Ada is a Chinese American girl. Ada shares her experiences of being adopted and moving to a new country. She collects new names that melt into one compelling identity for her.

Lee Chow's grandfather shows him the wonderful items in the magic Chest of Dragons. What Lee Chow really wants is marbles and the Chest of Dragons cannot provide them. Fortunately, the Spring Festival creates good times, friends, and the beautiful marbles Lee Chow desires.

While her mother and father go to work in Chinatown, a young girl learns how to make rice dumplings and crab and shrimp soup with her grandma. They then take a bus to Grandma's work where she cracks crabs in a factory for a few pennies per day. Grandma prepares a crab meal at the end of a hard working day, made with love as strong as ginger.

Elizabeth is a young Chinese girl who has been adopted by an American family. Elizabeth begins to question her adoption and wonders why her mommy in China did not keep her. Elizabeth's mother explains the adoption to her and loves that she has a mother who is far away and one who is close.