Special Collections
National Education Association's Asian American Booklist
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In the Park
by Huy Voun LeeOn the first day of spring, a mother and her son go to the park where they draw Chinese characters that represent words relating to the season.
Lion Dancer
by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-LowDescribes six-year-old Ernie Wong's preparations, at home and in school, for the Chinese New Year celebrations and his first public performance of the lion dance.
Allison
by Allen SayWhen Allison tries on her new red kimono and looks in the mirror, she suddenly realizes that she looks more like her favorite doll, Mei Mei, than her parents. Where did Mei Mei come from? Where do I come from?" Allison asks. "Far, far away -- from another country; Father says."Mother and I went there and brought you and Mei Mei home with us." But Allison is confused. At daycare the next day, she refuses to climb the monkey bars or play tag with the other children, and alone in her room that night she asks Mei Mei, "Allison isn't my real name. Do you know what it is?" But the only answer is the cry of a stray cat looking in her window. Through evocative watercolors and understated prose, Caldecott Medalist Allen Say creates a moving statement on families, adoption, and the search for belonging.
The Serpent's Children (Golden Mountain Chronicles
by Laurence YepIn nineteenth-century China, a young girl struggles to protect her family from the threat of bandits, famine, and an ideological conflict between her father and brother.
El Chino
by Allen SayA biography of Bill Wong, a Chinese American who became a famous bullfighter in Spain.
China's Bravest Girl
by Charlie ChinThe story of Hua Mu Lan, a girl who, disguised as a man, went to war in place of her elderly father.
All the Colors of the Earth
by Sheila HamanakaWith soaring words and majestic artwork, Sheila Hamanaka evokes all the rich colors children bring to this world. Laughing, loving, and glowing with life, young people dance across the pages of her book, inviting readers to share a special vision of peace and acceptance. Images removed.
Shadow of the Dragon
by Sherry GarlandHigh school sophomore Danny Vo tries to resolve the conflict between the values of his Vietnamese refugee family and his new American way of life.
If It Hadn't Been For Yoon Jun
by Marie G. LeeSeventh grader Alice's life couldn't be better. She has two fabulous best friends, a boy from the football team who seems to like her, and she has just been chosen to be on the junior high cheerleading squad. But then Yoon Jun moves to town, and because he is Korean, like Alice, her father tries to make her be friends with the new boy. But Alice thinks Yoon Jun is kind of a dork and can't figure out why she should have to be friends with him simply because they happen to come from the same country. Alice was a baby when her parents adopted her and brought her to the U.S. so she doesn't remember anything about Korea and considers herself 100% American. But then Alice and Yoon Jun are assigned to work on a project together for their school's International Day, and Alice discovers that spending time with Yoon Jun might not be so terrible after all.
The Lost Garden
by Laurence YepYoung Laurence didn't really where he fit in. He thought of himself as American, especially since he didn't speak Chinese and couldn't understand his grandmother, who lived in Chinatown. But others saw him as different in the conformist American of the 1950s. In this engaging memoir, the two-time Newbery Honor author tells how writing helped him start to solve the puzzle.
When the Circus Came to Town
by Laurence YepAn Asian cook and a Chinese New Year celebration help a ten-year-old girl at a Montana stage coach station to regain her confidence after smallpox scars her face.
The Magic Fan
by Keith BakerGuided by a magic fan, Yoshi builds a boat to catch the moon, a kite to reach the clouds, and a bridge that saves the villagers from a tidal wave.
The Magic Paintbrush
by Laurence YepA magic paintbrush transports Steve and his elderly caretakers from their drab apartment in Chinatown to a world of adventures.
Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom
by Katherine PatersonNewbery Medal author Paterson presents the story of Wang Lee, the young son of starving peasants in 1850's China. Seized by bandits and carried away from home during the Taiping Rebellion, Wang Lee meets Mai Lin when members of her undercover society save him from his captors.
Tea with Milk
by Allen SayAt home in San Francisco, May speaks Japanese and the family eats rice and miso soup and drinks green tea. When she visits her friends' homes, she eats fried chicken and spaghetti. May plans someday to go to college and live in an apartment of her own. But when her family moves back to Japan, she soon feels lost and homesick for America. In Japan everyone calls her by her Japanese name, Masako. She has to wear kimonos and sit on the floor. Poor May is sure that she will never feel at home in this country. Eventually May is expected to marry and a matchmaker is hired. Outraged at the thought, May sets out to find her own way in the big city of Osaka. Allen Say has created a moving tribute to his parents and their path to discovering where home really is.
Born Confused
by Tanuja Desai HidierSeventeen-year-old Dimple, whose family is from India, discovers that she is not Indian enough for the Indians and not American enough for the Americans, as she sees her best friend taking possession of her heritage and the boy she likes.
Elaine and the Flying Frog
by Heidi ChangElaine Chow is on her way to school, thinking about her present circumstances, and she makes up a story to go along with her friends.
The Bicycle Man
by Allen SayThe amazing tricks two American soldiers do on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan. Includes picture descriptions.
The Name Jar
by Yangsook ChoiThe new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she? Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it--Yoon-Hey. From the Hardcover edition.
Night Garden
by Janet S. WongA collection of poems describing a variety of dreams, some familiar, some strange, some beautiful, and some on the darker side.
F Is for Fabuloso
by Marie G. LeeThe sky had not yet begun to lighten, and Jin-Ha could see hard fingers of frost pressing on her window, outlined by the light from the street lamp. She wanted to stay in her warm bed and never come out. Being cold -- and knowing you were going to be even colder before you got any warmer -- was the worst feeling. Then she remembered her dream. Then she remembered her math test. Now she wanted to jump out of bed and onto the first bus out of town. How else to cope with this terrible thing she had done? She failed a math test and a quiz and she had lied to her parents. Lying to her parents had been ten times worse than telling them the truth: telling the truth would have gotten the unpleasant news over with right away. By lying she was only postponing the agony. Everything only seemed all right; underneath, it was all wrong. All WRONG.
The Green Frogs
by Yumi HeoLike most rebellious children, the green frogs in this Korean folktale love to disobey their mother. Whatever she asks them to do, they do the opposite ... until their bad habit lands them in trouble.
Desert Exile
by Yoshiko UchidaDesert Exile chronicles the experiences of a well-to-do Japanese American family before and during the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War.
Stranger in the Mirror
by Allen SayOne morning eight-year-old Martin looks in the mirror and sees a stranger. Overnight, he has changed. His parents take him to one doctor after another, only to be told that there is nothing wrong with their son. At school his teacher asks, "What have we here, trick or treat?" His classmates will not play with him. At home his family tries to treat him as if he were the same child. But things now are different. Martin has grown very old in the space of one day. His world will never be the same again.
Motherland
by Vineeta VijayraghavanMaya is an American teenager who spent her first four years with her grandmother in India. In her 15th year she returns to India and she is again initiated into the Indian culture and customs.