by Susan Tan
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Table of Contents
About the Author and Illustrator
Copyright Page
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To my mom, who’s there for me always.
And to all the mothers in my life:
Grandmom,
Auntie Esther,
Jenn,
Yvonne,
and Kimmy
AUTHOR’S NOTE (WHICH IS A FANCY WAY OF SAYING HELLO)
Dear Reader,
Before I start my story, I should tell you that cake is the best.
And there will be lots of it in this book.
So get excited.
Because this book is all about my family, and our Traditions, which are rules that everyone knows. They’ve been around for forever, and they have A LOT to do with cake.
So for example, on birthdays it’s a Tradition to have cake at parties and to bring cupcakes to your class at school. And it’s a Tradition to have moon cakes with lotus or red bean paste inside on Chinese New Year, and chocolate cake whenever my Grandpa Jenkins comes over for dinner (or else he complains). Even Traditions that aren’t specifically about cake seem to get there in the end. Like on Thanksgiving, when we eat pie, which you can’t convince me isn’t just cake with a fancy name.
So, Traditions are great (and delicious), and I’m excited to write a book all about them.
Hopefully you already know me, but if not, that’s okay too, and I should introduce myself. My name is Cilla Lee-Jenkins. I’m nine and a half years old. And I’m destined for greatness as a future author extraordinaire.
My last book was (or will be) a bestseller, which is a book that sells the best, and then you’re famous, and everyone waves when they see you, and you make lots of new friends. I used to think bestsellers were the best kind of book there is, and the only kind I’d ever want to write.
But this year, in third grade, I learned about a new, better kind of book. (Which is hard to believe, I know, because bestsellers have “best” in their name. But it’s true.)
So, I decided to write one.
And, in case you hadn’t noticed, this book is a Classic.
A Classic is the most Traditional kind of book there is.
Which means Classics last forever.
And everyone knows Classic books, and what they’re about, and who their authors are.
Because a Classic is everything a book should be.
Which is a pretty exciting idea.
Luckily, I have the perfect story for my Classic, because my life has had a lot of Classic Themes in it recently, and not just because of all the Traditions (and cake) in my family. Right after we learned about Classics in school, I found out that this summer, my Auntie Eva is getting married. And there’s nothing more Classic than love, plus Romance sells.
The wedding will also be an Adventure, because Auntie Eva has asked me to be her flower girl, which means I’ll wear a big, poofy dress and walk down the aisle and throw flower petals in front of ALL our families. This is exciting but also kind of scary, which is pretty much the definition of Adventure (so that’s another Classic Theme covered).
The wedding isn’t for a while. But I’m sure that between my best friend Colleen; my tablemate Alien-Face McGee (who’s an alien disguised as a human, but friendly); my little sister Gwendolyn (who’s just starting to crawl and chews on EVERYTHING); and my mom, dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Nai Nai, and Ye Ye (which are Chinese for “Grandma” and “Grandpa”), I’ll find LOTS more stories to tell you too. I’m hoping they’ll all have Classic Themes, like Quests and Epic Battles and Struggles and Drama and more Adventures.
But at the very least, I can guarantee you that there’ll be lots of cake, because dessert is a BIG Theme in my family.
So, I promise, there’s a lot to look forward to.
I hope you enjoy my story, and I hope you can convince your parents to let you eat cake while you read it. (Just tell them that it’s a Tradition, so you have to do it. Bonus points if the cake is chocolate or has lotus paste inside.)
Sincerely,
Your friend,
And favorite Classic author,
1
EVEN SQUISHED ORANGES ARE LUCKY
My story starts last weekend on one of my favorite holidays of all time—Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year is all about Traditions, like eating delicious food, spending time with your family, and getting red-and-gold envelopes from grown-ups with money inside. But most important of all, it’s about Traditions that bring you luck for the new year.
Which is why, on the morning of Chinese New Year, I had A LOT to do.
Especially because that day, Auntie Eva was coming to visit.
“Sun nien fai lok! Sun nien fai lok!” I yelled as I danced around the house, helping my mom get ready for Auntie Eva’s visit. “That means ‘happy new year!’ I shouted as I skipped by Gwendolyn’s high chair. It was her first Chinese New Year, so I knew it was my job to show her that it’s the best holiday ever. I’d been practicing my pronunciation with my Nai Nai because I wanted everything to be PERFECT.
And even though my mom said there wasn’t anything for me to do, I was a BIG help anyway. I ran around (and only sometimes bumped into her) to make sure that we were following as many Traditions as possible, to get as much luck as possible.
First, I got dressed in red clothes, which is very lucky. I’d wanted to wear my cheongsam, which is a beautiful Chinese dress. Mine is red and gold with pretty buttons at the neck. But my mom said no because it was too cold.
I was disappointed, but then I realized I could get even more luck by wearing every piece of red clothing I own. And I looked GREAT in my red pants, red dress, red polka-dot skirt over that, red sweater, red T-shirt, red headband, and red galoshes with ladybugs on them. Plus I was DEFINITELY warm enough, so even though my mom sighed when she saw me, she didn’t make me change.
Then I made sure to find all of Gwendolyn’s red clothes, because I’m a Good Big Sister that way. “You’re going to love today,” I told her as I helped her into red-striped pajamas, red socks, a red T-shirt, a red sweater, and a sparkly red tutu. “We’re going to Chinatown, and there’s going to be a parade, and dragons, and the BEST food!”
“Bah!” Gwen said, clapping her hands, which meant she was definitely excited about it all (especially the excellent good-luck outfit I’d found for her). And she loved it when, as a finishing touch, I found a red scrunchie for her favorite toy, which is an old plush Batman doll that my dad used to keep in his study. (Because even superheroes need luck.)
For my next job, I grabbed all the oranges from the kitchen and set out to put them all over the house. Oranges also bring luck on Chinese New Year, which makes sense because they’re delicious.
Nai Nai usually keeps her oranges in a bowl on the dining room table, but I wanted to spread our luck everywhere. So, I put one orange in the silverware drawer, one on top of the TV, two
in the bathroom sink, one on Auntie Eva’s pillow, two underneath my parents’ pillows (as a surprise, for later), one in Gwendolyn’s toy box, one in her sock drawer, and one on my mom’s desk. I was just about to ask if we could go to the store to get more oranges when I heard the doorbell.
“Who are you?!” my dad yelled out, in his I’m-joking voice.
So I ran to the door, yelling, “Auntie Eva!”
“Cilla!” Auntie Eva picked me up and spun me around.
“Eva!” my mom said, coming to join in our hug.
“Ba ba ga!” Gwendolyn also threw her hands out for a hug, beaming.
And then my dad joined in too.
Because everyone loves when Auntie Eva comes to stay.
Auntie Eva is my dad’s younger sister. She’s great at drawing, she’s AMAZING at playing finger puppets, and she’s a big fan of Selena Moon (which is my FAVORITE book series and possibly the best series of all time).
Sometimes we don’t see her for a while, because Auntie Eva travels a lot for her job. She’s been all over the world. But she always thinks of us, no matter where she goes, and she sends me pictures of the zoos or aquariums or museums she gets to visit on her trips. And whenever Auntie Eva’s here, she always sits with me before bed and braids my hair while we talk. It’s our special Tradition.
When Auntie Eva visits, she stays in my room, and my dad makes me a mini-tent in the living room. So after the hugging, there was lots of bringing suitcases upstairs and rushing to pick up the clothes I’d accidentally (maybe) thrown all over when I was looking for red things.
By the time everything was away and cleaned, my mom looked at her watch and said, “Wait, what time is the parade?!” So then there was even more rushing and running. But finally we piled into the car and sped off to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Chinatown was beautiful, and more crowded than I’ve ever seen it. Red and gold streamers dangled from windows and in between buildings. And all around, carts sold hot food and pastries, and the air was filled with happy voices and good smells.
Above us, flags with pictures of dogs hung from streetlights, because this is the Year of the Dog. Everyone is born into an animal year, and some of them are REALLY exciting, like the Year of the Dragon. I’m the Year of the Rat, which I used to be unhappy about (because rats are gross). But then Nai Nai told me that the Year of the Rat means I’m creative and smart, which is good news for my writing, so I felt better. (Plus I like mice, which are almost like rats, and I love cheese, so it all works out.)
We walked through the crowded streets until we finally found Nai Nai and Ye Ye in front of their favorite grocery store.
“Ye Ye!” I ran to meet him. “Sun nien fai lok!”
“Wah!” Ye Ye said. This is a Chinese way of saying “wow!” or “amazing!” or “oh my goodness gracious me!” (which is something my Grandma Jenkins says when she’s really surprised). The way Ye Ye said it meant he was VERY impressed. “Sun nien fai lok, Cilla!” he said, spinning me around in a hug (which as you’ve maybe guessed, is another family Tradition). Then Nai Nai and Ye Ye hugged Auntie Eva (though she’s too tall for spinning).
* * *
We lined up on the sidewalk for the parade, and Auntie Eva started telling us about her last business trip, and how she visited a fancy aquarium where she got to pet stingrays on her day off.
“Wah, so many trips.” Nai Nai shook her head (she didn’t seem to hear the important part about the stingrays—I made a note to tell her later). “Don’t forget to be home, spend time with Paul,” Nai Nai said.
“Mom.” Auntie Eva half-sighed, half-laughed.
“Does he mind that you travel so much?” Nai Nai asked.
“He knows my job is important to me,” Auntie Eva said with a smaller sigh. “Besides, he’s used to it. His family is really impressive and high-powered. They travel for work all the time.”
“Hmm.” Nai Nai sniffed. “Not good, all this travel,” she said.
“But, Nai Nai, you were excited when Dad got to go on a business trip,” I pointed out, confused. “You said it was good because he was moving up in the company.”
My dad snorted, and Auntie Eva grinned.
“Well…” Nai Nai looked off to the side, like I do when I’m thinking (or trying not to get in trouble).
“So.” My mom clapped her hands. “Where are we eating after the parade?”
This is something called Changing the Subject, but I didn’t mind. Because just then, Auntie Eva took me to buy a moon cake. (See what I mean about Traditions? They always come back to cake in the end.)
Moon cakes are small and round with beautiful designs on top. Their outsides are thick and golden, and they’re filled with sweet paste and a salty egg. Auntie Eva and I split a lotus paste cake, which is our favorite, and she let me have the half with more yolk (which is one of the nicest things you can do for someone else).
We rushed back when we heard the popping of tiny firecrackers and the sound of drums, and Ye Ye swung me up on his shoulders so I could see above the crowd as the parade came toward us.
From where I sat on my Ye Ye’s shoulders, I could see my mom and dad holding hands. And I watched as Nai Nai put her arm around Auntie Eva and Auntie Eva rested her head on Nai Nai’s shoulder, all the sighing conversations forgotten. The red and gold banners fluttered in the wind, and my dad bounced Gwendolyn, and I was very, very happy because I love Chinatown. All around me were people I know and places I like to visit, and I could smell my favorite foods and see the store windows full of bright cloth and shimmering fans. The egg inside my moon cake was salty and delicious, and when I accidentally dropped some of the yolk onto Ye Ye’s head, it smeared into the hair gel he wears and you could barely tell it was there.
And I could see all the Traditional things that my Nai Nai had taught me, and I said, “Mom, do you see that? They’re putting oranges in front of the store for good luck!”
Nai Nai smiled up at me, and I smiled down at her.
And I knew she was proud of me.
The music got louder and dancers came down the street, then big lion puppets that wobbled their heads and did silly things that made Gwendolyn giggle. Finally, and best of all, came the GIANT, glittering dancing dragon, swooping and diving. I clapped, my family cheered, and Gwendolyn let out a happy yell, and the head came right up to us and bowed.
After the parade, we made our way toward the restaurant for our Chinese New Year dinner. There were people EVERYWHERE, and lots of them knew Nai Nai and Ye Ye, which meant we had to stop every few steps to say hello (which is another big Tradition in Chinatown). I call any friends of my Nai Nai and Ye Ye “Auntie” and “Uncle,” even though they’re not, because it’s just another Chinese Tradition. So there was a lot of stopping and hugging and saying “Auntie Stella!” and “Uncle Gerard!” and getting hugs and wishing sun nien fai lok.
But this takes a while, and Gwendolyn was Fussing, so my mom took us ahead to the restaurant.
My mom was bouncing Gwendolyn and saying “Shhh” and I was making faces in the big glittery mirror on one wall when I noticed that a waiter was setting the table around us. And by our plates, he’d given us all forks.
I looked at my mom, but she wasn’t paying attention (mostly because Gwendolyn had grabbed her hair and wouldn’t let go).
“Excuse me,” I said, in a quiet voice, which happens when I have to talk to strangers. “We don’t need forks. Can we have chopsticks, please?” I asked, looking at the pile of chopsticks in his hand.
But the waiter just gave me a funny look. Like he maybe didn’t believe me.
Which was strange.
But then the door of the restaurant opened, and the rest of my family walked in.
The waiter said something to Nai Nai in Chinese. She said something back, and then he gave us chopsticks very quickly.
Nai Nai sat down and patted my hand and kept talking.
And I patted her hand back because I was happy to see her.
We or
dered LOTS of food—dumplings, and soup made with seaweed, and rice cakes, and noodles, and fish.
“Why do we get the noodles?” my mom asked after we’d ordered.
“It’s a Tradition,” I explained. “The noodles are long for long life.”
“Ah.” My mom smiled. “Thank you, Cilla.”
“Cilla’s an expert on Chinese Traditions,” my dad said to Auntie Eva.
“I can tell.” She smiled. “An expert with a creative flair. I loved the orange on my pillow, but the ones in the sink were the best.”
“Wait, oranges in the sink?” my mom asked, raising her eyebrow.
“It’s a Tradition?” I said, trying to give her my biggest smile. She wasn’t impressed.
But the luck from the oranges was already starting to work. Because before I could get in trouble, Auntie Eva interrupted us.
“Well, now that we’re all together, I have some news for all of you.”
She paused to create Suspense, which is a GREAT storytelling strategy.
“Paul and I are engaged!” she said finally.
“What news!” Ye Ye said, giving her a giant hug.
“Congratulations, Evie!” my dad said.
“How wonderful!” my mom said.
“AMAZING!!!” I said. Then, “What’s ‘engaged’?”
“Wah!” Nai Nai said. Which seemed to be all she could say for the moment, and she wiped her eyes with a napkin and gave Auntie Eva a BIG hug.
And Gwendolyn was excited because everyone else was excited, and said, “Ba ba ga ba!”
My mom explained that being engaged meant that Auntie Eva was getting married. Then Auntie Eva showed us a picture of her and Paul on the hike where he’d proposed, and he looked very nice and friendly, with the same straight black Chinese hair my dad and his family have and a big, happy smile. Nai Nai and Ye Ye have met him (and LOVE him), but I haven’t, and neither has my dad or mom. I was going to ask if we’d get to meet him before the wedding, but then I got distracted when Auntie Eva asked if I’d be her flower girl, and I bounced up and down and said, “Yes!”
