55 Picture & Chapter Books for Asian American & Pacific Islander Month (elementary/middle grade)

 

Know your worth: Brother's Keeper

 

Brother's Keeper is a middle-grade, award-winning, historical fiction debut novel by #ownvoices author, Julie Lee.  It is partially based on the experiences her mother had while growing up in North Korea in the 1940s and escaping the harrows of war by journeying to South Korea for a better life in 1950.  This is a tale of survival and family, but also it's an emotional perspective on negative gender stereotyping and what it was like for North Koreans living under Communist rule.  There are lots of topics for further study and discussion questions that readers can use for book clubs.

12-year-old Sora lives in a North Korean village with her parents and two younger brothers.  She was just told by her mother that she would have to stop attending school in order to stay home and take care of her brothers while her parents work in the fields.  She knows that this is a cultural expectation, however, that doesn't stop her from wanting to pursue her studies, especially, writing.  It also doesn't make her feel better when her parents and neighbors constantly praise her brothers only for their gender.  This pressure for her to learn proper cooking in order to marry well in a few years causes great anxiety in Sora and a rift forms between her and her parents.  

Life under Communist rule adds strain to their daily lives.  As the war gets closer to their village, Sora has flashbacks of when a family member was arrested and imprisoned for helping people cross the border into South Korea.  The risk of her father being forced to join the Communist army is so high that they even bury him in a hole in the ground for months so he stays safe!  Only when the bombs start dropping on their village is it the sign they need to flee.  Sadly, Sora and her 8-year-old brother, Youngsoo, get separated from their family and it is up to Sora to keep them alive and make the difficult decision to continue trekking south toward freedom. As Sora dreadfully thinks when Youngsoo asks her how they will cross the river without a bridge, "I didn't know, and I didn't trust myself.  Yet every decision was up to me--our lives depended on it."

Since the book opens up with a map of Korea and their journey on foot and train is marked, the reader knows that they both do make it to their final destination even before reading a single word of the book.  That is a relief, except the reader knows that this is only Sora and Youngsoo's journey and that it doesn't include their family members who the readers get to know so well throughout the story.  

Lee also divides the book into 3 parts: Home, Escape, and Busan.  This helps the reader get ready for what is to come in the most basic sense.  Lee describes their tribulations with such brutal detail that it was hard to continue reading at times.  War is difficult for everyone and Lee brings that gruesome truth to light when documenting Sora and Youngsoo's journey.  In one way, their escape contains all of the parts of a survival tale: cold, fatigue, hunger, lice, attempted kidnapping, even being driven to theft of food and begging for money for medical attention for Youngsoo.  In another way, after they reach their destination, it is a whole other type of survival for Sora.  She must go back into the gender expectations by learning how to cook, clean and take care of a house so she can be a good wife soon.  

As a teacher and librarian, I would use this book to discuss a range of topics.  First, readers can consider how the talk of gender affects children.  In one scene, Youngsoo confides in Sora of his discomfort with being the first-born son.  He says it is too much pressure for him.  This surprises Sora.   What do readers think about this revelation?  Should Youngsoo speak up when his parents and neighbors put-down Sora and insult her because she is only a girl?  How do we see these gender stereotypes reinforced in American culture?  In another scene, a young woman encourages Sora to make sure that she looks after herself first, then her brother. "Know your worth."  This advice brings tears to Sora's eyes because she had always been told to be the martyr and do everything, at whatever cost, to keep her brothers alive and well.  What do readers think about this advice?  Why do we need others to give us pep-talks like these?  Who is someone that readers have in their lives whom they can give this type of advice?

The book ends with several sections that lead to further study and discussion for readers.  First, there is an Author's Note where Lee describes all of the fiction and non-fiction parts of the story. Here is a video of Lee explaining her family's connection to the book:

There is also a section for photos from Lee's family during this time period.

Another section is a glossary of Korean words and finally, a timeline of the Korean War. 

Readers can dive into these and the story is instantly enriched. TeachingBooks.net has a free discussion guide to use, too.  I had never read a book from the Korean perspective during the 1950s and it has made me curious about other people's experiences during this time period .  As Lee writes in her Author's Note, "the stories of refugee survivors remain largely untold..."  

We are home: A Pho Love Story

 A Pho Love Story is a young adult, romance debut novel by Loan Le, about rival Vietnamese restaurants in L.A. whose owners have a long history of animosity and competition. Imagine the mess that ensues when their high school seniors, Bao and Linh, become partners for a school project and end up falling for each other!  This is an important story about how family and cultural pressure can influence the children of immigrants.  Rather than communicate their needs and wants, immigrant children often go-with-the-flow and end up stressed.  A Pho Love Story is a richly layered story full of humor, bonds, love and hope.  It resonates strongly with people who straddle dual cultures and don't want to let anyone down, including themselves.

As a teacher, librarian, and parent, I would use this book to discuss many topics with readers. Starting with the main characters, Bao and Linh, whose point of view changes with every-other-chapter.  Bao accuses Linh of being a liar because she isn't forthcoming with her family about her true passion of painting.  Readers can take a side and debate who is in the right and wrong in this situation.  

Another topic for discussion is how Bao and Linh go about their romance.  At first they hesitate to partner up because for their entire lives they were told by their families that it was taboo to associate with the other.  Despite their apprehension over being seen by someone in their community circle they embark on a friendship which grows into a romance.  Do readers agree with how the events unfolded?  Were there any times when they could've come clean with their families?

I just loved the friendship between Bao and Linh.  The more time they spent together the more they discover all that they had in common: they both recognize their Vietnamese culture along with the pressure to make their families proud.  It is unique to live in America where, as the children of immigrants, they are exposed to more avenues and opportunities than their parents.  Communicating this with their parents is difficult because their parents are unknowledgeable about how these experiences lead to future success.  Readers can talk about anyone in their life whom they feel like can understand them and their background.  

As the child of immigrants myself, I connected to this story especially when Linh was looking at old photographs of her parents from Vietnam.  She notices how happy and idyllic the scenes are and thinks, "It seems impossible to think that outside the frame of this photo, the country they knew was changing rapidly.  And yet here they were: joyful."  It would be interesting to pose this question of what is happening outside of the frame when looking at photos as primary sources with students.  Although countries go through so much change that their citizens are pushed or pulled to emigrate, the constant that they feel is family, cherished moments and unforgettable memories.  This is universal.  Which is what hurts when in the story there is a racist posting online with the person telling those in Little Saigon, "go home!"  Bao responds by writing an op-ed titled, "We Are Home".  His message is that immigrants are real people with a past that needs to be listened to in order to understand why they would leave their homes in order to make a better life here.  In the wake of the anti-Asian hate-crimes on the rise recently, his writing hits hard.

Le also captures what it is like when your secrets are revealed to your parents.  When the truth is out and you have to deal with the shame that stems from disappointing them, but also the other side of the feeling that what you did and hid from them was something that felt perfectly natural to you.  Linh calls the aftermath of her parents finding out as, "Terse. Cold. Punishing."  Readers can talk about times when they kept secrets from their loved ones or friends.  What was keeping them from being honest? Did they find ways to get through it? 

The most uplifting part of this whole story is the network of support that Bao and Linh have through their friends, teachers, neighbors, and family members who see their struggles and encourage them.  Like when Linh's aunt says to her, "Be the brave, honest person I know you are."  Readers can name people in their lives who provide this advice and kindness to them.  Maybe they are that support system to others in their lives.  Why is it important to form and nurture these relationships?

All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I'd recommend it, even to adults, because it has universal themes and good knowledge to bestow about Vietnamese history, food, language, and culture as a whole.  For example, how to pronounce PHO: it rhymes with, "huh?" Thank you, Loan!  I had never read a book with Vietnamese characters that I can recall and I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author.

Saffron Ice Cream: an #ownvoices unforgettable memory

 

Saffron Ice Cream is a picture book by author and illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh aimed for elementary-aged children and up.  It is a personal narrative of the author who moved to Brooklyn, New York from Iran when she was a little girl.  

Prior to reading the story we used the TeachingBooks.Net resource of how to pronounce the author's name and heard her tell how to remember it, "Rashin rhymes with machine!"  Our students discussed the importance of learning how to pronounce everyone's name, even if it is unusual to them.  The respect and dignity associated with a name can help a person feel more at home in a new country.

We also used a short introduction video message from the author to allow students to connect the story with a real person:

The story is a simple one:  newly arrived in America, Rashin's family decides to take a beach trip to Coney Island.  During the commute, Rashin compares and contrasts this new experience to a vivid one of her visiting the Caspian Sea with her family and friends.  

Although this looks like a simple topic, there are numerous layers to explore with readers.  From the laws in Iran that have women and adolescent girls wearing a hijab and body cover to separate beaches for women and men, the discussion that can arises about various types of governments and freedoms compared to those we have in the U.S. is worth having.  

Another layer that Rashin brings to the story is that of cuisine.  Many immigrants long for the tastes and smells of certain foods and ingredients of a home they have left behind.  Saffron is another interesting spice to teach readers about.  Our students looked at the flowers from which saffron fronds are picked and dried.  They watched a clip of my mother grinding the fronds down into a fine powder. They passed around and investigated several types of saffron packages. Finally, they looked at how the spice changes the color and taste of foods, both savory and sweet.

For fun, our students even tried out anagrams from the book title, Saffron Ice Cream, on a Google Jamboard.

One more layer of the story is how maps can tell us more about a particular place. Prior to reading the story we used Google Maps to look at how far it is from Iran to Brooklyn.  We made observations about the two main colors we see on the map and made predictions about what they may represent.  

Then we noticed the satellite view on the bottom of the screen. We discussed how satellites capture images of the Earth and send the images back to us.  Once we went into satellite view the students were mesmerized by the level of detail we were able to see.  We zoomed in on the Caspian Sea's coastal towns and were able to see photos of what Rashin remembered.

  

After listening to the story our students shared what they do when they notice someone is new to this country.  I shared a time of when I taught my cousins how to play Four-Square, since they didn't have that game in Iran.  Then our students brainstormed memories that they would consider unforgettable and used a PicCollage app on their iPads to write about that memory through photos, captions and stickers.  

Storytelling is an important skill that connects us as we find empathy and commonalities in one another's experiences.  Stories like Saffron Ice Cream show that everyone's voice matters and that we all can be a part of someone's unforgettable memory in a positive way.

Poetry Month: 25 middle grade novels-in-verse

 April is National Poetry Month but we really celebrate the art of language all year long.  Stories that are told through verse are interesting ways to read, reflect, and listen to narratives.  Our students find that reading a novel-in-verse is another experience in reading in that it often goes by quickly and they are tempted to go back and re-read lines and phrases that stick out to them.  

All of these books listed below would be ideal for book clubs or just for reading and reflecting on one's own. From historical fiction, to biographies, realistic fiction, memoirs, immigration, religion, refugees, family, friendships, sports, school, bullying, identity and travel, these stories below have something for everyone.  

Novels-in-Verse

Unbound and All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Solo, Swing, The Crossover, Booked, Rebound by Kwame Alexander

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

Love, Love by Victoria Chang

Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar

Before the Ever After , Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Love That Dog, Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz and Robert Byrd

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith and E.B. Lewis

42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer and Elaine Clayton

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Lifeboat 12: Based on a True Story by Susan Hood

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger and Matthew Cordell

Shanghai Messenger by Andrea Cheng and Ed Young

Nature, survival & relationships full of healing: Echo Mountain

 

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk is a historical fiction, middle-grade chapter book that can be enjoyed by anyone, especially adults.  Wolk is a master storyteller who takes the reader back in time to the 1920s in Maine where Ellie's family is forced from their home in town to move up into Echo Mountain and make a new way of life for themselves. They must survive on nature and learn how to barter for goods and services. Ellie copes with it by saying, "for every difficulty there had been some kind of good work we could do. So we'd done it." For three years they are able to do it but then when Ellie is 12, her father falls into a coma and she takes it upon herself to find a way to bring him back.  

Her mother, a former music teacher, is struggling to keep the family and their way of life together until her husband can rejoin them.  She doesn't trust Ellie's wild-spirited ideas for waking up her father and would rather just wait and see instead of trying any of Ellie's harebrained schemes.  Ellie finds solace and oneness in the mountain and dares to trudge up to the forbidden parts in order to get help from the elusive "hag" who her father had warned to keep away from when he was conscious. She also hopes to find the person responsible for leaving her tiny wooden carvings.  Could it be the hag who noticed Ellie and her need for connection? Wolk writes, "loneliness shared is loneliness halved."  Perhaps the hag can help Ellie and her family in more ways than one?

Ellie's journey of self-discovery and finding how to deal with her mother's struggles as well lead her to a better place.  Even if there are unexpected twists, dangers lurking in the woods, and the possibility of hurting her father more than healing him, she knows that she must listen to the heat in her chest to continue despite the risks.  Wolk concludes with the idea that "life is a matter of moments, strung together like rain.  To try to touch just one drop at a time, to try to count them or order them or reckon their worth --each by each--was impossible."  The reader can consider how this idea connects to the events from the start of the story all of the way to the end.  How did Ellie's life become like rain drops? How did her family and others on the mountain continue surviving even with major setbacks?

This story is excellent for discussion for book clubs in the middle grades all the way up to adult readers.  The fact that Ellie is without any medical supplies as she is trying to heal open wounds does lead to quite gory depictions, but they are necessary as a part of the story.  Without them, the reader could not truly empathize with Ellie's situation and what she was left to do.   I would rate this book as a must-read, along with Wolk's other books, Wolf Hollow and Beyond the Bright Sea.  

37 Environmental Picture and Chapter Books for Children & Middle Schoolers

How is the Earth connected to its creatures?  Why is it important for humans to be aware of the Earth's needs and be able to protect it as much as possible?  These questions and more can be discussed with readers in the following chapter and picture books that have environmental themes.  From plays to nonfiction and fiction books, there is something interesting for everyone. 

Need more ideas? Check A Mighty Girl's blog for additional titles.