asian american book resources
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, an annual celebration that honors the many contributions and accomplishments of Asian Americans, Pacific Islander Americans, and Native Hawaiians. For more on the background of AAPI Heritage Month, please click here.
This resource guide offers many children's book lists featuring fiction and non-fiction books by Asian and Asian/American writers, featuring Asian and Asian American characters, and/or about Asian and Asian American themes and traditions.
There are many, many more, so please let us know if there are other good sites to add! Email us at rifnova@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!
The 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature winner is Maizy Chen's Last Chance. Maizy Chen has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota, until a decline in her grandfather’s health has her and her mom driving across the country to help with his care and her family’s restaurant, the Golden Palace. Yee’s heartfelt novel celebrates the stories of immigrants by blending past and present experiences as she shares the importance of family, friendship, history, and more. The book was also recognized as a Newbery Honor winner and a National Book Award finalist.
|
• Parents.com offers a list of 15 Asian American children's books — recommended by Asian American children's book authors — that make excellent conversation starters about different cultures and the importance of respecting others. Find that here.
• Imagination Soup offers a list of "85 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children's Books." • Save the Children staff members have put together their favorites to celebrate AAPI. Find that by clicking here. • Celebrate Korean, Southeast Asian, Vietnamese, and Chinese cultures, and more with this list of 40+ children’s books from Pragmatic Mom. • The New York Public Library is always a great source of books ideas, and this time is no exception. Find 44 favorites here. • Wild Rumpus Books has curated its special list of picture books by Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors & Illustrators. It's here. • Reading Rockets always has a great collation of books for children. Check out this list to celebrate Asian Pacific American history and culture. • A list of 27 free read-alouds of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander picture books is offered by Common Sense Media to "celebrate the diversity of AANHPI experiences and voices with stories that connect us across cultures." |
• Looking for some fun picture books for AAPI? How about this list of 15 books from Happiest Baby?
• The American Writers Museum features a list of 14 picture books featuring Asian families by 14 Asian American authors.
• A Mighty Girl, a site with great book ideas for raising confident girls, offers this collection of 60 books for AAPI Heritage Month. "From charming picture books to inspiring middle grade novels to thoughtful YA historical fiction, these stories showcase the diverse experiences of AAPI people in America."
• Colorín Colorado celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage all year long with books, activities, and classroom resources. Link with that here.
• Social Justice Books has curated a list of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander books divided into several categories: early childhood, upper elementary and middle school, young adult, and beyond.
• PBS Kids for Parents has a list of children's books by Asian American authors and illustrators. The 10 books in this list share inspiring, whimsical, and heartwarming stories from Vietnamese-Americans, Korean-Americans, Filipino-Americans, Chinese-Americans, and many more that speak to the nuances of being part of two cultures — being American and living in America, while also respecting and learning about the traditions that come from one's heritage.
• A blog from Rebekah Gienapp offers a variety of picture book biographies of famous Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, with a number of books that help kids understand the various experiences of Asian American immigrants to the United States. Find those 29 book suggestions here.
• Colours of Us features of list of 30 Asian and Asian American children's books for ages 0 to 18.
• Read Brightly, a website geared to raising children who love to read, offers a list of 27 children's and YA books written by Asian authors. Find that here.
• The website Reading Middle Grade has curated a list of 47 picture books by Asian authors. Click here for that!
• The Huffington Post has put together a list of "6 Lovely Children's Books about Asian American Culture." That curation can be found by clicking here.
• Scholastic offers an extensive list of books for purchase that focus on AAPI themes. That's clickable here.
• The American Writers Museum features a list of 14 picture books featuring Asian families by 14 Asian American authors.
• A Mighty Girl, a site with great book ideas for raising confident girls, offers this collection of 60 books for AAPI Heritage Month. "From charming picture books to inspiring middle grade novels to thoughtful YA historical fiction, these stories showcase the diverse experiences of AAPI people in America."
• Colorín Colorado celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage all year long with books, activities, and classroom resources. Link with that here.
• Social Justice Books has curated a list of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander books divided into several categories: early childhood, upper elementary and middle school, young adult, and beyond.
• PBS Kids for Parents has a list of children's books by Asian American authors and illustrators. The 10 books in this list share inspiring, whimsical, and heartwarming stories from Vietnamese-Americans, Korean-Americans, Filipino-Americans, Chinese-Americans, and many more that speak to the nuances of being part of two cultures — being American and living in America, while also respecting and learning about the traditions that come from one's heritage.
• A blog from Rebekah Gienapp offers a variety of picture book biographies of famous Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, with a number of books that help kids understand the various experiences of Asian American immigrants to the United States. Find those 29 book suggestions here.
• Colours of Us features of list of 30 Asian and Asian American children's books for ages 0 to 18.
• Read Brightly, a website geared to raising children who love to read, offers a list of 27 children's and YA books written by Asian authors. Find that here.
• The website Reading Middle Grade has curated a list of 47 picture books by Asian authors. Click here for that!
• The Huffington Post has put together a list of "6 Lovely Children's Books about Asian American Culture." That curation can be found by clicking here.
• Scholastic offers an extensive list of books for purchase that focus on AAPI themes. That's clickable here.