100 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children’s Books

Popo & Meimei Can Help written and illustrated by Cathy Wu
In this sweet story, Popo (grandma) helps her grandchild Mei Mei and Mei Mei helps Popo, but Popo only speaks Chinese, and Meimei speaks only English. Mostly. It’s a day-in-the-life story, Popo and Mei Mei communicate as best they can. They work in the garden, make soup, get Popo’s prescription (MeiMei helps with the English phone call), and express their love for each other.

The House Before Falling Into the Sea written by Ann Suk Wang, illustrated by Hanna Cha
In this story about the historical time of the Korean War illustrated in beautiful watercolors, a little girl feels squished and annoyed when many relatives and neighbors stay at their seaside house. She doesn’t understand why it’s so crowded with so many people in her house until her parents explain the importance of sharing their home to show loving-kindness to people who don’t have homes anymore.

Once Upon a Book written by Kate Messner, illustrated by Grace Lin
This engaging meta adventure follows a girl bored at home in the cold and gray winter as she reads and ventures into the pages of a book where she finds wondrous spaces of jungle flowers and colorful birds, camels on hot sands under blazing suns, gentle waters of a coral reef, billowing clouds, and even space. After visiting each place, she wishes for something different, and the characters in the book invite her to turn to another page to visit them. As she turns the page, so do we. I absolutely adore Grace Lin’s illustrations — her character is so charming and I love the rabbit on every page. A FAVORITE PICTURE BOOK OF 2023!

Remembering Mom’s Kubbat Halab written by Medeia Sharif, illustrated by Paran Kim
A little girl named Bushra misses her mom, who has died. One of the things she misses most is her mom’s special recipe for kubbat halab, a potato-rice patty. Bushra searches for the same recipe, even making it herself, but it’s not ever the same. Her journey leads the family into cooking together and remembering Mom as they cook. Sharif’s story is a heart-tugging, honest story of grief, healing, and living with loss. I love how she frames Bushra’s grief around a special memory, the Iraqi food of kubbat halab, and includes a vegan version of the recipe in the back matter

Cooler Than Lemonade written by Harshita Jerath, illustrated by Chlose Burget
This story reminds me of why I love being an entrepreneur — because it pushes you creatively and is so much fun to think of better ways to serve your customers! Eva opens a lemonade stand. But so does Jake across the street and he is giving buyers free cookies. What can Eva do to get back her customers? Back and forth they go, improving their businesses with creativity and excitement. In the end, Eva’s brother reminds her that she loves kulfi and sells homemade kulfi ice cream. Recipe in the back.

Last Flight  written by Kristen Mai Gian, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
Life in Saigon became different with the war. The girl’s family wants to leave, but they don’t have papers. So her dad’s boss at Pan Am Airlines adopted 300 individuals, giving them papers. They escape the war on the last flight out before Saigon surrendered to the North Vietnamese Army. Based on the author’s life, this is the true story of a flight that carried over 400 people to the United States.

Spicy Spicy Hot! written and illustrated by Lenny We
If you love charming and heartwarming stories about culture and family, you’ll love SPICY SPICY HOT. When Lintang’s nenek visits for the first time, nenek cooks sambal. And it’s spicy, spicy, hot to Lintag’s mouth! (The illustrations hilariously capture the agony.) Lintang wants to enjoy her nenek’s cooking, so she keeps trying different recipes– but they’re mouth on fire, lips burning too hot. Soon, she’s ready to give up, but her nenek figures out the perfect recipe that balances sweet and spicy.

Sari-Sari Summers written by Lynnor Bontigao
Nora spends summers with Lola in the Philippines. This is the first year Nora is big enough to work at the sari-sari store. She cleans, measures, and sorts. But, the customers aren’t coming to the store. What can Nora do to help Lola? She suggests they make ice candy with the ripe mangoes from their tree. And the customers love them! A sweet story of culture, family, and food.

Tomatoes for Neela written by Padma Lakshmi, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Experience the smells, colors, and flavors of tomatoes in this flavorful story about a girl named Neela and her mama cooking together. As they do, Amma shares the history of tomatoes and stories of Paati. Their time cooking is joyous and loving. culminating in a warm, savory sauce that they can enjoy all winter.

Grandpa Across the Ocean written and illustrated by Hyewon Yum
A little boy initially only notices their differences when he visits his grandpa in Korea. He notices their different language and the different smells and foods. But when he makes a mistake, his grandpa kindly gives the boy a peach. That shifts the boy’s attention. Now the boy finds all the things that they have in common — laughter, singing, their appearance, chocolate. When it’s time to leave, the boy can’t wait to visit again.

The Proudest Blue A Story of Hijab and Family written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly
This picture book narrates a loving, tender bond between two sisters. It’s a relatable, sweet story that shows the importance of the hijab in the Muslim faith and feeling pride in who you are. The little sister, Faizah, looks up to her big sister, Asiya, and when her big sister wears a beautiful, blue hijab for the first time, other students make fun of her. But Asiya remains strong and unaffected.

Watercress written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin
The girl’s family stops on the side of the road to gather watercress. She’s embarrassed and mad because she hates being poor. Later that night, while eating the watercress, her mom shares about her childhood in China and how her younger brother died from starvation. The girl feels bad for being embarrassed about her earlier perceptions. With a new understanding of her history and the value of having enough food, she eats the bitter, delicate watercress.

Double Happiness written by Nancy Tupper Ling, illustrated by Alina Chau
Written in poems, this is a beautiful but bittersweet story about siblings Gracie and Jake moving away from the home that they once knew, saying goodbye to family and favorite things, and traveling to a new, colder home. Throughout, Gracie shares her feelings and her observations, as well as her wonderful imagination. The text is simple but meaningful. Wonderful!

A Life of Service: The Story of Tammy Duckworth written by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
Hugely inspiring, this is the true story of a woman who worked hard to achieve her goals, including learning to live after her amputations and running in an election. Tammy Duckworth grew up in a poor household, joined the army, and was severely injured. After her amputations, she learned how to walk again and continued her dream to serve others, this time in community leadership. She eventually became the first Thai American woman and the first woman with a disability to serve in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

A Sari for Ammi written by Mamta Nainy, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat
An Indian girl shares about her beloved hard-working parents — her Abba dying threads and her Ammi weaving the threads at the loom into saris. The girl wishes her Ammi could own one of the beautiful saris that she makes instead of selling them. So, she and her sister work hard to make enough money to buy a sari for her Ammi. Use this as a mentor text for personal narrative, voice, and kindness.

Ava Lin written and illustrated by Vicky Fang
Ava has a zest for life and discovery that makes her relatable and charming. Ava is in first grade and wants to make a best friend. She must navigate communication issues with new people, which isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. Also, Ava loves collecting treasures, but she needs pockets. Without a pocket, she stores her special pebble in her ear—which doesn’t go well! (As you can imagine!)

Jasmine Toguchi Mochi Queen written by Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Eliazbet Vukovic
Jasmine is jealous that the older kids in her family have important jobs on the mochi-making day — she wants to do what the older boys and men are doing, pound the mochi rice. Her understanding father figures out a way for Jasmine to join in. And even though it didn’t work out how she wanted, her family is proud of her and decides it’s okay to break some rules like who gets to pound the rice. You’ll love how Jasmine’s Japanese-American culture and warm family community shine throughout.

Meet Yasmin! written by Saadia Faruqui, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Yasmin is an exuberant girl interested in everything from exploring to building to fashion. Each book in this series shares short stories from Yasmin’s life, all in chapters with lively, full-color illustrations. Each story shows Yasmin as a creative problem solver even when things get hard. Her Pakistani American culture is embedded throughout the story such as the foods Yasmin’s family eats like naan or how she calls her father Baba.

Planet Omar written by Zanib Mian
Playful writing, whimsical illustrations, and rich Pakistani-American culture…One of the best things about Omar is his HUGE imagination! He uses his imagination to deal with moving, starting a new school, bullying, and racism.

The Bridge Home  written by Padma Venkatraman
Set in India, Viji and her sister run away to the big city. They live with two brothers under a bridge, scrabbling to survive by collecting trash. Unfortunately, Viji’s sister Rukku gets a terrible cough and fever. What happens next will almost destroy Viji. She wonders how prayers and faith can coexist with misery and pain. Ultimately, it is the kindness of her new family that helps her see more in the future than misery. It’s an honest, eye-opening story that reveals the plight of many homeless children in India and yet, finds a way to be hopeful, too.

Parachute Kids written and illustrated by Betty C. Tang
Feng-Li’s parents take her and her two siblings from Taiwan to the United States for a vacation…but not really. Her parents get the three kids settled and then return home on their visitor visas. The kids live in the U.S. where they go to school and live independently with the teenage sister in charge. But it’s difficult learning a new language, living without adults, changing your name, siblings bickering, budgeting money, and missing their parents.

Front Desk written by Kelly Yang
After moving from China to the U.S., Mia and her parents have struggled but find a live-in job at a motel where they end up working around the clock for very little pay. Mia helps out by working at the front desk. She befriends the weekly tenants and uses her English skills to write letters advocating people in tough spots. Not only is this a memorable coming-of-age immigrant story but it also shows the determination and hard work of immigrants like Mia’s family.

Finally Seen written by Kelly Yang
This middle-grade masterpiece explores the complexities of human beings, the importance of books as mirrors and doors, the challenges of immigration, the realities of racism, and how to confront book banning. Lina’s lived with her Lao Lao for the last five years, but she moves to join her dad, mom, and little sister in LA, leaving her beloved Lao Lao. Lina is surprised that her family is struggling financially. She feels embarrassed when she speaks English (so she stops speaking,) and she feels hurt when a classmate writes mean things about her on the bathroom wall. A kind ESL teacher and librarian share graphic novels and encourage Lina to write her own graphic novel to send to Lao Lao.

Thirst written by Varsha Bajaj
Set in Mumbi, this is a deftly narrated, hope-filled story of the inequities around water with themes of advocacy, education, and community. 12-year-old Minni’s community gets water only a few hours per day. When she sees men stealing water one night, she about water mafia bosses stealing the community’s water for profit. When her mom gets sick from the bad water, Minni must leave school and work as a maid for a family with indoor plumbing and no water shortages. But when she accidentally discovers that the family’s dad is the water mafia boss, she must decide if she’ll report him. She does, which gives us hope that one person can make a difference.

Pippa Park Raises Her Game written by Erin Yun
Exceptional! Korean American Pippa is a great basketball player, but her guardian older sister won’t let her play unless her grades improve. When math tutoring leads to a scholarship at a prestigious private school, Pippa uses the new school to reinvent herself, hiding her background from the popular kids. While she’s figuring out who she is, she is mean to her best friend and other kids at her new school. But, someone is watching and documenting it all, sending her threatening emails, then publishing the truth for the entire school to see. In a satisfying ending with valuable life lessons, Pippa decides to not be ashamed of her working-class family, her culture, or her friends.

Prairie Lotus written by Linda Sue Park
Park writes a wonderfully touching multilayered story about a young half-Asian girl’s life during western expansion, frontier times. After Hana’s mother dies, her father moves the two of them to a small midwestern town. Park sets the scene with care, and you’ll see a realistic portrayal of life in the 1880s from the point of view from someone who is experiencing racism. Despite many unfair things, Hana stays resilient and determined to graduate from school and help her father in his shop.

Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation written by Sylvia Liu
In a world where corporations control everything, at age 13, kids get “meshed” into the multiweb. Hana meets a mysterious hacker who makes her see that getting meshed might not be good. When Hana’s school friends get sicker and sicker, Hana discovers that someone is using kids as human experiments. Even worse, her mom is involved in it. With the help of a wise old man, two friends, and her sister, they work together to help the sick students and stop the corporation’s nefarious plans.

Brother’s Keeper written by Julie Lee
Based on her grandmother’s escape from North Korea, this historical fiction story captures the fearful culture of North Korea, the marginalization of females, and the bond between siblings. As war erupts between North and South Korea, Sora and her family decide to flee from North Korea while they still have a chance. But she and her little brother are separated from their family. As they continue south, they experience death, kidnapping, starvation, killings, and winter’s brutal cold. Amazingly, the two make it to the South where they’re reunited with their family, but it’s a bittersweet ending.

Kira-Kira written by Cynthia Kadohata
This historical fiction book is so sad and beautiful! Katie’s sister, Lynn, helps her make sense of the prejudice and challenges their Japanese-American family faces in Georgia in the 1950s. When Lynn gets ill, Katie tries to emulate her sister’s positive outlook.

Saving H’Non Chang and the Elephant written by Trang Nguyen, art by Jeet Zdung
Written like a graphic novel combined with a scrapbook, this true story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming with a beautiful emotional arc. In first-person narration, Chang describes working at a wildlife rescue center in Vietnam and meeting an abused older elephant named H’Non. She and her boss save him from maltreatment and search for a kind trainer to work with H’Non. As you cheer Chang along, you’ll learn about Vietnam, elephants, and animal rescue work. The illustrations are detailed, gorgeous, and memorable. You won’t want to miss this exceptional middle grade graphic novel with four starred reviews. It belongs in every school library!

Soul Lanterns written by Shaw Kuzki
An important, multi-layered story of a Japanese girl’s understanding of Hiroshima, grief, family, and the healing power of sharing stories. When Nozomi’s art teacher, Mr. Yoshioka, leaves the school due to sickness, she and her friends plan a festival in his honor called “Hiroshima: Then and Now.” They interview people close to them about their experiences during the bombing. As the kids learn about their family and neighbors’ lives and deaths, their stories impact the way they view life.

Ahimsa written by Supriya Kelkar
Not only did I learn a lot about Indian history during the time of Gandhi, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this incredible, passion-filled book. Anjali’s parents join the Indian freedom movement against the British government. Through her parents, Anjali begins to see her world differently including the poverty-stricken caste of many people call “the Untouchables.” Other Indian families do not like the changes her family is making. Then, Anjali’s mom is thrown in jail! I couldn’t put this book down.

Dream, Annie, Dream written by Waka T. Brown
Annie is a Japanese American girl who loves theater and basketball. Due to racism and influential parents, she’s not cast in the role she deserves in the summer production and now the school play. Surprised by what’s happening, Annie begins to see the prejudice all around her that she’s never noticed. She almost gives up her dreams until a chance arrives to write a play of her own.

You Are Here, edited by Ellen Oh, written by Linda Sue Park, Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, Mike Chen, Meredith Ireland, Mike Jung, Minh Lê, Ellen Oh, Randy Ribay, Christina Soontornvat, and Susan Tan
It’s a day at the Chicago airport. Twelve Asian American kids at the airport are either traveling or, in one case, accompanying his mom to work. They all experience racism and feel scared and uncomfortable. In each case, the kids find their inner strength, either with help or by themselves. The stories are exceptionally written and put us in the children’s shoes so we can see how harmful and hurtful racism is. While these are short stories, this is most meaningful when you read all of the interconnected stories as a cohesive story.

Pashmina written and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani
Pashmina is a magical realism graphic novel about an Indian-American girl finding her place in the world. She travels to India to meet her extended family and finds answers about the magical shawl her mother owns. This is a lovely coming-of-age middle grade graphic novel conveyed in incredible, irresistible art.

Omar Rising written by Aisha Saeed 
Incredible writing about one boy’s fight to stay in a prestigious private school, this is a superb book of determination, resiliency, and community set in Pakistan. Omar gets a scholarship to attend a prestigious Pakistani boarding school, a step toward fulfilling his dream of becoming an astronomer and buying his mom a house. But, his hopes are dashed when he’s told that scholarship students must work, must get A+ grades, and can’t do sports or clubs. Despite his efforts, his grades aren’t enough, and he gets kicked out. But that’s not the end of the story. He shares his story with his classmates, and he gets support from them and the headmaster — which helps him get readmitted.

When You Trap a Tiger written by Tae Keller
Lily, her sister, and their mother move in with her Halmoni (Korean for grandmother), but it’s not the same as before. Now her grandmother is sick at night and reveals to Lily that she stole stories from the tigers and they’re hunting her to get them back. Lily tries to make a deal with the tiger to save Halmon; she doesn’t want her grandmother to die. This book celebrates Korean culture and storytelling and is about coming to terms with death and illness and knowing yourself so you can write your own stories.

Amal Unbound written by Aisha Saeed
Amal’s life is turned upside down when she offends a regional Pakistani overlord and is forced to leave her home and school to work in his home as a servant — indefinitely. She finds her inner strength and fights back, freeing herself and the other household slaves. The author deftly sets the scene of rural Pakistan. Readers will feel transported, feel the injustice personally, and cheer for Amal’s bravery.

A First Time for Everything  written and illustrated by by Dan Santat (ages 10+)
In this memoir, Dan describes a transformative trip during the summer before high school that helped him grow from awkward and insecure to confident and outgoing. The trip gave the students lots of freedom. He tries beer and cigarettes. He meets a cute girl and finds the courage to get to know her, even sharing a kiss. He falls in love with the cultures and languages, too. Readers will probably want their own European experiences, too. Although, I hope that the kids would be better supervised than Dan was!

New From Here written by Kelly Yang
When the coronavirus hits Asia, Knox’s mother brings him and his two siblings to California and safety, leaving his dad behind for his work in Hong Kong. In California, Knox struggles with ADHD and adjusting to a new school. He befriends another kid whose restaurant-owning parents are facing racism and declining customers. Money is tight after his mom loses her job, too. Good writing with a lot of dialogue that shows the sibling, parent, and other relationships, read this if you want a slice-of-life story about a close-knit family’s experience during the quarantine with Asian-directed racism.

Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier written by Ying Chang Compestine and Vinson Compestine
If your kids aren’t interested in Chinese history, they will be after reading this novel. Ming lives in rural communist China with his father, who finds artifacts for the museum. A discovered terra-cotta soldier comes to life and befriends Ming. They must work together to protect the soldiers and Emperor Qin’s tomb. The authors weave in historical photos and information throughout the story.

More to the Story written by Hena Khan
Jameela is one of four girls in a Pakistani-American family and she’s passionate about journalism but in her enthusiasm, she hurts a new friend when she writes something he isn’t comfortable sharing with the world. While she digests these hard-earned lessons, she learns that her beloved little sister has lymphoma. Khan skillfully weaves a story of family, culture, community, and social justice.

When My Name Was Keoko written by Linda Sue Park
In a time when Korea is occupied by Japan, the Korean language, their folktales, and all Korean culture are forbidden. Then World War II arrives and the Japanese expect that the Koreans will fight for Japan. Sun-hee is shocked that her brother, Tae-yul, enlists to misdirect the soldiers’ interest in his uncle. The plot is filled with themes of injustice, resistance, courage, and family during a difficult historical time period of occupation.

Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies written by Stacey Lee
Winston is tricked by shop owner, Mr. Pang, into accepting an enchanted broom and dustpan. But when things start to go missing at Winston’s house, including his little sister who is replaced by a soulless changling, Winston and his friends must frantically search San Francisco for Mr. Pang’s shop and his sister’s soul. But Mr. Pang is a master of evasion–he has magical chi and can become a magpie and fly away. Talk about an exciting and unique adventure!

A Single Shard written by Linda Sue Park
A Newbery medal winner! The setting is 12-century Korea. Orphaned and homeless, 13-year-old Tree-ear years to become a potter like Min. But when Min takes Tree-ear as his helper, Tree-ear is discouraged at his master’s temper and the back-breaking work. He decides he’ll prove his worthiness by getting a royal commission. He’ll make a journey filled with challenges and arrive at his destination with only a single shard to showcase Min’s pottery.

Pahua and the Soul Stealer written by Lori Lee
Pahua has always seen spirits, including her best friend who is a cat spirit she names Miv. When she accidentally releases an angry bridge spirit who steals her little brother Matt’s soul, she knows she must fix what she did or Matt will die. She travels to spirit realms to find Matt and the angry spirit along with Miv and an irritable shaman-in-training girl who helps guide them and saves her more than once. Journeying to save her brother involves a lot of almost-dying, cool Hmong mythology world-building, and the chance to grow into herself. I loved Pahua’s character–her devotion to her brother, her kindness and compassion, and her bravery. Excellent.

Last Mapmaker written by Christina Soontornvat
In a Thai-inspired world where caste determines your future, Sai’s new job as a mapmaker’s assistant is far beyond her station, which is why she can’t wait to join the Mapmaker on a sailing quest to find a new continent and maybe, find herself a new home. During the trip, the Mapmaker reveals his past hubris of mapping and claiming already-inhabited lands, which their war-hungry country would then use and destroy. Add in a stowaway, a mutiny, a shipwreck, and a gigantic creature,  this is a compelling middle grade book about colonialism, discovery, and humanity.

Last Gamer Standing written by Katie Zhao
Reyna Cheng has her reasons for playing in the video games tournament as a male character called TheRuiNar, the biggest reason being that males are more accepted and not harassed like female players. But just as she’s on track to win the tournament’s big prize to help pay her mom’s hospital bills, someone discovers the truth. She’ll have to decide if she should give in to the blackmailer’s demands or reveal the truth of her identity.

Green Lantern Legacy written by Minh Le, illustrated by Angie Tong
Excellent! Before Tai’s Vietnamese grandmother dies, she gives him her Jade ring. He wears it and discovers that he’s a Green Lantern superhero who must protect the earth from evil like Sinesteo. Not long after, he discovers that the rich guy trying to take over the neighborhood for redevelopment turns out to be a Yellow Lantern working for Sinesteo. The pacing and storyline are excellent. I love the message that difficulty can also be overcome with mental strength, creativity, and drawing. Lots of action, intrigue, and humor! Great for fans of DC,  superheroes, and art.

A Duet for Home written by Karina Yan Glaser
From the author of the Vanderbeeker series, Karina Yan Glaser creates a powerful, hopeful story with complex, three-dimensional characters about grief, family, community, and homelessness. When their family becomes homeless after her dad dies, June helps her little sister and non-functional mom get settled at Huey House. Despite the shock of their new situation, June finds kindness from many of the people at the shelter, including a music-loving boy named Jeremiah and Abuela who helps June find viola lessons.  Through many ups and downs like helping Jeremiah get music lessons and grieving for her dad, June discovers that home isn’t a place and family isn’t always blood.

Lei and the Fire Goddess written by Malia Maunakea
When Anna Leilani visits her grandmother in Hawaiʻi, she mocks the traditions and stories her grandmother believes in which angers the goddess Pele who kidnaps Anna’s friend as retaliation. It’s up to Anna to search the mountain for her friend, but it’s not easy. She faces other mythical creatures and danger at every turn. The only way she’ll succeed is to embrace her cultural roots.

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
This is a powerful, well-told personal narrative story from the wise, self-reflective perspective of Malala Yousafzai. Malala draws readers in with her accounts of daily life in Pakistan — the sounds, smells, sights, and habits. After she is shot for her blog writing in support of educating females, she’s taken to England for recovery and safety. The confusion and contrast between the countries and cultures really stand out during this time. But what is even more striking is Malala’s hope, positivity, and belief in what she stands for.

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, & Steven Scott, illustrated by Harmony Becker
Both history and memoir of WWII when the US government declared war on Japan and subsequently forced anyone of Japanese descent, including children, into detention camps…George’s family leaves behind a two-bedroom house in Los Angeles, taking only what they can carry. They are transported first to a cramped, smelly horse stable and then to a bare-bones, overcrowded barracks surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards. When World War II ended, leaving the camps isn’t A happy ending for any of the detained families. As you can imagine, they have nothing– no jobs nor bank accounts and are returning to a world of prejudice. A must-read book for AAPI Heritage Month!

Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Lieu
This is an origin story of the Green Turtle, a 1940’s masked Asian-American superhero. I loved everything about this man who is a reluctant vigilante! His overbearing mother pushes him to become a hero and is disappointed in him, thinks him a failure. There’s a cool element of Chinese mythology (the turtle spirit) that comes into play, affecting Hank, who steps up to fight the Chinatown gangs, a hero at last.

The Boy Who Became a Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story by Jim Di Bartolo
You don’t have to love martial arts to enjoy this engaging biography about the martial artist and movie star legend Bruce Lee. From his birth in San Francisco to life in Hong Kong during and after the Japanese occupation, then his move back to the U.S., you’ll meet a troubled kid who manages to work as an actor like his father. Because of the racism against him for having mixed-race heritage as well as having a dad who worked for the hated Japanese, Bruce leaves his home in Hong Kong for the U.S. There he’s a more settled man who opens up several martial artist studios, falls in love, and becomes a movie star. Lee’s life is fascinating and the author does a great job with all the historical references.

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang
Recognized for excellence in writing, this true story of 12-year-old Ji-li’s life in the 1960s shows readers the personal destruction that China’s leader, Mao Ze-dong, inflicted on families with his Cultural Revolution. Ji-li believed in China’s Communist party, until her family was persecuted and her father imprisoned. She struggles to make sense of her new reality. Soon, she’ll be forced to choose between her family and her country.

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Robin’s mom moves them from Korea to the United States, where they live with her mom’s boyfriend’s family in Alabama. It’s a tough transition. Robin doesn’t speak English. Her new step-family is unfriendly. She has no way to contact her friends back home. But she finds solace and a friend in a comic-drawing art class. Her mom leaves her husband which brings them close again and Robin eventually finds her place and her confidence. This graphic novel is a realistic, heartwarming memoir that shows the challenges of immigration.