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A review by kimberlyjerger
Happy New Year, Julie 1974 by Susan McAliley, Robert Hunt, Megan McDonald
2.0
*2
I picked up this book in preparation for a children’s program on Lunar New Year I am running online in mid-February at the library. While I didn’t really learn anything new about Lunar New Year, it was an okay read for the holiday season.
This third installment in the American Girl: Julie series details Julie’s first Christmas following the divorce of her parents and, later, the celebration of Chinese New Year with Julie’s best friend, Ivy.
Overall, the plot was lackluster; not much happened, and there was especially little unique to the 1970s described. The novel is essentially split between Julie’s Christmas celebrations with her parents and Julie joining Ivy and her family for Chinese New Year. An interesting introduction to Chinese New Year celebrations for middle-grade readers, but with little nuance thereafter.
I picked up this book in preparation for a children’s program on Lunar New Year I am running online in mid-February at the library. While I didn’t really learn anything new about Lunar New Year, it was an okay read for the holiday season.
This third installment in the American Girl: Julie series details Julie’s first Christmas following the divorce of her parents and, later, the celebration of Chinese New Year with Julie’s best friend, Ivy.
Overall, the plot was lackluster; not much happened, and there was especially little unique to the 1970s described. The novel is essentially split between Julie’s Christmas celebrations with her parents and Julie joining Ivy and her family for Chinese New Year. An interesting introduction to Chinese New Year celebrations for middle-grade readers, but with little nuance thereafter.