LEE & LOW BOOKS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! To recognize how far the company has come, we are featuring one title a week to see how it is being used in classrooms today and hear from the authors and illustrators.
Today, we’re celebrating one of our most popular and bestselling titles: Sam and the Lucky Money. We love this book because it accomplishes so many things at once: it teaches about kindness, generosity, and gratitude; it lets readers experience Chinese New Year in New York’s Chinatown; and it teaches readers about special Chinese New Year traditions.
Featured title: Sam and the Lucky Money
Author: Karen Chinn
Illustrators: Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
Synopsis: Sam is excited to spend the Lucky Money his grandparents gave him for Chinese New Year during a trip to Chinatown, but learns that sometimes it is better to give than to receive.
Awards and honors:
- Notable Books for a Global Society, International Literacy Association
- Choices, Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
- Marion Vannett Ridgeway Award Honoree
- Pick of the List, American Bookseller’s Association
- Story Pick, Storytime PBS
Other Editions: Did you know that Sam and the Lucky Money also comes in a Spanish and a Chinese edition?
Sam and the Lucky Money Chinese Edition
Purchase a copy of Sam and the Lucky Money here.
Resources for teaching with Sam and the Lucky Money:
- Sam and the Lucky Money Teacher’s Guide (created by Lee & Low)
- Promoting Diversity in the Classroom and School Library through Social Action (created by ReadWriteThink.org, a website of the National Council of Teachers of English)
- Discussion Topics and Craft Ideas (created by the organization Reading to Kids)
- Chinese New Year Resource Guide for Educators (created by Lee & Low)
Other Recommended Picture Books for Teaching About Generosity and Giving:
The Can Man by Laura E. Williams, illus. by Craig Orback
Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving by John Frank, illus. by London Ladd
Have you used Sam and the Lucky Money? Let us know!
Celebrate with us! Check out our 25 Years Anniversary Collection.
