When You Wish Upon a Lantern — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- Race & cultureSupporting
- ProfanityBrief
- Sexual contentBrief
- Gender rolesBriefChallenges traditional roles
- Gender & orientationBrief
Not found
- Violence
- Scary content
- Religion
- Climate
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
Get the full theme breakdown in the app
Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.
Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.
While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?
Frequently asked questions
Is When You Wish Upon a Lantern appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The main characters are Chinese American, and the story weaves Chinese culture, traditions, folktales and food throughout; no racism is described. The parents' guide lists strong language including several uses of two strong swear words, plus milder ones, and rates language as very little.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have violence?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have scary content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have religion?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have race & culture?
Found (Supporting): The main characters are Chinese American, and the story weaves Chinese culture, traditions, folktales and food throughout; no racism is described.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have profanity?
Found (Brief): The parents' guide lists strong language including several uses of two strong swear words, plus milder ones, and rates language as very little.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have sexual content?
Found (Brief): Characters kiss and make out, and a father asks his son a question about masturbation in one moment.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have gender roles?
Found (Brief, Challenges traditional roles): Kai's older brother bullies him because he is the second-born son and likes to bake, which the guide notes runs against stereotypical expectations of a boy.
Does When You Wish Upon a Lantern have gender & orientation?
Found (Brief): One scene shows a same-sex couple and their daughter.
