Special Collections
National Education Association's Asian American Booklist
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Cool Melons - Turn to Frogs!
by Matthew GollubThe life story of Issa, a famous Japanese poet, as told through his haikus.
The Beggar in the Blanket and Other Vietnamese Tales
by Gail B. GrahamThis book is a collection of 8 Vietnamese folk tales.
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.
Peace Crane
by Sheila HamanakaAfter learning about the Peace Crane, created by Sadako, a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima, a young African American girl wishes it would carry her away from the violence of her own world.
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.
One Sunday Morning
by Yumi HeoMinho and his father have an active morning at the park, taking a carriage ride, seeing the animals in the zoo, and riding the merry-go-round.
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.
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.
Growing Up Asian American
by Maria HongDifferent authors give their life views on growing up Asian American.
Flowers from Mariko
by Rick Noguchi and Deneen JenksMariko's family has been freed from a Japanese-American internment camp, but the transition hasn't been easy. "Flowers from Mariko" tells of a family striving to reestablish their lives--through hope, perseverance, and love.
Distinguished Asian Americans
by Hyung-Chan KimAsian Americans have made significant contributions to American society. This reference work celebrates the contributions of 166 distinguished Asian Americans. Most people profiled are not featured in any other biographical collection of noted Asian Americans. The Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, Korean Americans, South Asian Americans (from India and Pakistan), and Southeast Asian Americans (from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) profiled in this work represent more than 75 fields of endeavor. From historical figures to figure skater Michelle Kwan, this work features both prominent and less familiar individuals who have made significant contributions in their fields. A number of the contemporary subjects have given exclusive interviews for this work.All biographies have been written by experts in their ethnic fields. Those profiled range widely from distinguished scientists and Nobel Prize winners to sports stars, from actors to activists, from politicians to business leaders, from artists to literary luminaries. All are role models for young men and women, and many have overcome difficult odds to succeed. These colorfully written, substantive biographies detail their subjects' goals, struggles, and commitments to success and to their ethnic communities. More than 40 portraits accompany the biographies and each biography concludes with a list of suggested reading for further research. Appendices organizing the biographies by ethnic group and profession make searching easy. This is the most current biographical dictionary on Asian Americans and is ideal for student research.
Kodomo
by Susan KuklinSeven Japanese children are the guides for this informative, insightful look at daily life and traditional Japanese customs and culture. Nozomi describes his noisy math class, where the teacher calls out addition problems and students scramble to find the answer on their abacus. Beautiful Ai tells of the special importance of her kimono, once her mother's, and explains the painstaking process of putting it on. Keiko and Masaaki enjoy the physical and mental strength that comes with their study of kendo and judo, and Masako and Natsuko delight in calligraphy and Japanese dance. .-Lauren Peterson
Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha LaiNo one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.
For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by...and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape...and the strength of her very own family.
This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.
Newbery Honor Book
Winner of the National Book Award
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.
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.
In the Snow
by Huy Voun LeeA simple introduction to Chinese character writing. It's a wonderful day for a walk in the snow. Using snow as her canvas, Xiao Ming's mother teaches her son ten new Chinese characters. Huy Voun Lee's focus on the similarity between writing Chinese characters and drawing pictures makes learning Chinese seem accessible. Simple mnemonic explanations help children learn and remember the character for each word. "In the Snow" is a great introduction to one of the world's oldest picture languages.
Stella
by Lauren LeeHoping to be accepted by a popular seventh grade clique, a Korean American girl is embarrassed by her family's heritage-until a series of events gives her a better sense of who she is.
Finding My Voice
by Marie G. Lee"Books, Tomper, letter jackets, parties, friends. Where do I fit into this mess?" Its Ellen Sungs last year and she is desperate to make it count. This will be the year she finally wins a varsity letter for gymnastics. Shell spend more time with her friends and less time with her books. Shell get into the college of her choice. Maybe shell even find a boyfriend. Easier said than done, when youve got to deal with super-strict parents, pressure to get good grades, and the prejudice of some classmates because youre the only Korean-American student in a small school. But sometimes things do go right!
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.
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.
Necessary Roughness
by Marie G. LeeSixteen-year-old Korean-American Chan moves from Los Angeles to a small town in Minnesota, where he must cope not only with racism on the football team but also with the tensions in his relationship with his strict father.
Saying Goodbye
by Marie G. LeeIn this sequel to "Finding My Voice," Ellen Sung explores her interest in creative writing and in her Korean heritage during her freshman year at Harvard.
The Golem and the Dragon Girl
by Sonia LevitinLaurel Wang is not crazy. She knows that the ghost of her beloved great-grandfather lives in the oak tree outside her house. But now her grandparents are arriving from China, and the family must move to a bigger place - leaving the protective spirit behind. Twelve-year-old Jonathan and his family are moving into Laurel's house - and he's not too happy either. He's already living with a stepfather he can't stand and a dog he didn't choose; now he has to say goodbye to a familiar neighborhood and his wonderful Uncle Jake. But moving blues soon give way to angry ghosts, fortune cookies that predict the future, and a very scary accident - as two teenagers with very different backgrounds join together to investigate a mystery, and discover something remarkable about each other...
Olvina Flies
by Grace LinWhen Olvina gets invited to the Tenth Annual Bird Convention in Hawaii, she decides it's high time to overcome her fear of flying. But on the day of her big plane trip, Olvina's tummy is filled with butterflies and she has second thoughts. After all, chickens aren't supposed to fly. Or are they? This tender and funny story is for children who love to fly as well as those who have not yet had the experience. From takeoff to landing, Olvina's journey is one kids won't want to miss!
A Thousand Peaks
by Siyu Liu and Orel ProtopopescuChina's poets have created shi, poems that follow strict rules of structure and rhythm, for several thousand years. Here are thirty-five shi from the Han dynasty to the modern era, in English and Chinese.