Stories that celebrate Asian and Asian American lives and culture.
This shelf is pride in the face in the mirror, family lineage, language, food, and the stories that sit under shame. It is not a model-minority script, and it is not only a Lunar New Year unit.
We look for Asian and Asian American kids who get to be funny, furious, tender, and specific. We look for books where a feature, a name, or a meal is not a speech. We skip titles that treat “Asian” as one culture with one plot.
Picture books: Eyes That Kiss in the Corners for the mirror a lot of kids have been missing, Watercress when shame at the roadside needs the story underneath it, The Name Jar for the first month of school. The inclusive shelf essentials guide puts Eyes That Kiss next to books that are not only about race, which is the point.
Older readers: Last Night at the Telegraph Club is history that refuses to stay in the past tense. Use the audience filter when you want YA rather than the rug.
It is not a claim about the author. It is not a guarantee of quality. It is a finding aid. If we got a region, language, or family story wrong, tell us. We will correct the listing.
Related guides: Best Children's Books for Inclusive Shelves · Starting an Inclusive YA Shelf
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Young adult
Last Night at the Telegraph ClubMalinda Lo
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND STONEWALL BOOK AWARD • From acclaimed author Malinda Lo comes a gripping, tender coming-of-age novel exploring identity, queerness, and historical upheaval set in San ...
Young adult
The Sun Is Also a StarNicola Yoon
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • An all-encompassing, whirlwind romance that’s “beautifully crafted” (People) and “full of intelligence, understanding and hope” (Los ...
Young adult
Almost American GirlRobin Ha
This nonfiction graphic novel with four starred reviews is an excellent choice for teens and also accelerated tween readers, both for independent reading and units on immigration, memoirs, and the search for identity.
Young adult
DisplacementKiku Hughes
A teen time-travels into her grandmother's Japanese American incarceration during WWII.
Young adult
Patron Saints of NothingRandy Ribay
But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.
Young adult
We Are Not FreeTraci Chee
For fourteen-year-old Minoru Ito and other members of the Japanese-American community in southern California, the three months since Pearl Harbor have been terrible, and soon their lives forever changed by mass incarcerations in relocation ...
Young adult
Dragon HoopsGene Luen Yang
In his latest graphic novel, Dragon Hoops, New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches. Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular.
Young adult
Fallen angelsWalter Dean Myers
This 1989 Coretta Scott King Award winner is the story of one young man's tour of duty in Vietnam as well as a testament to the thousands of young people who lived and died during the war.
