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
Red, White, and Whole
by Rajani LaRocca
Quill Tree Books
2021 finalist, Poetry
Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too!
by Maggie P.Chang
Simon Spotlight
2021 finalist, Easy Reader
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
The Girl King
by Mimi Yu
Bloomsbury YA
2019 Nominee, Young Adult Speculative Fiction
There’s Something about Sweetie
by Sandhya Menon
Simon Pulse
2019 Nominee, Young Adult Fiction
Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl
by Debbi Michiko Florence
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
2018 Winner, Early Chapter Books
Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
Arthur A Levine
2018 Finalist, Middle Grade Fiction
Amina’s Voice
by Hena Khan
Simon & Schuster
2017 Finalist, Middle Grade Fiction
Pashmina
by Nidhi Chanani
First Second Books
2017 Finalist, Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels
Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II
by Albert Marrin
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
2017 Finalist, Senior High Nonfiction
A Different Pond
by Bao Phi
Capstone Press
2017 Nominee, Fiction Picture Books
Ms. Marvel Vol. 5: Super Famous
by Takeshi Miyazawa and G. Willow Wilson
Marvel Books
2016 Finalist, Young Adult Graphic Novels