CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
To print a CCBC booklist, click on a list below and then use your browser’s “Print” command.
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli
CCBC Review:
In Chang’An, China, in 731 C.E., a boy with a remarkable ability to connect with animals finds unexpected fulfillment in a simple life. Overshadowed by his talented, high-achieving siblings, Han Yu accompanies his father to market each day to make and sell steamed buns. When his family contracts a dangerous respiratory illness, Han Yu embarks on a journey along the dangerous Silk Road in search of medicine. Along the way he meets a young poet who becomes a friend and travel companion. Across the world and centuries later, in Depression-era Chinatown in New York City, Luli helps out at her parents’ dim sum restaurant, in a building at risk of foreclosure. Luli is fascinated by a small collection of Ancient Chinese art displayed in a makeshift “museum” attached to the gift shop downstairs, which is owned by a family friend. One particular piece, a length of silk with remnants of a poem on it, may provide a reversal of fortune for Luli’s family. As Han Yu’s and Luli’s parallel adventures progress, the connecting threads between them strengthen. The equally engaging storylines draw parallels between two vastly different times and locations using appealing sensory details and a profound appreciation for Chinese art, history, poetry, and culture. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Karina Yan Glaser
CCBC Age Recommendation: 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
20th Century
Action/Adventure
Chinese and Chinese Americans
City Life
Economic Hardship and Poverty
Friendship
Great Depression
Journeys and Quests
Middle Ages
U.S. History
Diversity subject:
Asian
On CCBC Booklists:
Global Reading: Selected Books for Children and Teens Set in Other Countries
Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin
Publishers:
HarperCollins, Allida
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 420
ISBN: 9780063284432
CCBC Location: Fiction, Glaser
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.