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 Cricket's Cage
by Stefan CzerneckiRetells a Chinese folktale in which a clever and kindly cricket is responsible for designing the tower buildings for Beijing's "Forbidden City."
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.
Dia's Story Cloth
by Dia ChaThe story cloth made for the author by her aunt and uncle chronicles the life of the Hmong people in their native Laos and their eventual emigration to the United States.
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.
Dream Soul
by Laurence YepIn 1927, as Christmas approaches, fifteen-year-old Joan Lee hopes to get her parents' permission to celebrate the holiday, one of the problems belonging to the only Chinese American family in her small West Virginia community.
Echoes of the White Giraffe
by Sook Nyul ChoiFifteen-year-old Sookan adjusts to life in the refugee village in Pusan but continues to hope that the civil war will end and her family will be reunited in Seoul. Historical fiction.
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.
El Chino
by Allen SayA biography of Bill Wong, a Chinese American who became a famous bullfighter in Spain.
Emma's Rug
by Allen SayFrom the book: When Emma is born, she is given a small rug. Mother lays it by the crib, for the day the baby can stand on her feet. By the time Emma climbs out of the crib, no one can remember who gave her the rug. As soon as she can hold a pencil, Emma begins to draw. Her parents are impressed by her mysterious talent. She wins top prizes in the first grade art contest and a citywide competition. Then one day at school Emma refuses to draw. "Do you feel all right?" the teacher asks. Emma only nods and pushes the box of crayons away. Without her beloved rug, Emma believes that she cannot draw. As the story takes an unusual turn, Emma finds her way back to the easel where she has had so much fun. Other books by allen Say are available from Bookshare.
The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito
by Sheila GarrigueThe fate of a 200-year-old bonsai tree is decided by a young girl and an old Japanese Canadian gardener who resists being imprisoned in an internment camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sequel to "All the Children Were Sent Away."
The Filipino Americans
by Jennifer SternDiscusses the history, culture, and religion of the Filipinos, factors encouraging their emigration; and their acceptance as an ethnic group in North America.
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.
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.
The Golden Carp and Other Tales from Vietnam
by Lynette Dyer VuongThis book is a collection of six Vietnamese folk tales
Goldfish and Chrysanthemums
by Andrea ChengA Chinese American girl puts her goldfish into a fish pond that she creates and borders with chrysanthemums in order to remind her grandmother of the fish pond she had back in China.
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...
Goodbye Vietnam
by Gloria WhelanThirteen-year-old Mai and her family embark on a dangerous sea voyage from Vietnam to Hong Kong to escape the unpredictable and often brutal Vietnamese government.
Good Luck Gold and Other Poems
by Janet S. WongThis is the first book of poems by a young Asian-American poet
Grandfather Counts
by Andrea ChengWhen her mother's father comes from China, Helen, who is biracial, develops a special bond with her grandfather despite their age and language differences.
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen SayA picture book masterpiece from Caldecott medal winner Allen Say. Lyrical, breathtaking, splendid--words used to describe Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey when it was first published. At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man's love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captures readers' attention and hearts. Images and descriptions available.
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.
Growing Up Asian American
by Maria HongDifferent authors give their life views on growing up Asian American.
Hiroshima
by Laurence YepOn the morning of August 6, 1945, an American bomber, the Enola Gay, roars down the runway of the Pacific island, Tinian. Its target is Hiroshima, Japan. Its cargo is an atom bomb.