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Giraffe image copyright 2005 by Lois EhlertAsian American Booklist

Friends and Family | Customs, Cultures & Celebrations | Rhythm & Rhyme
Folk Tales | Historical Fiction | Historical Fact
Printable PDF Version


Friends and Family

Have a Good Day Cafe by Frances ParkHave a Good Day Café by Frances Park.
Mike helps his grandmother feel at home in America by enlisting her help in preparing Korean dishes to sell at the family’s food cart business. 

Fortune Cookie Fortunes by Grace LinFortune Cookie Fortunes by Grace Lin.
A young girl seems to think the fortunes found in the fortune cookies her family eats are coming true.

Sumi's First Day of School Ever by Soyung PakSumi’s First Day of School Ever by Soyung Pak.
Sumi, a young Korean girl, thinks school is a mean, lonely, scary place…until she makes a friend.

Yoko's Paper Cranes by Rosemary WellsYoko’s Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells.
Yoko sends origami cranes to her grandmother in Japan for her birthday.

Half and Half by Lensey NamiokaHalf and Half by Lensey Namioka.
Fiona has trouble deciding which half of her mixed-race heritage to side with: her Chinese side, or her Scottish side.

Project Mulberry by Linda Sue ParkProject Mulberry by Linda Sue Park.
A science project involving silkworms forces Julie to confront her issues with her Korean heritage.

 

Shanghai Messenger by Andrea ChengShanghai Messenger by Andrea Cheng.
In this free verse story, eleven-year-old Xiao Mei travels alone to China to meet her extended family.

My Mei Mei by Ed YoungMy Mei Mei by Ed Young.
Antonia becomes a Jieh-Jieh (big sister) when her parents go to China to adopt a baby girl.

My Name is Yoon by Helen RecorvitsMy Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits. 
Yoon, a young Korean girl, decides to pick a more American name, but eventually decides she likes her own.

Honeysuckle House by Andrea ChengHoneysuckle House by Andrea Cheng.
Can an American-born Chinese girl and a newly arrived Chinese immigrant find friendship?

The Gold-Threaded Dress by Carolyn MarsdenThe Gold-Threaded Dress by Carolyn Marsden.
Oy, a Thai-American fourth grader, tries to find friendship and acceptance among her classmates at a predominately Mexican-American school.

 

Customs, Cultures & Celebrations

Apple Pie, Fourth of July by Janet S. WongApple Pie, Fourth of July Janet S. Wong.
A Chinese-American family celebrates the Fourth of July with both American and Chinese food.

Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace LinDim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin.
A family enjoys small dishes of sweet pork buns, shrimp, tofu and many other Chinese specialties, known as Dim Sum.

Chinese New Year by Judith Jango-CohenChinese New Year by Judith Jango-Cohen.
Colorful illustrations and simple text describe how Chinese New Year is celebrated around the world.

This Next New Year by Janet S. WongThis Next New Year by Janet S. Wong.
A Chinese-Korean boy tells how he and his friends celebrate the Chinese lunar New Year. 

 

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore LookUncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look.
Even though she is sad to be sharing her favorite Uncle with his new wife, Jenny participates in the joy and pageantry of his traditional Chinese wedding.

Ten Mice for Tet by Peggy Deitz SheaTen Mice for Tet by Peggy Deitz Shea.
Ten mice celebrate the Vietnamese New Year.

 

Rhythm & Rhyme

My Chinatown by Kam MakMy Chinatown by Kam Mak.
Free-verse poems chronicle a Chinese immigrant boy’s first year in the United States.

One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson MannisOne Leaf Rides the Wind: Counting in a Japanese Garden by Celeste Davidson Mannis.
A lushly illustrated counting book incorporates clever haikus and facts about Japanese culture.

 

Folk Tales

Stone Soup by Jon J. MuthStone Soup by Jon J. Muth.
A retelling of a classic story features three Zen monks who teach a small Chinese village to make hearty soup from stones.

Tales Told in Tents by Pomme ClaytonTales Told in Tents: Stories From Central Asia by Pomme Clayton.
Twelve traditional folktales from the peoples of Central Asia illustrated with primitive full-color paintings. 

Yoshi's Feast by Kimilo KajikawaYoshi’s Feast by Kimilo Kajikawa.
Will Yoshi have to pay his neighbor Sabu just to smell his delicious grilled eel?  A humorous retelling of a traditional Japanese tale.

Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno.
Twenty-three Chinese folktales represent legends, traditions and virtues, stories from history and selections from literature.   

Historical Fiction

When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue ParkWhen My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park.
Korean siblings struggle to keep their culture alive during Japanese occupation in World War II.

Henry and the Kit Dragon by Bruce Edward HallHenry and the Kite Dragon by Bruce Edward Hall.
A group of Italian-American boys and a group of Chinese-American boys learn to share the sky and fly both kites and pigeons, in 1920’s New York City.

The Earth Dragon Awakes by Laurence YepThe Earth Dragon Awakes:  the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep.
Friends Henry and Chin struggle to survive the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

 

Coolies by YinCoolies by Yin.
A grandmother shares the story of her family’s participation in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad with her granddaughter.

Kira Kira by Cynthia KadohataKira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata.
Lynn and Katie are two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia in the 1950s.  How will their family survive when Lynn is diagnosed with a serious illness?

 

Little Cricket by  Jackie BrownLittle Cricket by Jackie Brown.
War forces Kia’s family to flee their village in Laos and immigrate to St. Paul, Minnesota.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue ParkA Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.
The story of Tree-ear, an orphan, who overcomes many hardships as the apprentice to the medieval Korean master potter, Min.

 

Historical Fact

Remembering Manzanar: Life in a Japanese Relocation Camp by Michael Cooper.
Primary source documents convey the story of Japanese Americans sent to internment camps during World War II.

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds by Paula YooSixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: the Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo.
The true story of Sammy Lee, a Korean-American who won Olympic gold in diving, and then went on to become a doctor.

Mai Ya's Long Journey by Sheila CohenMai Ya's Long Journey by Sheila Cohen.
The recounting of a Hmong’s family journey from the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand to a new life in Wisconsin and their efforts to adjust to America while maintaining their own culture.

Korean Americans by Tiffany Peterson.
This is a brief overview of Koreans who have immigrated to the United States and how they keep their traditions and culture alive in their new country.

Vietnamese Americans by Margaret Hall.
This title chronicles events and conditions that led the Vietnamese to immigrant to the United States and how they kept their traditions alive.

 
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