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National Education Association's Asian American Booklist
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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.
Nim and the War Effort
by Milly Lee and Yangsook ChoiIn San Francisco during World War II, Nim, a Chinese-American, is determined to win the newspaper drive -- although it is the last day. She realizes her closest rival has cheated. Undaunted, she leaves Chinatown and heads to Nob Hill after school, determined to find more paper.
An ALA Notable Book. An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.
About the Author: Milly Lee grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She is a retired school librarian and lives in Sonoma County, California.
About the Illustrator: Yangsook Choi grew up in Korea and holds an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she now lives. [powells.com]
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!
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.
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 Rainbow Hand
by Janet S. WongA collection of eighteen original poems about mothers and motherhood, including "Mother's Heart," "Old Mother Chung," and "The Pilot."
The Rainbow People
by Laurence YepA collection of twenty Chinese folktales that were passed on by word of mouth for generations, as told by some old-timers newly settled in the United States.
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.
Ribbons
by Laurence YepRobin, a promising young ballet student, cannot afford to continue lessons when her Chinese grandmother emigrates from Hong Kong, creating jealousy and conflict among the entire family.
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.
Seesaw Girl
by Linda Sue Park and Mou-Sien Tseng and Jean TsengJade never ventures beyond the walls of her family's Inner Court; in seventeenth-century Korea, a girl of good family does not leave home until she marries. She is enthralled by her older brother's stories about trips to the market and to the ancestral grave sites in the mountains, about reading and painting, about his conversations with their father about business and politics and adventures only boys can have. Jade accepts her destiny, and yet she is endlessly curious about what lies beyond the walls. A lively story with a vividly realized historical setting, "Seesaw Girl" recounts Jade Blossom's daring attempts to enlarge her world.
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.
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.
Shizuko's Daughter
by Kyoko MoriShizuko commits suicide to avoid being a hindrance to her husbands affair. Yuki, her daughter, grows up without the love of a mother but lives with the memories of her mother. The story brings out the struggles and achievements of Yuki.
The Sign Painter
by Allen SayIn his Caldecott acceptance speech for GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY, Allen Say told of his difficulty in separating his dreams from reality. For him this separation was not as important as finding a meaning behind the contradictions and choices we all must make in life and their consequences.
Early one morning a boy comes into town, hungry, and looking for work. He meets a sign painter who takes him on as a helper. The boy yearns to be a painter. The man offers him security. The two are commissioned to paint a series of billboards in the desert. Each billboard has one word, Arrowstar. They do not know its meaning. As they are about to paint the last sign, the boy looks up and sees in the distance a magnificent structure. Is it real? They go to find out.
Through a simple text and extraordinary paintings, the reader learns of the temptation of safe choices and the uncertainties of following a personal dream. Here Allen Say tells a haunting and provocative story of dreams and choices for readers of all ages.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 2-3 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
A Single Shard
by Linda Sue ParkIn this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year-old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch'ulp'o, a potters' village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter's craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday.
When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated -- until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min's irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself -- even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min's work in the hope of a royal commission... even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard.
Spring Pearl
by Laurence YepCalled boyish by her new family for being able to read and write, twelve-year-old orphaned Spring Pearl's "odd ways" help save the family during the 1857 Opium War in Canton, China.
The Star Fisher
by Laurence YepIn 1927, Joan Lee and her family are the first Chinese-Americans that Clarksburg has ever seen. Joan knows she's American. But no one else seems to think so.
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.
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.
Tae's Sonata
by Haemi BalgassiTae, a Korean American eighth grader, tries to sort out her feelings when she is assigned a popular cute boy as a partner for a school report and later has a falling out with her best friend.
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.
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.
The Tiger's Apprentice (Book One of the Tiger Trilogy)
by Laurence YepA tiger, a monkey, a dragon, and a twelve-year-old Chinese American boy fight to keep a magic talisman out of the hands of an enemy who would use its power to destroy the world.
To Destroy You Is No Loss
by Joan D. Criddle and Teeda Butt MamExplains the horrendous and evil history that was being made in Cambodia during 70's and 80's. This biography is about an educated Cambodian family who was exiled from Phnom Penh, along with the entire city full of inhabitants by The Khmer Rouge.