Children's Book Suggestions | Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025

A few of our favorite books about Asian & Pacific Islander Americans past and present published in 2024. For more book ideas, check out our Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024 Picture Book and Chapter Book lists, browse the library catalog, or search for the name of a country or ethnic group.

More great books are honored annually with the Asian/Pacific American Literary Award (APALA).

P.S. Stay tuned for our Southeast Asian Heritage Month book list, coming August 2025!

Updated April 16, 2025
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Slippery, spicy, tingly : a kimchi mystery
Choi, Yangsook
Keo loves kimchi! And he loves Halmoni, his grandmother! But when Halmoni unexpectedly comes to visit and digs a big hole in the backyard, he's not sure what's going on. Could Halmoni be planning to bury a secret treasure?! Yangsook Choi, author and illustrator of the beloved picture book...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The most perfect persimmon
Chung, Hannah
Paper Book
In this charming author-illustrator debut, a Korean American girl harvests a perfectly ripe persimmon that she can't wait to share with Grandma. When Joo Hong harvests a beautiful persimmon from her mom's garden, she can't wait to give it to her grandma who is visiting from far...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Eyes that weave the world's wonders
Ho, Joanna
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling Joanna Ho, of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, and award-winning educator Liz Kleinrock, comes a powerful companion picture book about adoption and family. A young girl who is a transracial adoptee learns to love her Asian eyes and finds...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

We who produce pearls : an anthem for Asian America
Ho, Joanna
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Joanna Ho, comes an uplifting call to action that highlights Asian American history, paired with vibrant and colorful illustrations by artist and activist, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.In Joanna Ho's true classic style, she...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Noodles on a bicycle
Maclear, Kyo
Paper Book
A vibrant historical picture book about Tokyo's bicycle food deliverers, or demae, who balanced towering trays of steaming hot noodles on their shoulders while navigating crowded city streets. A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK . A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book . A BOOKPAGE, KIRKUS REVIEWS,<...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Ellie Mae dreams big!
McMorris, Kristina
Paper Book
The sister duo of New York Times best-selling novelist Kristina McMorris and award-winning artist Amanda Yoshida makes their collaborative debut with a delightful story of a girl whose big dreams are far from ordinary. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" At the...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Home in a lunchbox
Mo, Cherry
Paper Book
**WINNER OF THE CALDECOTT HONOR** Cherry Mo's stunning debut is about a young girl who immigrates to America and finds home in an unexpected place. When Jun moves from Hong Kong to America, the only words she knows are hello, thank you, I don't know,...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The rock in my throat
Yang, Kao Kalia
Paper Book
Praise for The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Jiemei Lin: Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Picture Book Honor Booklist Editor's Choice The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Award Heartland...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Gigi and Ojiji : perfect paper cranes
Iwai, Melissa
Paper Book
"A cheery, gentle lesson on the importance of "practice makes ­perfect." --School Library Journal (starred review) A Geisel Honor-winning series! Gigi loves the Japan Day Festival! When Ojiji volunteers at the origami booth, Gigi can't wait to make a paper crane like...

Early Reader (Level 3)

Best friend!
Fang, Vicky
Paper Book
Brand-new first grader Ava Lin is determined to find a best friend--even if she's a bit unclear on how to go about it--in this launch of a funny, super relatable chapter-book series. Ava Lin is six and a half years old, and she loves bubble tea, finding treasures, and animals...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Poppy Song bakes a way
Glaser, Karina Yan
Paper Book
Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third-grade class! Poppy Song loves to bake just like her grandmother, but her skills are put to the test when a tricky recipe and a forgetful grandmother lead her into a sticky situation. Poppy Song loves sharing sweet...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Magnolia Wu unfolds it all
Miller, Chanel
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor book and instant New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestseller! Award-winning author and artist Chanel Miller tells a fun, funny, and poignant story of friendship and community starring Magnolia Wu, a ten-year-old sock detective bent on...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Gracie under the waves
Park, Linda Sue
Paper Book
An empowering story from #1 New York Times bestseller and Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park starring a young snorkeling enthusiast who draws inspiration for fighting climate change from interacting with her pesty little brother. Inspired by her own experience, beloved author Linda...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Summer at Squee
Wang, Andrea
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor-winning author Andrea Wang, a new middle grade novel about a Chinese American tween who attends a Boston-based Chinese cultural overnight camp-and the many ways it transforms her. Phoenny Fang plans to have the best summer ever. She's returning to Summertime...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Finally heard
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes the sequel to Finally Seen "that tackles tweenhood and technology woes head-on" (School Library Journal, starred review) when Lina tries to navigate social media, only to discover not everything online is...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Unhappy camper
LaMotte, Lily
Paper Book
"Moments of humor captured through playful anime-like facial expressions and gestures propel the plot forward in whimsical fashion." --The Horn Book "With compassion, the story teaches the benefits of embracing one's identity... A worthy addition to any middle or high school...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Noodle & Bao
Lu, Shaina
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Animal Crossing and Measuring Up, this whimsical and empowering middle grade graphic novel follows a girl who helps her friend's humble food cart stand its ground against the gentrification of their Chinatown neighborhood. Momo has lived in Town 99 her entire life. She...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Lion dancers
Tse, Cai
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection Former best friends become bitter rivals when one returns to lion dancing after a long absence in this vibrant and heartfelt middle grade graphic novel perfect for fans of Haikyu!! and Fence. Young Wei dreamed of being a...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Lily Xiao speaks out
Chen, Nicole
Paper Book
From the author of It's Boba Time for Pearl Li! comes an empowering, heartfelt middle grade novel about a grunge-loving Taiwanese American tween who must use her voice to fight for ESL support at her school. Lily Xiao can't wait to go to Camp Rock Out this summer,...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Gigi Shin is not a nerd
Lee, Lyla
Paper Book
This first book in a sparkling middle grade series "reminiscent of Ann M. Martin's Baby-Sitters Club books" (Kirkus Reviews) follows a young Korean American girl who starts a business with her best friends to support her artistic dreams. Jiyoung "Gigi" Shin loves to create...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Pahua and the dragon's secret
Lee, Lori M.
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Lori M. Lee's second Southeast Asian fantasy adventure about a girl who is the reincarnation of the greatest warrior of all time. A snarky cat spirit, a rivalry between two shamans-in-training, a dangerous dragon encounter, and a...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Winston Chu vs. the wingmeisters
Lee, Stacey
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling YA author Stacey Lee's final book in her debut middle grade duology: a whimsical, mile-a-minute adventure inspired by Chinese mythology. Twelve-year-old Winston Chu has already rescued his sister, saved the moon's qi,...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The spindle of fate
Lim, Aimee
Paper Book
When Evie Mei discovers that her recently passed mother was the head of a guild of magical weavers, she enters the Chinese netherworld to try and bring her back in this middle-grade debut. AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE Twelve-year-old Evie Mei Huang...

Young Teen Fiction (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...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The magic paintbrush
Zhang, Kat
Paper Book
In this highly illustrated series launch, Amy, an Asian American girl picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly unleashes the power to make her art real and sometimes dangerous. Perfect for fantasy readers who love Dragons in a Bag and the Dragon Pearl series. ...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

May the best player win
Zhao, Kyla
Paper Book
The game is on in this fun-filled middle grade debut about chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in sports, perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Celia C. Pérez! The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship--and...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Uprooted : a memoir about what happens when your family moves back
Chan, Ruth
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of New Kid and A First Time for Everything, a joyful and tearful debut middle grade graphic memoir about one girl being uprooted when she moves to Hong Kong, a place where her family fits in but, for her, it's nothing like home. Ruth Chan loves...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Fighting to belong! Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History from the 1700s Through the 1800s Vol. I, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history from the 1700s through the 1800s
Chu, Amy
Paper Book
"Historic contributions and stories of resilience are shared in this dynamic graphic novel. An informative and engaging read!" --Maia and Alex Shibutani, two-time Olympic medalists and authors of Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All Asian...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

The squad
Soontornvat, Christina
Paper Book
Break out your pom poms! The highly anticipated, stand-alone companion to the instant #1 bestseller The Tryout promises even more cheer, higher stakes, and relatable middle-school drama. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier. "Raw, candid, moving, and full of heart." -Betty C....

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Alterations
Xu, Ray
Paper Book
For fans of Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all.  Kevin Lee...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Made in Asian America : a history for young people
Lee, Erika
Paper Book
"Powerful. . . . Made in Asian America isn't just about the past. It's about the history being made right now by young people, inspired by the Asian Americans who came before them to ensure that our stories are not only heard, but also remembered." --Paula Yoo, The New York Times...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 10-14)

Pedro's yo-yos : how a Filipino immigrant came to America and changed the world of toys
Peñas, Roberto
Paper Book
Discover the backstory of one of America's favorite toys, the yo-yo, in this colorful biography of businessman Pedro Flores. It can spin and roll, leap and twirl. You can stretch it between your hands or swing it between your legs. The tricks you can do with one are nearly endless....

Children's Nonfiction (Age 4-8)

My lost freedom : a Japanese American WWII story
Takei, George
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . A CALIBA GOLDEN POPPY AWARD WINNER . A moving, beautifully illustrated true story for children ages 6 to 9 about growing up in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II-from the iconic Star Trek actor, activist, and author of the New...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 6-9)

Vietnamese folktales for children : stories of adventure and wonder in Vietnamese and English
Tran, Phuoc Thi Minh
Paper Book
**Creative Child Magazine 2024 Book of the Year! - Bilingual Story Books for Kids** The timeless charm and wisdom of Vietnamese folktales in parallel English and Vietnamese versions! These ten delightful stories bring Vietnam's rich culture and...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 5-13)

Message in the mooncake : a legend from ancient China
Chow, Sapphire
"An appealing retelling of a notable folktale." -- Kirkus Reviews "The guards will be suspicious of adults. Su-Ling, you are our only chance. I have full confidence in you." "I can do it!" "My brave little Tiger!" ...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)


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