These books from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing are perfect for celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Check out the following suggestions based on your child(ren)’s ages. Each month, try to expand your children’s horizons (and perhaps your own) with different authors, cultures, gender, religions- in short, points of view that might be different from your own. There is a lot to learn, and many different points of view to learn it from. S&S gives really great suggestions monthly based on your favorite topics or what age child you have- check out the website and see what is going on from month to month. You can subscribe to the newsletter as well to stay in the loop.
Books for young readers to celebrate AAPI Month
By Kat Zhang; Illustrated by Charlene Chua
5/3/22 | ISBN 9781534497351 | Ages 4-8
Amy Wu does her best to make her new classmate feel welcome in this warmhearted and playfully illustrated follow-up picture book to Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon.
By Terry Fan and Eric Fan
5/3/22 | ISBN 9781534483170 | Ages 4-8
From the critically acclaimed, award-winning creators of Ocean Meets Sky and The Night Gardener comes a whimsical and sweet tale of a young girl who cares for her pet cloud as it grows.
MINDY KIM AND THE FAIRY-TALE WEDDING
By Lyla Lee; Illustrated by Dung Ho
4/5/22 | ISBN 9781534489004 | Ages 6-9
Fresh off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this adorable chapter book series following Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl—in this seventh novel, Mindy’s dad and Julie get married.
By Radhiah Chowdhury; Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu
3/1/22 | ISBN 9781665903905 | Ages 4-8
Reminiscent of Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s Mommy’s Khimar, this beautifully woven tale about the bonds of love, culture, and memory follows a young girl learning about her family history through her grandmother’s katha chest.
By Maggie P. Chang
1/18/22| ISBN 9781534484719 | Ages 6-8
Spunky, funny, and friendly Geraldine Pu gets ready for picture day in this second book in this Level 3 Ready-to-Read Graphics series!
Adventures for Middle Grade readers
ZACHARY YING AND THE DRAGON EMPEROR
By Xiran Jay Zhao
5/10/22 | ISBN 9781665900706 | Ages 8-12
Percy Jackson meets Tristan Strong in this hilarious, action-packed middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.
LIA PARK AND THE MISSING JEWEL
By Jenna Yoon
5/3/22 | ISBN 9781534487932 | Ages 8-12
Perfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this thrilling middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.
By Kelly Yang
3/1/22| ISBN 9781534488304 | Ages 8-12
From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a poignant middle grade novel about courage, hope, and resilience as an Asian American boy fights to keep his family together and stand up to racism during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus.
By Hena Khan
3/9/21| ISBN 9781534459885 | Ages 8-12
In the companion novel to the beloved and award-winning Amina’s Voice, Amina once again uses her voice to bridge the places, people, and communities she loves—this time across continents.
Gripping Young Adult reads by and about Asian-Americans
MADE IN KOREA Paperback
By Rebecca Kim Wells
5/24/22 | ISBN 9781534474383 | Ages 12 and up
Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank in this feel-good romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.
By Jessica Jung
5/10/22| ISBN 9781534462540 | Ages 14 and up
The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Shine! Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl in this knockout series from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend, fashion icon, and founder of the international luxury brand, Blanc & Eclare.
SHINE Paperback
By Jessica Jung
5/10/22 | ISBN 9781534462526 | Ages 14 and up
Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knockout debut about a Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls’ Generation.
By Hanna Alkaf
4/19/22 | ISBN 9781534494558 | Ages 12 and up
They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.
By Bethany Mangle
2/15/22 | ISBN 9781534499034 | Ages 14 and up
The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant’s son.
PHO LOVE STORY Paperback
By Loan Le
date| ISBN 9781534441941| Ages 12 and up
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.
By Chloe Gong
11/16/21| ISBN 9781534457720 | Ages 14 and up
Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”
By Rebecca Kim Wells
11/16/21 | ISBN 9781534488427 | Ages 14 and up
The Cruel Prince meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this epic reimagining of “The Sleeping Beauty” that follows a teen girl on a quest to wake a sleeping princess in an enchanted forest, while searching for the truth behind her own deadly curse.
RENT A BOYFRIEND Paperback
By Gloria Chao
11/09/21 | ISBN 9781534462465 | Ages 12 and up
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this “entertaining and nuanced” (Kirkus Reviews) romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.
STORM THE EARTH Paperback
By Rebecca Kim Wells
11/02/21| ISBN 9781534454484 | Ages 14 and up
Maren and her girlfriend Kaia set out to rescue Sev and free the dragons from the corrupt emperor in the explosive finale to the journey that began with Shatter the Sky.
