Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Young Readers
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and this weekâMay 3 to May 9 âis also Childrenâs Book Week with the motto âEvery Child a Reader.â Therefore, we are celebrating the following glorious stories, for children and adults to share, that honor the rich cultural history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:Â
THE MAGIC FISHÂ by Trung Le Nguyen
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by the New York Public Library ⢠Kirkus Reviews ⢠Booklist ⢠Publishers Weekly
This beautifully illustrated YA graphic novel follows a young boy as he tries to navigate life through fairytales. Tiáşżn still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. Itâs hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tiáşżn, he doesnât even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what heâs going through? Is there a way to tell them heâs gay?
ANY DAY WITH YOUÂ by Mae Respicio
Kaia and her family live near the beach in California, where the fun of moviemaking is all around them. This summer, Kaia and her friends are part of a creative arts camp, where theyâre working on a short movie to enter in a contest. The movie is inspired by the Filipino folktales that her beloved Tatang, her great-grandfather, tells. Kaia hopes that by winning a filmmaking contest, sheâll convince her great-grandfather not to move back home to the Philippines.
PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHINGÂ by Randy Ribay
A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousinâs murder.
THEY CALLED US ENEMYÂ by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, Harmony Becker
A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takeiâs childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American iconâand America itselfâin this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. Available in a Spanish edition here.
THE UGLY VEGETABLESÂ written and illustrated by Grace Lin
In this charming story about celebrating differences a Chinese-American girl wishes for a garden of bright flowers instead of one full of bumpy, ugly, vegetables. The neighborsâ gardens look so much prettier and so much more inviting to the young gardener than the garden of âblack-purple-green vines, fuzzy wrinkled leaves, prickly stems, and a few little yellow flowersâ that she and her mother grow. Nevertheless, mother assures her that âthese are better than flowers.â Come harvest time, everyone agrees as those ugly Chinese vegetables become the tastiest, most aromatic soup they have ever known. As the neighborhood comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetable soup, the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose. THE UGLY VEGETABLES springs forth with the bright and cheerful colors of blooming flowers and lumpy vegetables. Grace Linâs playful illustrations pour forth with abundant treasures. Complete with a guide to the Chinese pronunciation of the vegetables and the recipe for ugly vegetable soup! Try itâŚyouâll love it, too!
WATERCRESSÂ by Andrea Wang; Illustrated by Jason Chin
Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girlâs parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can. At first, sheâs embarrassed. Why canât her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her familyâs time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.
The book is illustrated by award winning author and artist Jason Chin, in an entirely new style, inspired by Chinese painting techniques. An authorâs note in the back shares Andreaâs childhood experience with her parents.
LAXMIâS MOOCHÂ by Shelly Anand, Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
A joyful, body-positive picture book about a young Indian American girlâs journey to accept her body hair and celebrate her heritage after being teased about her mustache.
WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGERÂ by Tae Keller
WINNER OF THE 2021 NEWBERY MEDAL
WINNER OF THE ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR CHILDRENâS LITERATURE
When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoniâs Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a dealâreturn what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoniâs healthâLily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voiceâŚand the courage to face a tiger.
DANBI LEADS THE SCHOOL PARADEÂ by Anna Kim
An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book
Danbi is thrilled to start her new school in America. But a bit nervous too, for when she walks into the classroom, everything goes quiet. Everyone stares. Danbi wants to join in the dances and the games, but she doesnât know the rules and just canât get anything right. Luckily, she isnât one to give up. With a spark of imagination, she makes up a new game and leads her classmates on a parade to remember! Danbi Leads the School Parade introduces readers to an irresistible new character. In this first story, she learns to navigate her two cultures and realizes that when you open your world to others, their world opens up to you.
FATIMAâS GREAT OUTDOORSÂ by Ambreen Tariq; Illustrated by Stevie Lewis
An immigrant family embarks on their first camping trip in the Midwest in this lively picture book by Ambreen Tariq, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping. This picture book debut, with cheerful illustrations by Stevie Lewis, is a rollicking family adventure, a love letter to the outdoors, and a reminder that public land belongs to all of us.
THE DOWNSTAIRS GIRLÂ by Stacey Lee
By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a ladyâs maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, âDear Miss Sweetie.â When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of societyâs ills, but sheâs not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. With prose that is witty, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South.
FRANKLY IN LOVEÂ by David Yoon
An Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Honor Book
Frank Li has two names. Thereâs Frank Li, his American name. Then thereâs Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California. Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girlâwhich is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. BritâŚwho is white. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks heâs found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, heâs left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about loveâor himselfâat all.
For more on these and related titles (for kids and adults) visit the collection Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month















