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National Education Association's Asian American Booklist
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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.
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.
The Amah
by Laurence YepTwelve-year-old Amy finds her family responsibilities growing and interfering with her ballet practice when her mother takes a job outside the home.
American Eyes
by Lori M. Carlson and Cynthia KadohataHeartfelt short stories written by ten young Asian-American writers who share the conflicts that many young people feel living in two distinct worlds - one of memories and traditions, and one of today. Stories by Marie G. Lee, Ryan Oba, Katherine Min, Mary F. Chen, Lois-ann Yamanaka, Fae Myenne Ng, Cynthia Kadohata, Peter Bacho, Lan Samantha Chang, and Nguyen Duc Minh.
Angelfish
by Laurence YepRobin, a young ballet dancer who is half Chinese and half white, works in a fish store for Mr. Tsow, a brusque Chinese who accuses her of being a half person and who harbors a bitter secret.
Anno's Counting Book
by Mitsumasa AnnoFirst there is an empty field. The it is January, the first month of the year. All alone in the snow stands 1 yellow house. In front, 1 child builds a snowman. Behind the house is 1 tree and 1 black cow. Now, five months later, it is June. There are 6 buildings in the field, 6 children playing, and 6 adults working. One adult tends 6 ducks. Another drives a trains with 6 cars. From 1 to 12, through the months of the year, the town grows. More houses and trees and animals and people can be seen until December arrives with all it's magic.
Anno's Magic Seeds
by Mitsumasa AnnoThe reader is asked to perform a series of arithmetic operations integrated into the story of a man who plants magic seeds and reaps an increasingly abundant harvest. A story that helps children understand the process of plant growth.
Baseball Saved Us
by Ken MochizukiA Japanese American boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during World War II, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over.
Beacon Hill Boys
by Ken MochizukiIn 1972 Seattle, a teenager in a Japanese American family struggles for his own identity, along with a group of three friends who share his anger and confusion.
The Beggar in the Blanket and Other Vietnamese Tales
by Gail B. GrahamThis book is a collection of 8 Vietnamese folk tales.
Behind the Wheel
by Janet S. WongThirty-five poems look at various aspects of driving, including passing the written driver's test, being pulled over by a cop, and having an accident, and treat them as a metaphor for life.
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.
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.
Boxing in Black and White
by Peter BachoText and photographs present some of the notable heavyweight boxing matches of the twentieth century, featuring such fighters as Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali.
The Bracelet
by Yoshiko UchidaEmi, a Japanese-American in the second grade, is sent with her family to an internment camp during World War II, but the loss of the bracelet her best friend has given her proves that she does not need a physical reminder of that friendship.
Butterflies for Kiri
by Cathryn FalwellKiri, a Japanese American girl who loves to draw and paint, tries to use the origami set she received for her birthday. Includes instructions for making an origami butterfly.
Char Siu Bao Boy
by Sandra S. YamateCharlie likes char siu bao, Chinese pork buns. He doesn't just like them, he LOVES them! He has them everyday for lunch. But his friends want him to eat something more normal.
Children of the River
by Linda CrewSundara fled Cambodia with her aunt's family to escape the Khmer Rouge army when she was thirteen, leaving behind her parents, her brother and sister, and the boy she had loved since she was a child.Now, four years later, she struggles to fit in at her Oregon high school and to be "a good Cambodian girl" at home. A good Cambodian girl never dates; she waits for her family to arrange her marriage to a Cambodian boy. Yet Sundara and Jonathan, an extraordinary American boy, are powerfully drawn to each other. Haunted by grief for her lost family and for the life left behind, Sundara longs to be with him. At the same time she wonders, Are her hopes for happiness and new life in America disloyal to her past and her people?From the Paperback edition.
China Boy
by Gus LeeKai Ting is the only American-born son of a family that has fled China. Unprepared for life on the streets of San Francisco, Kai spends his childhood trying to adapt to American life.
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.
Chinese Cinderella
by Adeline Yen MahA riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s.A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their roots." In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for -- the love and understanding of her family.Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice. Includes 6-page photo insert.From the Hardcover edition.
The Clay Marble
by Minfong HoThe story is about a girl named Dara who goes to a refugee camp along with her family, but gets separated from them and endures many challenges to be safe once again with them.
The Cook's Family
by Laurence Yep12-year-old Robin Lee goes to her grandmother's house in Chinatown where they befriend a lonely cook. In Robin's new make-believe family, she discovers a sense of her Chinese heritage. The thing is, once Robin starts pretending, she doesn't want to stop.