Children's Books and Family History: The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli

This middle grade novel follows two timelines that are separated by more than a thousand years. One story follows twelve-year-old Han Yu as he travels across China during the Tang Dynasty in an effort to save his family. The second follows twelve-year-old Luli, a young girl living in New York City in 1931, who is trying to prevent her family from losing everything. As both characters navigate their own journeys, readers discover the surprising ways their stories connect across time and place.

This book is filled with cliffhangers, hardships, and mystical animals who watch over and protect the characters along the way. The story kept me turning pages as Han Yu and Luli faced difficult choices, unexpected obstacles, and moments that tested their courage. Readers who enjoy adventure, folklore, and historical fiction will find plenty to love in this novel.

There were many moments in this book that connected beautifully to family history. One of my favorites comes when Yiyi explains that the smell of steamed buns sometimes feels like a memory. As he reflects on the fact that the same cooking methods have been used for more than a thousand years, he says, "It reminds me that we are carrying on a legacy." I love this thought because family history is often found in the ordinary things we pass from one generation to the next. A recipe, a tradition, a story, or a skill can connect us to ancestors we have never met. These small acts remind us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves.

As I read this passage, I found myself thinking about one of my own family's traditions. Christmas is not truly Christmas in my family until we have gathered around the table for Christmas lunch. But before we can eat, everyone must pull a Christmas cracker. Inside is a joke, a small trinket, and, of course, the very stylish paper hat that everyone is expected to wear.

I understand what Yiyi means when he says we are carrying on a legacy. Each time I pull a Christmas cracker, I am transported, if only for a moment, to Christmases past and the traditions shared by generations before me. I love that this simple and somewhat silly tradition keeps our family grounded while also carrying our story forward. It reminds me that family history is not only found in records and photographs. It is also found in the traditions that connect us to those who came before us and help us create memories for those who will come after us.

Another moment that stayed with me involved the poet Du Fu. At one point, he worries that his words will one day "blow away in the wind" and be forgotten. Yet readers know that the opposite happened. More than a thousand years later, his poems are still being read and studied.

Family history teaches a similar lesson. Most of our ancestors probably never imagined that future generations would preserve their photographs, tell their stories, cook their recipes, or search for their names in old records. They lived ordinary lives, loved their families, faced hardships, and did the best they could with what they had. Yet their influence continues today.

We may never fully understand the impact of our own lives. The stories we tell, the traditions we pass on, and the love we share may reach much further than we can imagine. Like Du Fu, our words and actions have the potential to live on long after we are gone.

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli is ultimately a story about connection across generations, cultures, and even centuries. It reminds us that every person has a story worth remembering and that the small things we pass from one generation to the next often become the legacies that endure.

ACTIVITY: WHAT WILL I PASS ON?

Du Fu worried that his words would one day be forgotten. More than a thousand years later, people still read and learn from his poems. The things we say, do, and share can influence others long after we are gone.

Draw or write your answers to the questions below.

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