May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and we are celebrating by adding more books to our TBR pile, of course! The U.S. Congress originally chose this month to commemorate Japanese- and Chinese-American contributions in the 19th century, but has since extended the honor to Pacific Islanders and those originating anywhere from the continent of Asia. This means we have an extensive list of places and people to read about!
We’ve compiled a list for you to dive into the various cultures and experiences of those of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. Check them out below:
Board Books & Picture Books:
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My First Mandarin Words With Gordon & Li Li by Michele Wong McSween, illustrated by Nam Doan
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My Lucky Little Dragon by Joyce Wan
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Saffron Ice Cream by Rashin Kheiriyeh
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Elephant in the Dark by Mina Javaherbin, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
Young Reader & Middle-Grade Books:
- Diary of an Ice Princess #1: Snow Place Like Home by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Barbara Szepesi Szucs (releases July 30, 2019)
- Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #1: The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
- Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #2: Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta
- Front Desk by Kelly Yang
- The Baby-sitters Club: Claudia and Mean Janine by Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
- WeirDo Series by Anh Do
Young Adult Books:
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The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
- I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn (releases May 28, 2019)
- Girl Under a Red Moon : Growing Up During China's Cultural Revolution by Da Chen (releases September 3, 2019)
Plus, our Scholastic News Kid Reporters have also covered stories featuring some inspiring people who are working to increase representation, sharing their stories, and helping others:
- Raising One's Voice for Charity by Hana Meher Sadik
- From Idea to Bookshelf by Teresa Fang
- Wordstock: A Celebration of Cultures by Hana Meher Sadik
Happy reading!
