AAPI Voices

The LINCC Equity Committee recommends these books, highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander voices.

Updated April 11, 2023
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Almost American girl : an illustrated memoir
Ha, Robin
Harvey Award Nominee, Best Children or Young Adult Book  A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life--perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Hey, Kiddo.  For as long as she can remember...
The bandit queens : a novel
Shroff, Parini
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK * A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful--until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands--in this razor-sharp debut.
The best we could do : an illustrated memoir
Bui, Thi
National bestseller ABA Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2017 Selection Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Spring 2017 Selection An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui. ...
A big mooncake for Little Star
Lin, Grace
A gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon, from award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin Pat, pat, pat... Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious...
The boy who tried to shrink his name
Parappukkaran, Sandhya
Perfect for fans of Alma and How She Got Her Name and Your Name Is a Song, author Sandhya Parappukkaranand illustrator Michelle Pereira'spicture book The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Nameencourages readers to take up space and support each other...
Chlorine
Song, Jade
In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts...
Convenience store woman
Murata, Sayaka
The English-language debut of one of Japan's most talented contemporary writers, selling over 650,000 copies there, Convenience Store Woman is the heartwarming and surprising story of thirty-six-year-old Tokyo resident Keiko Furukura. Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in...
Crying in H Mart : a memoir
Zauner, Michelle
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the indie rock sensation known as Japanese Breakfast, an unforgettable memoir about family, food, grief, love, and growing up Korean American--"in losing her mother and cooking to bring her back to life, Zauner became herself" (NPR). * CELEBRATING...
Displacement
Hughes, Kiku
A teenager is pulled back in time to witness her grandmother's experiences in World War II-era Japanese internment camps in Displacement, a historical graphic novel from Kiku Hughes. Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the...
The downstairs girl
Lee, Stacey
A Reese's Book Club YA Pick and New York Times Bestseller   From the critically acclaimed author of Luck of the Titanic, Under a Painted Sky, and Outrun the Moon comes a powerful novel about identity, betrayal, and the meaning of family.
Drawn together
Le , Minh
The recipient of six starred reviews and the APALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature!   Named a Best Book of 2018 by the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Smithsonian, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Booklist, the...
Eyes that kiss in the corners
Ho, Joanna
A New York Times Bestseller and #1 Indie Bestseller · A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year · A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021 · Included in NPR's 2021 Books We Love List · Featured in Forbes, Oprah Daily, The Cut, and Book Riot · Golden Poppy Book Award...
The family Chao : a novel
Chang, Lan Samantha
The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao restaurant's delicious Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years, content to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. Whether or not Big Leo Chao is honest, or his wife, Winnie, is happy, their food tastes good and...
Fauja Singh keeps going : the true story of the oldest person to ever run a marathon
Singh, Simran Jeet
The true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon, shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community. Every...
The fearless flights of Hazel Ying Lee
Leung, Julie
Discover an inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the US military. Hazel Ying Lee was born fearless--she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she...
Front desk
Yang, Kelly
Four starred reviews and over ten best-of-year lists!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewWinner of the Asian / Pacific American Award for Children's Literature!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their...
Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet : a novel
Ford, Jamie.
"Sentimental, heartfelt....the exploration of Henry's changing relationship with his family and with Keiko will keep most readers turning pages...A timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don't...
House of Sticks: A Memoir
Tran, Lý
New York City Book Awards Hornblower Award Winner One of Vogue and NPR's Best Books of the Year This beautifully written "masterclass in memoir" (Elle) recounts a young girl's journey from war-torn Vietnam to Queens, New York, "showcas...
Interior Chinatown
Yu, Charles
SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER * "A shattering and darkly comic send-up of racial stereotyping in Hollywood" (Vanity Fair) and a deeply personal novel about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the...
It began with a page : how Gyo Fujikawa drew the way
Maclear, Kyo
* 4 Starred Reviews * * An Indie Next List Pick * "Playful, bold, and, much like its subject, full of grace." --Jillian Tamaki, Caldecott Honor winner for This One Summer "It Began with a Page tells [Gyo Fujikawa's] story beautifully, in picture-book form."...
The Joy Luck Club
Tan, Amy
"The Joy Luck Club is one of my favorite books. From the moment I first started reading it, I knew it was going to be incredible. For me, it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime reading experiences that you cherish forever. It inspired me as a writer and still remains hugely...
Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Winner of the National Book Award A New York Times Bestseller "The queer romance we've been waiting for."--Ms. Magazine Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the feeling took root--that desire to look, to move closer, to touch....
The magic fish
Trung, Le Nguyen
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by New York Public Library * Kirkus Reviews * Booklist * Publishers Weekly In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the...
The many colors of Harpreet Singh
Kelkar, Supriya
Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from happy sunny yellow to courageous red. He especially takes care with his patka--his turban--making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet's mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move,...
Measuring up
LaMotte, Lily
An ALA Top 10 Graphic Novel of 2021 · A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection · Fall 2020 Kids Indie Next List · Featured in Today Show's AAPI Heritage Month list · Amazon Best Books November Selection · Cybils Awards Finalist · An NBC AAPI Selection · Featured in...
The name jar
Choi, Yangsook.
The new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she? Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of...
Nos llamaron enemigo
Takei, George
The award-winning New York Times Bestseller, now in Spanish! En estas impactantes memorias en formato de novela gráfica, el actor/autor/activista George Takei rememora sucesos imborrables de su infancia en los campos de concentración en América, como uno de los 120,000...
The ocean calls : a haenyeo mermaid story
Cho, Tina M.
A breathtaking picture book featuring a Korean girl and her haenyeo (free diving) grandmother about intergenerational bonds, finding courage in the face of fear, and connecting with our natural world. Dayeon wants to be a haenyeo just like Grandma. The haenyeo dive off the coast...
Pachinko
Lee, Min Jin
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN OF THE YEAR * NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2017 *A USA TODAY TOP TEN OF 2017 * JULY PICK FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR-NEW YORK TIMES BOOK CLUB NOW READ THIS * FINALIST FOR THE 2018 DAYTON...
Paper son : the inspiring story of Tyrus Wong, immigrant and artist
Leung, Julie
Winner of the American Library Association's 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Best Picture Book! An inspiring picture-book biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life. Before he became...
Permanent record
Choi, Mary H. K.
A New York Times bestseller An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of 2019 From the New York Times bestselling author of Emergency Contact, which Rainbow Rowell called "smart and funny," comes an unforgettable...
The poppy war
Kuang, R. F.
"I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year [...] I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang's] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin." -- Booknest A Library Journal, Paste Magazine, Vulture, BookBub, and ENTROPY Best...
Prairie lotus
Park, Linda Sue
Prairie Lotus is a powerful, touching, multilayered novel about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father's shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian...
Skinship : stories
Choi, Yoon
WINNER OF THE PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZE * LONGLISTED FOR THE STORY PRIZE * The breathtaking debut of an important new voice--centered on a constellation of Korean American families "To encounter these achingly truthful, beautiful stories of newcomer Americans is like gazing...
Stargazing
Wang, Jen
Stargazing is a heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel in the spirit of Frizzy and Mexikid, from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Jen Wang. Moon is everything Christine isn't. She's confident, impulsive, artistic . . . and though they...
Superman smashes the Klan : the graphic novel
Yang, Gene Luen
Harvey Award winner for Best Children or Young Adult Book! The year is 1946. Teenagers Roberta and Tommy Lee just moved with their parents from Chinatown to the center of Metropolis, home to the famous hero, Superman. Tommy makes friends quickly, while Roberta pines for home....
The tea girl of Hummingbird Lane : a novel
See, Lisa
A thrilling new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa See explores the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter who has been adopted by an American couple. Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. There is ritual...
They called us enemy
Takei, George
New York Times Bestseller! A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale...
The Wangs vs. the world
Chang, Jade
The Wangs vs. the World is an outrageously funny tale about a wealthy Chinese-American family that "loses it all, then takes a healing, uproarious road trip across the United States" (Entertainment Weekly). Their spectacular fall from riches to rags...
We were dreamers : an immigrant superhero origin story
Liu, Simu
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The star of Marvel's first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a...
When you trap a tiger
Keller, Tae
WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL . NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the...
Why not me?
Kaling, Mindy
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and creator of The Mindy Project and Never Have I Ever comes a hilarious collection of essays about her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement...

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