Truly an All Star panel of AAPI authors! Moderated by Brein Lopez of CBW. Get ready for a deeply personal, no holds barred, real conversation about ALL the good stuff, including: growing up AAPI, why representation matters, processing trauma through writing/art, racism, book banning, race relations in America, LGBTQ+, the right to choose, the power of multiple American narratives… and the list goes on. 

This is recommended for grades 3+. Teachers and parents may want to preview to prepare for questions and some good conversation. Also highly recommended for parents and interested adults!

If you have any feedback or resources you would like to share with us and this community of educators and parents, please drop us a line at TeachAAPI@gmail.com.  

Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of NEW FROM HERE, the FRONT DESK series, including FRONT DESK, THREE KEYS, and ROOM TO DREAM, YES WE WILL, and young adult novels PARACHUTES and PRIVATE LABEL. FRONT DESK is Kelly’s award-winning middle grade debut novel about a 10 year old Chinese American immigrant girl who manages the front desk of a motel while her parents clean the rooms. FRONT DESK was awarded the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the Parents’ Choice Gold Medal, was the 2019 Global Read Aloud, and was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a NPR Best Book of the Year, and a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year.

Dan Santat is a #1 New York Times Best Selling Author author/illustrator of over one hundred titles which include “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” which won the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal in 2015. Other titles include, Are We There Yet? and After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)  He is also the creator of the Disney animated hit, The Replacements. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets.

Helena Ku Rhee is a writer of books for kids and the young at heart. Her latest children’s book, ROSA’S SONG, will be released on June 14, 2022 by Penguin Random House. She is also the author of THE PAPER KINGDOM (Penguin Random House 2020), which was a #1 Indie Bestseller and included on many year-end Best Books lists, including NPR, BookPage, Kirkus, Parents Magazine, the Los Angeles Public Library, and Amazon, among others. Her other books include THE TURTLE SHIP (Lee & Low 2018) and SORA’S SEASHELLS (Candlewick Press, forthcoming 2023). Her writing has also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and Salon.

Lisa Yee’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Her other novels for young people include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, So Totally Emily Ebers, Absolutely Maybe, and a series about a 4th grader, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes). 

Lisa is also the author of American Girl’s Kanani books and Good Luck, Ivy, and the Lea Clark series. Plus, Warp Speed, is about a Star Trek geek who gets beat up everyday at school. A Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence, Lisa’s books have been named a NPR Best Summer Read, Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and USA Today Critics’ Top Pick. 

The Kidney Hypothetical – Or How To Ruin Your Life In Seven Days is Lisa’s latest novel for teens. Other books include the DC Super Hero Girls middle grade novel series and the American Girl, Girl of the Year books. Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, published by Random House, debuted February 2022 to rave reviews.