The Star Maker by Laurence Yep 100 pages

A warm family story about a young Chinese-American boy and his uncle. Artie over reacts to teasing from his mean cousin and rashly promises to give all his relatives fireworks for the next Chinese festival. His uncle, a popular but not very successful man, promises him help to fulfill his goal. However, there are several setbacks and a little romance before Chinese New Year arrives. This is set in San Francisco around 1954, when family customs were very evident in Chinatown. This is an excellent partner to Tomie de Paola's reminiscence of growing up in Italian part of Conneticut.