pedro and the Dragon (Pedro) by Fran Manushkin, ill. by Tammie Lyon
In a nutshell: Pedro’s friend Katie teaches him about Chinese New Year and takes him to a dragon parade.
More info: It's Chinese New Year, and Pedro's friend Katie teaches him about some of her family's traditions and invites him and JoJo to join her family at the Chinese New Year dragon parade. But when Katie gets lost, can Pedro help find her?
Extra thoughts: A quick little CNY read with a multicultural cast that provides Chinese New Year facts and a good opportunity to talk to little readers about what to do if they get lost in a big public event.
Target readers: Leveled Reader Fans, Multicultural Friendship Story Fans, Chinese New Year Celebrators/Studiers, Lost & Found Kid Story Fans, Picture Book Readers
Two New Years by Richard Ho, ill. by Lynn Scurfield
In a nutshell: A family that celebrates both Rosh-Hashanah and Lunar New Year shares how the two new years celebrations are similar.
More info: A family with a Chinese American dad and Jewish American mom shares about the two cultural new years they celebrate, Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year, and some of the similarities between the two. In the back of the book Richard Ho shares about how this book is autobiographical fiction, and elaborates on each of the new year customs, foods, and more cultural elements he included in the book and the commonalities he's found between the two celebrations.
Extra thoughts: Do not miss the back matter in this book. It is very informative about both Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year traditions.
Target readers: Global New Year Celebration Studiers, Multiethnic Family Story Fans, Jewish Culture Story Fans, Chinese Culture Story Fans, Autobiographical Fiction Fans, Award Winner Fans, Picture Book Readers/Lower Grade Readers/Middle Grade Readers
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