Children's Book Suggestions | Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month with these chapter books for readers in Grades 2-7!

Updated February 15, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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The tryout
Soontornvat, Christina
Paper Book
Could anything be more mortifying than trying out for cheerleader in front of your whole grade? This hilarious, highly relatable story will make you laugh, cry, and cheer! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier. An Instant #1 Bestseller! "A captivating middle...

Based on a true story from the author's childhood, this novel about trying out for the middle school cheerleading squad is a perfect fit for friends of Smile and Real Friends. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Front desk
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
Four starred reviews and over ten best-of-year lists!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review Front Desk joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive...

Mia, an aspiring writer and recent immigrant from China, helps her parents run an Anaheim motel in 1990s LA. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The spirit glass
Chokshi, Roshani
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a standalone quest adventure based on Filipino mythology by Roshani Chokshi, author of the best-selling Aru Shah series. Corazon yearns to finally start training as a babaylan (a mystical healer and spirit guide) under her powerful...

A vengeful ghost steals the key that allows a Filipino girl to speak with the spirits of her parents in this fantasy adventure story based on Filipino mythology. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Pahua and the soul stealer
Lee, Lori M.
Paper Book
Pahua is a lonely 11-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits. She spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with a cat spirit no one else can see. One day she accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighbourhood. When her...

A Hmong teen discovers she's a legendary shaman warrior when she rescues her brother's spirit from the underworld in this Rick Riordan Presents fantasy adventure. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Living with Viola
Fung, Rosena
Paper Book
"Unforgettable . . . will shake middle grade readers to the core."--School Library Journal, starred review "Beautifully illustrated, relatable, and genuine." --Molly Brooks, creator of Sanity & Tallulah "Everyone needs to buy this book now.  Seriously. Buy it, read it,...

A graphic novel that explores anxiety and mental illness from the perspective of a Chinese Canadian middle schooler. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

The unbeatable Lily Hong
Ma, Diana
Paper Book
A smart, funny, and heartfelt middle grade novel about Lily Hong's attempts to save her parents' Chinese school and the town's community center using all the resources she has--devoted friends, ingenuity, a passion for filmmaking, mediocre dance moves (at best), and perhaps even her...

A Chinese Muslim teen is torn between pursuing her own dreams of filmmaking or helping to save her family's traditional dance business during a reality TV competition. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Inside out & back again
Lai, Thanhha.
Paper Book
Inside Out and Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award! Inspired by the author's childhood experience as a refugee--fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama--this coming-of-age debut novel told...

A novel in verse inspired by the author's childhood, when her family settled in Alabama in 1975 following the Vietnam War. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Ghost book
Lai, Remy
Paper Book
* "An entertaining, engaging read with echoes of Miyazaki's film Spirited Away." --Horn Book, starred review An Indie Bestseller! An Amazon, School Library Journal, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year! Perfect for fans of...

A girl who can talk to ghosts befriends a spirit during Hungry Ghost month in this funny graphic novel from Chinese Australian author Remy Lai. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

When you trap a tiger
Keller, Tae
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL . WINNER OF THE ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE . #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIME . A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOK OF THE CENTURY Would you make a deal with a magical...

A young teen girl learns about her family history through the power of stories when she goes to stay with her aging halmoni. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Shakti
Sindu, SJ
Paper Book
A fierce, feminist, and fun middle grade fantasy graphic novel about a twelve-year-old Indian American girl named Shakti who must learn the power of her ancestral magic if she wants to save her family and town from a dangerous curse. Written by Stonewall Honor Book recipient and Lambda Literary...

After an attempt to use ancient magic to stop a group of bullies accidentally curses her town, an Indian American tween must make peace with herself in order to save it. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Mabuhay!
Sterling, Zack
Paper Book
An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APALA) Honor Book An Eisner Award Nominee From rising star Zachary Sterling comes a humorous and heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel that celebrates food, family, and folklore. Can two kids save the...

Two teen who are less than enthused about helping with their family's Filipino food truck find themselves cursed by monsters from Filipino folklore. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

A sky of paper stars
Yi, Susie
Paper Book
A Sky of Paper Stars is a heartrending middle-grade graphic novel by Susie Yi about a girl's ill-fated wish to fit in, perfect for readers of Stargazing and Pashmina. All Yuna wants is to belong. She wants to go to sleepovers, have a smart...

A Korean American girl struggling to fit in with her classmates navigates grief while mourning the death of her grandparents. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)


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