Lunar New Year Recommended Readings: Families in the Lunar New Year (Elementary School)

Celebrating Chinese New Year: Nick’s New Year by Rosa Drew and Heather Phillips. 1999. This shows the Lunar New Year with simple sentences which English Learners can read themselves. Grades K-1 and English Learners in Higher Grades

New Clothes for New Year’s Day by Hyn-joo Bae. A girl in Korea gets dressed for the Lunar New Year. This is a beautifully illustrated book about the hanbok, a Korean dress with additional notes in the back about Korean New Year. K-1.

The Day the Dragon Danced by Kay Haugaard with Carolyn Reed Barritt, Illustrator. 2006. An African American boy introduces his family to Lunar New Year to show that the holiday can be celebrated by everyone. Grades K-1

Celebrate Chinese New Year with the Fong Family by Alma F. Ada & F. Isabel Campoy. 2006. A Latino family joins a Chinese family celebration. Although the illustrations of the people are a bit too yellow, the practice of sharing the celebration should be applauded. K-1.

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low. 1990. This is a story of a young boy’s conquering his fears in his first public dance under a lion’s head in New York City. The story is told with color photos and remains a classroom favorite. It has been featured in the PBS television series, Reading Rainbow. Grades 1-3.

Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. 1998. Good facts are paired with photos. This book has dates of the New Year so that children born in January are shown their correct zodiac animal. Grades 2-3.

New Year by Rich Lo 2016. An immigrant Chinese boy introduces his classmates to aspects of the New Year when asked to provide decorations for the classroom. It is based on the author’s own difficult experiences adjusting to Los Angeles. His family makes dragon boat dumplings in their New Year celebration. Grades 2-4

Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. 2007. Some New Year customs are mentioned in this chapter book about the protagonist Pacy Lin who is from a Mandarin speaking family in suburbia. Other books in the series includesYear of the Rat and Dumpling Days. Light reading, Grades 2-4.

Dragon Parade: A Chinese New Year Story by Steven A. Chin, 1993. This tells of the first New Year parade in America in 1851 and includes a good explanation of why people left China and the life of a Chinatown in America. The illustrations are excellent and show the historical dress, stores, and customs of the period. This book is highly recommended because of the historical dimension of the celebration. Grades 4-5

Exploring Chinatown: A Children's Guide to Chinese Culture by Carol Stepanchuk with Leland Wong, Illustrator 2003. This book is about many aspects of a Chinatown community, with some good information about Lunar New Year, stores, religious practices, and Lion Dances. The excellent drawings show an intimate knowledge of the community in which the illustrator was raised. Grades 4-8.