The Missing Red Envelopes: Middle Grade Mystery Fiction

by Yobe Qiu, Kris Fulk (illustrator)

Join sisters Lorie and Weina on a delightful Lunar New Year adventure in The Missing Red Envelopes.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the two Asian American girls from NYC eagerly anticipate the festive celebrations – from watching the vibrant parade to indulging in delicious Asian cuisine and cherishing precious family moments. The highlight of the occasion is receiving lucky red envelopes filled with surprises from their relatives. However, excitement turns to mystery when Weina realized she lost all of her red envelopes! What will they do?

In this heartwarming 5x7 chapter book, young readers will be captivated by the sisters' journey to unravel the mystery and discover the true spirit of Lunar New Year. Perfect for young readers eager for a cultural and adventurous tale!

1. Embark on a Lunar New Year Dive into the enchanting world of 'The Missing Red Envelopes' and join Lorie and Weina on their captivating Lunar New Year journey.

2. Celebrate Diversity with Your Young Introduce your young readers to the richness of Asian American culture and the joy of Lunar New Year festivities.

3. Uncover the Intrigue awaits as Lorie and Weina unravel the mystery of the missing red envelopes. Engage your child's curiosity and critical thinking skills, prefect for readers who loves a mystery!

4. Perfect Gift for Young Looking for a meaningful gift for the young reader in your life? Gift them 'The Missing Red Envelopes' – a compact and engaging chapter book that sparks curiosity and cultural appreciation.

5. Create Lasting Share special moments with your child as you read together about family, traditions, and the excitement of Lunar New Year.

Encourage readers to dive into the story, celebrate cultural diversity, and enjoy a heartwarming adventure with The Missing Red Envelopes.

Genres: Childrens, Asian Literature

Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2024

Reviews

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful chapter book abounding with traditions of the Lunar New Year told from the perspective of Lorie & Weina, young Asian American sisters in New York City.
The story revolves around the tradition of giving lucky red envelopes during the Lunar New Year. This year is the first time that Weina, the younger sister, is entrusted with the important job of looking after the special red sachet that holds the red envelopes. When Lorie & Weina discover that they have misplaced the sachet, they have to retrace their steps that day, including visits to Grandma's house, the temple and the parade.
Such a charming story that shares the day's events and shows the importance of traditions, food, and family. The illustrations are delightful too and help to bring to life the story. This story would be great to aloud to young children and for chapter readers to read themselves.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorie and Weina are excited about the Luna New Year festival. They have received lucky red envelopes that have surprises in them, but when the envelopes go missing they are unsure how to find them. Will they be lucky enough to find them?

I thought this was filled with the importance of Lorie and Weina's culture. The book is filled with illustrations that help the reader understand what is going on in Lorie and Weina's world. I really enjoyed this one, I think it is a wonderful story that young children would find entertaining.

[Colleen N · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute kids story. I really enjoyed how the author shared all of the traditions surrounding the Lunar New Year. I like that it was fun, lighthearted, but also educational. The illustrations in this book are phenomenal. It’s not often that you see artistry that great in an illustrated book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I can’t wait to read more from this author to my nieces and nephews.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Red Envelopes is another fun and heartwarming chapter book that will captivate young readers by Yobe Qiu with lovely illustrations by Kris Fulk. It is an Asian kids story.
Follow along as Lorie and Weina solve the mystery of the missing red envelopes and share in the ancient custom of gifting and receiving red envelopes. This cultural tale makes it an interesting read and a learning experience all in one. I for one have learnt something new.
Discover the joy of Lunar New Year festivities in this lovely tale where young gather around their elders and family to share wishes for good health, before they receive bountiful gifts.
The book is aimed at those between the ages of 7 – 12 years of age.

[Tara Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Red Envelopes is a children’s chapter book designed for kids between the ages of seven to twelve years of age. It tells the story of young Asian American sisters Weina and Lorie who live in New York City. The sisters set out to take part in the Lunar New Year celebrations but end up trying to solve a mystery. A special part of the celebrations involves collecting red envelopes that contain either chocolate coins or money. Younger sister Weina asks if she can be the keeper of the red envelopes and promises to keep them safe. She is upset when she discovers the envelopes are missing and she must retrace their steps throughout the day to see if she can solve the mystery of where the envelopes went. This book gives a fun and informative description of Asian American culture and traditions that takes place during the Lunar New Year. From the foods they eat, the parade, Chinese Dragons, the fireworks, the importance of family, and that wearing red means luck. The illustrations add an extra element to the story which help to bring the story to life. This book offers children the opportunity to learn about another culture while also learning about problem solving and critical thinking.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu (illustrations by Kris Fulk) - is a cute children’s chapter book, a bit of a light-hearted mystery that pulls us into a fun tale full of cultural diversity celebrating the lunar new year, traditions, Chinese and Asian customs/culture/celebrations, adventure, imagination- and inspires curiosity while also promoting critical thinking.
This book is mainly aimed at readers 7 – 12 years old. We Join sisters Lori and Weina as they unravel the mystery about the missing red envelopes- resulting in a fun and engaging little read.
While I loved the story and thought the illustrations were cute, I think this would have been an even richer reading experience, and had a much bigger impact, if the illustrations had been a bit bigger and in colour- instead of the small black and white images sprinkled throughout. All the rich colours and vibrancy of the Chinese New Year celebrations, with the parades, Chinese Dragons, fireworks etc, would have been even better and more engaging in full colour, like her other books are.
A cute story.
Happy Reading!

Thank you, Yobe Qiu!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Red Envelopes is a good starter chapter book for 10-12ish year olds. I got the book for my 8 year old, since it says 7-12 but it was too much for him to read solo. I read it to him, however, and he really enjoyed the book. He just finished a lesson on Chinese culture in school, so he knew all about the Lunar New Year and red envelopes. The story follows two sisters, Weina and Lorie through their new year. They receive lucky envelopes from friends and family, each filled with money, trinkets or chocolates. They have been saving their money up to buy a special gift, but they misplace them. They recount their day, retracing their steps, hoping to remember where it was left. We learn a bit about the culture, special meals, and traditions surrounding this Asian American holiday. My son was disappointed with the ending, and is hoping for a follow-up book to answer all his questions. Typical of starting chapter books, there is a illustration every chapter or so, to help the readers visualize the story.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book, showing the love and trust between sisters. Lorie and Weina are so excited to celebrate Lunar New Year! They both receive new red sweatshirts, as red symbolizes good luck. They have great plans of visiting family and friends and viewing the exciting parade! While out visiting with family and going to the temple, they are given lucky red envelopes by loved ones. These envelopes contain money and are given out for good luck during holidays. The girls have been saving up all of their money to buy their grandma a new jade bracelet because she lost hers while saving Weina from falling into a koi pond. However, they are devastated to discover that the sachet containing all of the lucky red envelopes has gone missing. The girls replay their day in their minds, and thankfully Weina remembers where the lucky red envelopes must be, and Lorie makes a mad dash to go back to get them, to her family's great alarm! Thankfully all ends up well and everyone is reunited safe and sound. The illustrations in the book are lovely, and the story was well written!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. I love reading about other cultures and traditions. The pictures along with the book are beautiful and make the story that much more interesting. It is so nice to hear that the children are able to get out of school to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The tradition of family members handing out red envelopes with money to the children in their family is such a cool part of many Asian cultures. It is especially sweet that the sisters are wanting to save to spend their money on someone other than themselves. The sisters work together to find their lucky envelopes that were left behind, and Lorie as the oldest sister feels it is on her to protect Weina and solve the mystery. I love the patience she shows her sister even in the face of losing all the red envelopes, she didn’t yell at her sister she calmly talks it out. I wish I could have seen them buy the jade bracelet in the end!

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be so cute and fun! It walks you through a mystery Lunar New Year adventure with Lorie and Weina. The girls have lost their lucky new year red envelopes that they have been saving up to replace a bracelet for their grandma. This book keeps you on your toes while you follow the girls along their day and also trying to find said missing envelopes. I loved seeing another side of Asian American culture and the different things that they do/celebrate compared to my own family. This book had my children hooked while we followed the girls back through their day. The traditions and holiday excitement was so fun. I really enjoyed the simple illustrations as well. My girls 9 and 12 both enjoyed reading this book with me and learning about others. It also lined up with their cultural days at school so they learned so much this week!

[Lorralei Hoerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Missing Red Envelopes is a fun and engaging read with wonderful illustrations to go along with the story. This book is more toward ages 7-12 but can truly be enjoyed at any age...not only did my great nieces and great nephew enjoy this story but I learned something about the customs of the Lunar New Year as well.

Lorie and Weina are celebrating the Lunar New Year with family as this is a special holiday to celebrate and this includes the gifting of special red envelopes...but when they go missing...Lorie and Weina need to retrace their steps to find their envelopes as they have special plans with the contents inside.

This is a wonderful story..and I highly recommend.

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu. This is a newer kids author to me but I have really enjoyed the books I've read. This is a chapter book for kids 7-12 years old and its great for new Chapter readers. My 6 & 11 year old nephew read them with me and they really enjoyed it. Its the stories of Lorie & Weina who are sisters who have lost their red envelopes with the money that received for the lunar new year. We go with them as they retrace their steps trying to find the envelopes and along the way we learn all kinds of stuff about the lunar New year and the Asian Culture! Such a fun and educational read. Great for a family gift or for teachers in their classrooms! I can't wait to read more by this awesome author!

[Melissa Saxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story!
Lorie and Weina are sisters we meet in this story who give us a peek into Chinese new year traditions! The story starts with the lunar new year and the sisters watching the parade on the sidewalk. As the story progresses you learn about red envelope gifts are to kids every year, why they are the color red and what's inside! As we go along on the story you'll uncover a heartwarming reason the girls are pooling their gifts and what their plan is.
This was a great short chapters book probably best suited to at least a 7th or 8th grade reader (or more advanced younger reader) but also is not lost on the younger kids as I read it to my 5 year old who loved it too.
Great book for kids highly reccomend

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Missing Red Envelopes" by Yobe Qiu, with illustrations by Kris Fulk, young readers aged 7 to 12 are treated to a delightful journey through Lunar New Year festivities alongside the endearing duo, Lori and Weina. This engaging children's chapter book not only entertains with its light-hearted mystery but also serves as a valuable introduction to cultural diversity and traditions. Perfect for beginner readers like my 6 year old niece, it offers a manageable yet enriching reading experience that sparks curiosity and fosters a deeper appreciation for different customs. Through the sisters' adventure, readers embark on a delightful exploration of Chinese and Asian culture, making it a captivating addition to any young reader's library.

[Roxsanne Lesieur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weine and Lorie are about to celebrate the lunar new year with their family, it is a big celebration where families come together to enjoy food, parades and gifts together and one of the main aspects for children are lucky red envelopes.

This year, Weine is in charge of collecting the envelopes and their safekeeping in her bag, however, when they go to get a drink before the evening feast, Weine realises that she hasn't got them, so she and Lorie have to retrace their steps to find out where they are.

Will the two sisters be able to figure out where the envelopes were left and will they still be there? This is a lovely snapshot into the traditions and celebrations of Asian-Americans in New York City and a cozy mystery all at the same time in this wonderful story.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and I found it delightful! We get to meet sisters Lorie and Weina who have misplaced their lucky red envelopes with money, that they were gifted as part of the Lunar New Year. We follow that girls back through their day and seeing how they celebrated the New Lunar Year. It’s really sweet to see the sisters working together to solve where the envelopes might be. I found it to be a great book with a lot of fun education about this holiday and different cultural traditions and a really sweet bond between the sisters and their family. The illustrations were also wonderful as well.

[Rita White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for kids ages 7 to 12. I had my 12 year old granddaughter read this to me, and just hearing her read this book about the different culture was great. She really enjoyed the book also. The illustrations were phenomenal, and the writing was great.
In this book, we learn about the Lunar New Year and two Asian American sisters going throughout this special day. It's tradition to visit family and friends and receive red envelopes containing money and chocolates. The red envelopes are misplaced, so they retrace their steps to find them. Great story, and I absolutely love that the big sister doesn't get mad and is very patient with the little sister. It's such a cute little book.

[Shannen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read another book by this author last year, and it was such a hit with my family that I didn’t hesitate to pick this one up. I love the beautiful cover and illustrations inside as I feel they added a bit more emotion to the story, especially for my kids. We all learned more about Lunar New Year and the traditions in their culture. It sparked wonderful conversations with my 8- and 12-year-old which is always exciting! This would be wonderful to share with the young ones in your life, but I genuinely enjoyed the educational side of it. I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us because they’re quickly becoming a favorite in our household!

[Kerry Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book with my daughter, I expected a fun and lighthearted story, but what we got felt like so much more. This was the perfect kind of book for my daughter to try an read herself and it tied in perfectly with her learnings about New Year. I loved this book because of how excited she was to read it.
The story was really well thought out and engaging. The characters are what really brough it to life and Ioved seeing how they developed as the story progressed. This is a great book and I hope we get the chance to discover more.

[La Toya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu is a sweet story about two sisters, Lorie and Weina, who are excited about the upcoming Lunar New Year. They are looking forward to the parade, food, and collecting lucky red envelopes that contain surprises. When Weina realizes that she has lost all of her red envelopes their celebrations turn into an adventure/mystery. I thought that this was such a cute and fun story. It is a great introduction to chapter books. The adventure with the sisters engages kids easily. I highly recommend this book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story. I love the new knowledge of culture, tradition and the Lunar New Year. The story is so full of adventure as well as siblings working together. While the girls are looking for their red envelopes, the reason behind the ergency is wonderful. A great story for our children and families alike. But even better for our children who are starting to read chapter books. The story is fast paced yet very interesting. The author for this story did a great job writing this book and I look forward to reading more from her.

[Jayme Raffauf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute kids book that provided a great storyline about the Lunar New Year and the adventure a set of two sisters ends up on. I enjoyed the story about the red envelopes and their significance and then why it was such a problem when they went missing. There were so many great cultural references that would be a wonderful learning experience for the reader. This book would be ideal for young readers ages 7-12. The Missing Red Envelopes was a lighthearted and engaging read. It also featured some great illustrations. Well done Yobe Qiu, this was a well written children’s book.

[Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorie and Weina are looking forward to celebrating the Lunar New Year and all it has to offer, but their favorite parts are the red envelopes they receive from family. In a twist they didn't expect, in the course of shopping for the perfect gift that day, they've misplaced the prized envelopes! The sisters retrace their steps through the day to find them. Along the way, they teach us a bit about the excitement of Lunar New Year, asian customs, culture, foods and traditions.

A fun read with lots to learn along with an incredibly charming and well written story. Recommend!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Missing Red Envelopes" by Yobe Quin is a captivating mystery novel that keeps readers guessing until the very end. The story follows protagonist Maya, a girl who searches for missing red envelopes on Lunar New Year.

Quin's writing style is engaging and creates a rich and vivid world for readers to immerse themselves in.

Overall, "The Missing Red Envelopes" is a compelling read that will appeal to young fans of mystery.

[Nichole Hasani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book for early chapter book readers. It follows two sisters celebrating Chinese New Year and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Weina’s red envelopes. This book helps readers learn about how a different culture celebrates New Year, their traditions, and explore a mystery at the same time! This was very engaging and a quicker read if you are reading it to someone. Very cute!

[Gabrielle Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet and fun read. I enjoyed meeting sisters Lorie and Weina as they celebrate the Lunar New Year. It was interesting to see what they did as a family to celebrate and the great relationship that everyone in the family has. The sisters work together to figure out what happened to their red envelopes. As an Asian myself it is nice to see a book that shows more of the Asian culture with readers.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorie and Weina are sisters and they are looking for the red envelopes that were in a bag that they were carrying around. The envelopes are a custom during the Lunar New Year and they contain money and chocolate.

What I enjoyed most about this story is learning more about Asian culture. Young readers can have an appreciation of it as well and may want to experience a Lunar New Year celebration.

The illustrations were also very well done throughout this short chapter book.

[Kristin Boutelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very easy and descriptive read. I can see all the details in the book about what is going on. The illustrations are very well done. The illustrations and where they are in the book coincide together. I love how the sisters get along and how the older sister helps out the little sister. Overall, I would recommend this book for children who want to learn about a different culture and how important families are.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is beautifully written and introduces young children to the cultural celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year. The different aspects and traditions are incorporated in a way that explains their significance and detail to the reader without sounding like a documentary!
The family at the centre combine the traditions with their modern lives which makes it even more relatable. A great resource for any library, classroom or family bookshelf!

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a neat children’s story. It tells about the custom of the Red Envelopes that is part of the Lunar New Year. The illustrations are pretty. I found it was a neat way to teach a child about other cultures. I read this to my granddaughter and she really enjoyed it. She loved the story so much that I’ll be getting a paper copy for our family library.