May has a lot of “holidays”: Mother’s Day, May Day, Star Wars Day, Cinco de Mayo (and that’s just the first week!). But it’s also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and I thought we’d celebrate by highlighting (in a non-comprehensive list) some of the great books we’ve had by and about the AAPI experience.

Watercress
by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin
Neal Porter Books
2021 winner, Fiction Picture Books

Measuring Up
by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Ann Xu
HarperAlley
2021 winner, Middle Grade Graphic Novels

Sakamoto’s Swim Club: How a Teacher Led an Unlikely Team to Victory
by Julie Abery, illustrated by Chris Sasaki
Kids Can Press, Ltd
2021 Finalist, Elementary Nonfiction

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom
by Sangu Mandanna
Viking Books for Young Readers
2021 finalist, Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Dung Ho
HarperCollins
2021 nominee, Fiction Picture Books

Superman Smashes the Clan
by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Gurihiru
DC Zoom
2020 Winner, Young Adult Graphic Novels

A Wish in the Dark
by Christina Soontornvat
Candlewick Press
2020 Finalist, Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

‘Ohana Means Family
by Ilima Loomis, illustrated by Kenard Pak
Neal Porter Books
2020 Nominee, Fiction Picture Book

They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and illustrated by Harmony Becker
Top Shelf Productions
2019 Finalist, Young Adult Graphic Novels

Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl
by Debbi Michiko Florence
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
2018 Winner, Early Chapter Books