A collection of books for grades PreK-12 that focuses on Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Desi American authors and topics.
Books can connect you to people who inspire you, characters who bring you joy, situations that introduce new perspectives, and make you feel seen.They can encourage people to stand-up for those that experience inequality and prejudice.
Whether you’re discovering new ideas, connecting with familiar experiences, or reading for enjoyment, the books on this list remind us all: We are important and our story matters.
Cathy Leverkus
Literature Advisor TeachAAPI
Wonderful Books for all Ages
Picture Books PreK – 3rd Grade
Others
A Story for All of Us by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Charles Santoso. Grades Preschool – 3. Two children wonder what the people on the other side of a tall hedge are like in this story about not judging people, and the importance of looking for the best in others.
Story of the Mongolian Tent House retold by Anne Pellowski, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal.
Grades K-3. Based on an original tale by award-winning Mongolian author, Dashdondog Jamba, who wrote about how the traditional Mongolian tent house (called a ger in Mongolian and a yurt in Turkish), is assembled.
Seven Million Steps: The True Story of Dick Gregory’s Run for the Hungry by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Grades Preschool – 3. The true story of comedian and activist Dick Gregory’s two-and-a-half month run from Los Angeles to New York City stopping at towns along the way to talk to the people about the poverty and hunger in America.
A Year of Kites: Traditions Around the World by Monisha Bajaj, illustrated by Amber Ren.
Grades K-3. For thousands of years kites have been flown throughout the world to worship gods and ancestors,to bring good fortune, to acknowledge milestones, and to join communities together. Visit twelve different countries and learn about their kite celebrations
Words That Taste Like Home by Sandhya Parappukkaran, illustrated by Michelle Pereira.
Grades K-3. When Rohan moves to a new country where a different language is spoken than the one he grew up with, he worries he’ll lose his relationship to his original language and it will affect his relationship with his grandmother.
Baba Palooza by A.D. Ghani, illustrated by Nadia Alam.
Grades Preschool-3. Baba Palooza tells the story of a Pakistani American Muslim family through the lens of a father-daughter taxi ride discussion that honors hardworking parents and immigrants.
Made for More by Chloe Ito Ward. illustrated by Gael Abary.
Grades Preschool-3. A girl of Japanese and Hawaiian heritage embraces the beauty of nature, celebrates her skin color, and honors her Japanese and Hawaiian cultures.
Mai’s Áo Dài. by Thái Nguyễn and Monique Truong, illustrated by Dung Ho.
Grades Preschool-3. Clothing designer Thái Nguyễn shares the story of Mai who dreams of being a movie star wearing fancy dresses instead of traditional Vietnamese áo dài for Lunar New Year. When her father tells her about her grandmother’s past as an expert seamstress, Mai learns to value culture, tradition, and the áo dài.
How to Grow a Family Tree by Bea Birdsong, illustrated by Jasu Hu.
Grades Preschool-3. Emmylou dreads a school assignment to create her family tree, until she realizes that family is also found in caring neighbors and friends, which communicates a special message about nontraditional and found families.
Hilwa’s Gifts by Safa Suleiman, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan.
Grades Preschool-3. Ali visits his grandparents in Palestine. Suleiman writes a tale of family, tradition, culture, and the tree (Hilwa) whose gifts keep giving from generation to generation.
At the Window by Hope Lim, illustrated by Qin Leng.
Grades Preschool-2. While a girl is walking her dog, she begins a friendship with a neighbor that she sees at a window everyday. When the window becomes vacant, the child experiences the view from inside the neighbors house opening her up to new experiences.
Toto by Hyewon Yum.
Grades Preschool-3. A young girl, starting school, learns to embrace her birthmark which she has named Toto, as part of who she is. This encouraging book teaches self-acceptance and confidence.
Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson, illustrated by William Low.
Grades Preschool-3. Lily and her relatives gather for the Ching Ming Festival (tomb sweeping day) to honor their ancestors. As her day progresses, we read another story revealing the sacrifices her great-great-grandpa had made to settle in America.
*Chopsticks Are by Chloe Ito Ward, illustrated by Lynn Scurfield.
Grades Preschool-3. Ward relates the history of chopsticks in Asia and shares how they are now used by people all over the world in this fascinating picture book.
Transitional Readers 1-3 Grades
My Language Is a Garden by E.G. Alaraj, illustrated by Rachel Wada.
Grades 1-3. In this beautifully illustrated book, an adult asks a child questions that connect the child to places, heritage, culture, and family recipes.
Ours: A Story of Loss and Healing by Mandy Settembre, illustrated by Fran Matsumoto.
Grades 1-3. A family, grieving after a pregnancy loss, starts a garden. A story for those working through healing and understanding grief together.
Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness! by Mika Song.
Grades 1-3. In this graphic novel, Night Chef, a young racoon that has spent years living in the walls of a human restaurant learning how to cook, rescues a baby crow named Ichi.
Kat and Mouse: I Like Cheese! by Salina Yoon.
Grades K- 2. A graphic novel tells the story of two friends, a cat and mouse who disagree about what makes the best lunch. The surprise ending will delight young readers. Elephant and Piggie fans will love Kat and Mouse.
A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi by James Yang.
Grades 1-3. The Japanese artist Isamu views the world through an artist’s eyes as he walks in an outdoor market, through the forest, and then by the ocean.
Cat & Cat Adventures 1-3: A Graphic Novel 3-Book Box Set: The Quest for Snacks, The Goblet of Infinity, and Journey Into Unibear City by Susie Yi.
Grades 1-3. Join a pair of cute kittens as they undertake great missions and adventures.
The Faraway Forest: Wally’s Route. by Debbie Fong, illustrated by Debbie Fong and Kayla Catanzaro.
Grades K-2. Wally the raccoon cheerfully delivers more than just mail in four, graphic novel chapters perfect for emerging readers.
The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Dan Santat.
Grades 1-3. Arnold realizes he can make books disappear. Before he knows it, all the books are gone including his. Can Arnold figure out how to bring the books back? An introduction to censorship.
Friendbots: Blink and Block Build a Fort by Vicky Fang.
Grades 1-3. Blink is silly and Block is sensible. Join them on their STEM adventures through these beginning reader graphic novels.
Grandmother School by Rina Singh, illustrated by Ellen Rooney.
Grades 1-3. Based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India, this book tells the story of the grandmothers who were given the chance to go to school for the first time in their lives.
If Lin Can: How Jeremy Lin Inspired Asian Americans to Shoot for the Stars by Richard Ho , illustrated by Huynh Kim Liên and Phùng Nguyên Quang.
Grades 2-5. People made fun of his size and his race and wouldn’t give him a chance. But Jeremy persevered until he became the first Taiwanese American to play in the NBA.
A Home on the Page by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Seo Kim.
Grades 1-4. Hmong American girl Nou finds “Asians Go Home” spray-painted on her mailbox, she wonders where home truly is and asks her family. Nou writes stories in her journal about this and other racist encounters to help her cope with the racism she is experiencing.
Gracie Wei #1: You’re a Winner, Gracie Wei by Kristen Mei Chase, Illustrated by Basia Tran.
Grades 2-5. Gracie Wei wants nothing more than to make it onto her family’s Special Wall where all the children in the family have awards except Gracie. Will she win the spelling bee contest at her school? First book in this emerging reader three part series.
The World Game: Soccer Circles the Globe by John Coy, illustrated by Phùng Nguyên Quang.
Grades 1-5. Follow a soccer game around the world, moving to a new location with each turn of the page.
The Healer and the Phoenix (Legendary Allies, 1) by Linda Trin, illustrated by Quynh Anh Nguyen.
Grades 2-5. Early chapter fantasy series about a powerful group of ten-year-olds, along with their legendary ally animals, working together to save their communities.
Middle Grade 3-5 Grades
Three Pieces of Broken Glass by Emily Barth Isler, illustrated by Vesper Stamper.
Grades 2-5. This story based on the life of the author is about seeing the good in the world, even when it’s broken. A girl and her great-grandmother explore Jewish traditions, Kristallnacht, and Jewish identity.
Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp. by Minoru Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, illustrated by Chris Sasaki.
Grades 2-5. Based on Tonai’s own experience, this picture book recounts a Japanese American boy’s incarceration with his family during WWII. Tonai was living in California when the FBI knocked on their door the day after Pearl Harbor and interrogated his father. His family was sent to an incarceration camp in Colorado.
Worthy: The Brave and Capable Life of Joseph Pierce by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Youa Vang.
Grades 2-5. The true story of a Chinese American civil war soldier sold by his father for six silver coins in China. After he was sold, he was loaded on a ship to Conneticutt where he was raised by a ship captain. Wang traces the prejudice Worthy experienced throughout his life.
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación.
Grades 3-5. Barbed Wire Between Us is a reverso poem. It begins with a Japanese American girl sent to an internment camp in Oklahoma during World War II. Read in reverse, it reveals the journey of a Latina girl detained in the very same camp decades later.
Chickenpox. by Remy Lai.
Grades 3-6. Abby endures a chickenpox outbreak with her four usually annoying siblings while also learning how to navigate her tween friendships in this semi-autobiographical graphic novel set in Indonesia.
Mixed Feelings: A Graphic Novel (Volume 1) by Sara Amini.
Grades 4-7. Sara experiences middle school drama and searches for belonging, because she is unsure where she fits in her mixed family of a Columbian mom and Iranian dad.
The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea
Grades 4-7. A Hawaiian boy who can transform into a shark worries about whether he will harm other people, so he decides to leave. If he can win a surfing contest, it will help provide for his family after he is gone, but the other surfers start disappearing.
The Beasts Beneath the Winds edited by Hanna Alkaf, illustrated by Jes and Cin Wibowo.
Grades 3-7. Alkaf brings together Asian authors, including Erin Entrada Kelly and Van Hoang to explain the mythological creatures in Southeast Asian myths and folklore such as a turtle the size of an island, a cricket that can possess you if swallowed, etc.
Spindle of Fate (Weavers of Legacy and Fate,1) by Aimee Lim.
Grades 3-7. When her mother dies, Evie Mei learns that her mother was really head of the guild of magical weavers, and that she is trapped in the underworld. Only Evie can save her.
Chef’s Secret by Kelly Yang.
Grades 3-7. It’s hard being a professional chef, helping run a motel, and being a regular kid. Now that Mia Tang is officially his girlfriend, Jason’s many secrets might create problems.
The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun by Wendy Wan-Long Shang.
Grades 3-7. It is the first day of summer and Esme realizes that she has become a really fast swimmer. How can Esme balance winning races and her friendships?
Just One Gift by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng.
Grades 3-7 A series of linked poems follows the classroom discussion started by this prompt: if you could give someone special in your life a present, just one gift, who would you choose, and what would it be?
Who Smashed Hollywood Barriers with Gung Fu? Bruce Lee by Teresa Robeson, illustrated by Ryan Inzana
Grades 4-7. Follow Bruce Lee as he popularizes gung fu in The Green Hornet TV show and other hollywood productions. He was the first Asian American man in a major supporting television role.
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli. By Karina Yan Glaser.
Gr. 4–7. In Tang-dynasty China, Han Yu, rumored to be a tiger summoner, risks his life to save his family. In a parallel story set in New York’s Chinatown in 1931, Luli struggles to keep her family’s restaurant open.
Earth Heroes: Twenty-Two Stories of People Saving Our World by Lily Dyu, illustrated by Jackie Lay.
(Grades 3-7). Earth Heroes celebrates the work of advocates for our planet’s health including Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough, Yin Yuzhen, Isatou Ceesay, etc.
The Books of Clash Volume 1: Legendary Legends of Legendarious Achievery by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Les McClaine and Alison Acton.
Grades 4-7. This graphic novel based on Clash of Clans and Clash Royale recounts the exploits of one young Hog Rider and his journey from no-good warrior on the battlefield to a true heroe in the Royal Arena.
Any Day with You By Mae Respicio.
Grades 4-7. When Kaia’s great-grandfather Tatang tells her he is moving home to the Philippines, Kaia tries to convince him to stay. She decides to enter the local filmmaking contest with a film inspired by the traditional Filipino folktales that Tatang shares with her.
Theft of the Ruby Lotus by Sayantani DasGupta.
Grades 3-7. Ria Bailey is in mourning, when she finds a package with a giant red ruby, addressed to her mother. Ruby and her friends attempt to return the stone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Suddenly she is running from the authorities and the thieves. Museum repatriation is central to this exciting heist mystery.
Middle School 5-8 Grades
All About Us: 20 True Tales of Courage and Disability by Hannalora Leavitt, illustraded. by Stef Wong
Grades 4-7. An introduction to 20 inspiring people living with disability, including a Paralympian, a journalist, a kid entrepreneur, a NASA scientist, and a TikTok star.
Wallflower: A Graphic Novel by Iasmin Omar Ata
Grades 4-7. For as long as Marlena can remember, she has seen flowers growing on everyone she meets: poppies and daisies and roses of every color give away what their owners truly feel. No one believes that she can read people’s feelings.
Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan.
Grades 4-8. Eugenia, who is turning thirteen, plans a secret birthday party, because her mother won’t let her celebrate her unlucky number birthday, in this hilarious graphic novel. As the birthday approaches Eugenia fears she may really be cursed.
Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Hyun Song We
Grades 5-7. Relic is an ordinary 12 year old that works in his Grandpa’s antique shop in China Town London. He accidentally discovers a mysterious brass lamp in the shop, and he must find a way to stop an evil genie who feeds on hope.
The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Maithili Joshi.
Grades 5-7. Sona, a Nepali girl, is friends with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager, who wants Tara’s gold jewelry. Suddenly the jewelry is stolen and Sona’s brother, Samiran Daju is accused of the theft. Can Tara and Sona save Samiran?
A Year Without Home by V.T. Bidania.
Grades 5-6. Narrated in verse by Gao Sheng, this historical novel traces the year during which she and her extended family of 20 lived as refugees following the end of the Vietnam War.
The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua, and Alechia Dow.
Grades 5-8. Laila’s invited to compete at the Golden Cookie competition. The award is admission and a full ride to the Sunderland boarding school. When a judge collapses after tasting Laila’s cookie, she has to figure out who messed with her recipe.
Hafsa’s Way by Aisha Saeed.
Grades 5-8. Hafsa is a determined girl who wants to be a doctor but faces challenges from her family and the other campers when she’s accepted to a prestigious summer science camp. She might have enrolled in the wrong program. Can she fix the situation? Does she want to?
Safe Harbor. By Padma Venkatraman.
Grades 5-8. This novel in verse features new friends, Geetha that just moved to the U.S. from India and Miguel, a boy in her new school. They work together as they navigate missing an old home, mental health challenges, and climate responsibility.
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin.
Grades 5 up. During World War II, many of the sharpest minds in Britain came together at Bletchley Park to break Nazi codes. A brother and a sister living at the top-secret facility want to help win the war, but their mother suddenly disappears.
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Grades 5-7. Andy Zhou is used to being what people want: A good kid for his parents and the sidekick for Cindy’s plans including joining the movement club, which creates problems with his science partner Jameel. Would drawing comics solve his problems?
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
Grades 4-8. When Junie Kim experiences middle school racism, she finds her voice through listening to stories of her grandparent’s past. Inspired by her mother’s experiences during the Korean War.
Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism by Kristina Wong,
Theodore Chao, Anna Michelle Wang, et al.
Grades 5-9. Auntie Kristina’s Guide discusses healthy body image,how to fight for social justice, and be proud of the history that’s made Asian Americans who they are.
Made in Asian America: A History for Young People by Erika Lee, Christina Soontornvat.
Grades 5-10. Asian American history begins centuries before the U.S. even existed as a nation. It is connected to the histories of western conquest and colonialism.
My Tokyo Summer by Abby Denson, illustrated by Utomaru
Grades 7-12. In this graphic memoir, transcontinental pen pals and comic book fans Abby and Yuko bond through their correspondence. Abby travels from New York to join a summer program in Japan with Yuko. During their summer adventures they write a comic together to sell at a large comic convention.
Hmong: A Graphic History by Vicky Lyfoung.
Grades 7-12. Lyfong blends rich documentation and personal stories to tell the truth about life in a Hmong family, as they try to preserve their traditions in their homeland torn by war and strife.
Young Adult 8-12 Grades
Prodigal Tiger by Samantha Chong.
Grades 7-12. After Caroline’s brother Aaron is kidnapped by ghosts, she returns home to Malaysia, determined to save him before the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the evil ghosts might take over as rulers of the island.
The Last Tiger by Julia Riew and Brad Riew.
Grades 8-12. Inspired by true stories from Riew and Julia’s grandparents’ lives during the Japanese occupation of Korea, they created a fantasy The Last Tiger set in the Tiger Kingdom, which is conquered by the Dragon Kingdom to share their grandparent’s story.
Where There’s Room for Us by Hayley Kiyoko
Grades 8-12. In a reimagined Victorian era where same-sex marriage is accepted but requires loss of inheritance rights, Ivy joins a local organization seeking to change the inheritance laws.
An Expanse of Blue by Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams.
Grades 8 – 12. This novel in verse is about a Native Hawaiian girl who fights back against the confines of her strict family and wrestles with the meaning of home after learning an unspeakable truth about her father.
Behind Five Willows by June Hur
Grades 8-12. In this tribute to Jane Austen, set in historic Korea, a reader and a writer battling government book banning are irresistibly drawn together.
Angelica and the Bear Prince byTrung Le Nguyen.
Grades 8-12. Seventeen year old Angelica who is dealing with depression and anxiety finds solace from all the stress at school by messaging the social media account of the bear prince.
That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic by Keala Kendall.
Grade 9-12. When a teen’s search for her missing twin leads her to a remote island resort, she uncovers the sinister side of paradise, with horrors both real and supernatural.
Young World by Soman Chainani.
Grades 9-12. A thriller about a teen elected president of the United States that begins a global revolution of young leaders being elected to office until one of them is murdered. The U.S. president is the prime suspect.
This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Nicole Goux.
Grades 9-12. A sharp look at how corrupt organizations maintain power at the expense of vulnerable teen girls. In this graphic novel, substance use and sexual misconduct come to light when a boarding school student investigates a murder.
In the Country I Love by Alaa Al-Barkawi.
Grades 9-12. Two Iraqi American best friends, a struggling teen father and a boy who seems perfect in school and at home, confront dark truths about their families in the wake of a devastating crime.
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Gr. 9–12. Tran contrasts the disturbing with the beauty of human connection in a coastal eco-horror, in which Vietnamese American Noon must track down a monster stealing locals in the night.
The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang.
Grades 9-12. The night Fei was born with the mark of the phoenix, a prophecy foretold that she was the Empress of All Empresses. She is taken to the palace to marry the crown prince so she can fulfill her destiny. Not convinced this is her destiny, she escapes the palace and her adventure begins.
Morbid Curiosities by S. Hati.
Grades 10-12. In this thriller, an ambitious teen enrolls at a science institute that’s on the cusp of revealing a project that could transform the worlds of biology and medicine, she must determine which classmates she can trust, and which would rather see her dead.
Right as Rain by Tashie Bhuiyan.
Grades 9-12. “I was struck by lightning and now there’s rain following me around,”declared recent high-school graduate Megh Rashid. Megh’s struggles with depression, fear of leaving her home and loved ones, and uncertainty about her future cause the cloud to act up.
Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide by Nadine Takvorian.
Grades 7-12. A graphic novel memoir recounting one girl’s quest to uncover her family’s history during the Armenian genocide in Turkey. Her family would not talk about the atrocities they experienced, so she searches for the truth.
Defying China: A Memoir by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh.
Grades 9-Adult. At Sixteen,Tsultrim joined protests for Tibetan independence from China. Shortly after the protests, she was arrested and sent to Gutsa Detention Center, notorious for its brutal torture of political prisoners. This memoir describes Tsultrim’s time at Gutsa, and being heavily surveilled by the government after her release, through her escape to the U.S.
