Sam and the Lucky Money

32 pages

English language

Published Jan. 9, 1997 by Lee & Low Books, Incorporated.

ISBN:
9781880000533

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (1 review)

Sam can hardly wait to go shopping with his mom. It's Chinese New Year's day and his grandparents have given him the traditional gift of lucky money-red envelopes called leisees (lay-sees). This year Sam is finally old enough to spend it any way he chooses. Best of all, he gets to spend his lucky money in his favorite place -- Chinatown! But when Sam realizes that his grandparents' gift is not enough to get the things he wants, his excitement turns to disappointment. Even though his mother reminds him that he should appreciate the gift, Sam is not convinced -- until a surprise encounter with a stranger.

1 edition

Cute!

4 stars

The main character starts off as a spoiled child, wanting to find the best thing he can buy for himself with the money from his Red Envelopes since he's been told he can spend it on anything. He goes to a shop selling sweets and buns with his mother but isn't sure if he wants to spend his money, so he waits. He goes to a toy store and finds out that the all of the toys cost more than he has: $4.

Between going to these different shops, he accidentally kicks a homeless man. And he learns, from both the homeless man and his mother, to be grateful for what he has.

Subjects

  • Children's fiction
  • Money, fiction
  • Chinese, united states, fiction
  • Poverty, fiction
  • Boys, fiction