Year: 2015
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Algonquin Young Readers Acquires Andrew McCarthy's Debut Novel
New York, NY – Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Workman Publishing, is excited to announce that it has acquired North American rights to publish Andrew McCarthy’s debut novel. Titled …
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7 Books About Growing Up Asian-American I Wish I'd Had As a Kid
I often have iterations of this conversation with my publishing colleagues, especially now that diverse books are becoming more visible (and hopefully will continue to be so). Reflections of my Asian-American experience were not common in the 90s and early 00’s when I was still in school; when I come across stories now, I think wistfully, “I wish I read this back when I was a kid!”
So I present you a completely personal, completely not comprehensive list of 7 middle grade and young adult books featuring contemporary Asian-American characters. While my heritage is Chinese, the characters here include Taiwanese-American, Korean-American, Indian-American and more—and I found plenty to identify with. The only other thing they have in common is the fact that even if they were published when I was the “right age,” I came to all of these as an adult.
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han, illus. by Julia Kuo (2011, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
A sweet, adorable chapter book featuring Korean-American third-grader Clara Lee who likes Good Luck, candy necklaces, her hometown of Bramley, and wants to enter the town’s Little Mist Apple Pie contest. It also a powerful passage on on what “American-as-apple-pie” means, especially when another girl comments that Clara Lee “doesn’t look American”.
Milicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee (2003, Scholastic)
It’s hard to compile a list like this without mentioning Lisa Yee. Witty, sarcastic 11-year-old Millicent Min has her identity all wrapped in intelligence, awards and academic success. She has few friends, as her peers resent her for being a high school junior. While many academically-driven Asian-Americans can identify with Millicent, even more will share her struggles to embrace her uniqueness, make friends and connect with others.
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (2011, Scholastic Press)
A very kid-friendly middle grade book that explores Chinese-American identity through the eyes of sixth-grader Lucy. Lucy’s sister Regina is the perfect ‘culturally aware’ Chinese-American, but Shang enjoys subverting stereotypes with Lucy, who prefers to play basketball instead of going to Chinese school. Also, a wonderful exploration of intergenerational dynamics when Lucy ends up sharing a room with her great-aunt from China.
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin (2007, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
A semi-autobiographical middle grade novel by Grace Lin detailing the life of her younger self, Pacy. Her observations range from there not being any Chinese munchkins in the Wizard of Oz to her parents’ inability to put up Christmas decorations, but also just every day <i>stuff</i>–friends, school, drawing, Halloween. Lin has written two more Pacy books, The Year of the Rat and Dumpling Days.
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger (2009, Margaret K. McElderry Books)
A thoughtful YA novel about a teenage Sam struggling with her Sikh identity in post-9/11 New Jersey. Sam’s mother rejected her Sikh culture, and as a result, Sam grew up a “coconut"—brown on the outside, white on the inside. Meminger really explores the difficulties of navigating native and acquired cultures, both internally with Sam and externally when her Sikh uncle Sandeep shows up on her family’s doorstep.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (2006, First Second)
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe this Printz-winning YA graphic novel/memoir by Gene Luen Yang, who seamlessly weaves three seemingly unrelated storylines (an American-born Chinese boy who is the only Asian in his new school, the myth of "The Monkey King”, and the story of Chin-Kee, the Chinese stereotype who makes his white cousin’s life a living hell) in this tale of identity, friendship and coming-of-age.
Good Enough by Paula Yoo (2008, HarperTeen)
It’s impossible for me to judge this book objectively, because I basically lived it. Patti is a first-generation Korean-American, and her only motivation for getting through high school is that she will one day graduate from a prestigious university and become a doctor or lawyer. Chronicling her senior year and sprinkled with witty SAT tips, Korean spam/kimchi recipes and college application quesitons, Good Enough’s best moments are Patti’s interactions with her parents.
I know there are other books that I’ve inevitably left off this short, limited list. Please share your favorites!
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New Nonfiction Classroom Skill Books and Magazine from Scholastic Bring Writing, Science and Geography to Life
New York, NY – Scholastic today announced new skill books and a new magazine designed to expose students to compelling, complex nonfiction texts and help them build skills in writing, …
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JetBlue and Random House Children's Books Partner for the Soar With Reading Program
It is our hope that providing free access to books in a fun and convenient way will encourage reading. Additionally, in support of the vending machine program, the community will …
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Jennifer M. Brown Named Vice President, Publisher, Knopf Books for Young Readers at Random House Children’s Books
New York, NY (July 23, 2015) — Jennifer M. Brown, a 25-year veteran of the children’s book industry, will join Random House Children’s Books as Vice President, Publisher, Alfred A. …
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Danny and the Bears in Germany
Okay, so this might be a horrible thing to say given that I’m an editor, but I don’t think I’ve read a book that changed my life. Gasp! I know. When I’m editing, I always cross my fingers and hope that it will change someone’s life—and maybe, one day, I’ll read one that does just that.
But when I think back to my childhood, especially the time between the ages of five and eight when I lived in Germany, I remember how important books were for me. Before I turned five years old, my father enlisted in the Army. We lived in a pretty bad area in Brooklyn, and my parents were dreading my first day of school. And rightfully so, because I really think I would’ve been eaten alive at my neighborhood public school…especially since I was already doing a very bad job of defending myself on the playground. Since they didn’t have the money to move or to send me to private school, my dad joined up and we were off to Germany. Germany of all places! Probably an extreme measure to some, but thinking back on it, I appreciate the gesture.
I don’t remember too much about Germany. Four things stand out to me:
- chocolate
- croissants
- an adorable blond boy I had a crush on
- books
Definitely books!
You see, we only had three English channels on TV, and my mom refused to let me out to play with the other kids. I ruined my chances of seeming tough back in New York City. But this is when I started to read the most, and anything I could get my hands on. Seriously. I grabbed my mom’s bodice-ripping historical romances from the shelf first, which were then promptly moved out of sight and out of reach.
Here’s a photo of me in front of those “off limits” book. Don’t I look like I’m plotting something?
Moving on! The first books I remember loving were the Berenstain Bears series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. I wanted to live in that tree house and sew quilts so badly. Although their lives were nothing like my own, in New York City or Germany, I learned important lessons about being kind, how to deal with bullies, and other useful tidbits I needed at the time.
Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff was on repeat at my home when another momentous occasion happened in my life: the arrival of my baby sister. I was so happy not to feel alone in Germany anymore. Little did I know that she was going to be sleeping and drooling most of the time, which made her a pretty lousy play mate. So it was back to books for me, and I read Danny and the Dinosaur to anyone who would listen.
Somehow I even convinced the doctors and nurses who were taking care of my mom and sister to take a break from all the life saving and baby delivering and let me read to them the adventures that Danny and his Dinosaur went on.
I’m not sure if these books changed my life, but they definitely kept me company at a time when my life was going through a lot of change—a new home in a foreign country, a baby sister, and the feeling of being miles away from family and friends. Because of that, they’re what I remember most whenever I reminisce about those days.
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Judy Blume Offers Advice to Parents
When I grew up kids were all reading adult fiction and my parents were just glad that I was reading. Now there’s all this young adult literature and I say …
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Author and Editor Andrea Davis Pinkney on Championing Diversity
Pinkney recently attended the Texas Library Association’s Children’s Book Diversity summit, where she was encouraged by signs of a unified effort on the diversity front. Going forward, she hopes to see publishers, librarians, and …
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HelloFlo.com Founder Naama Bloom to Publish Puberty Guide With Penguin Young Readers
New York, NY – Naama Bloom, founder and CEO of the popular online site HelloFlo.com, will publish There Will Be Blood: The HelloFlo Guide to Puberty with Dutton Children’s Books, an …
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Authors and Illustrators Reveal the Origins and Pronunciations of Their Names
MADISON, WI – Ever wondered how to pronounce a favorite author’s name? Since 2007, almost half-a-million readers have visited www.TeachingBooks.net/Hello to hear authors and illustrators say their names and recount brief …
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The Troubling State of School Libraries
There are currently no federal programs for school library funding, and individual states have failed to take up the initiative. A recent piece of legislation aimed at reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No …
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Scholastic Corporation Announces Date For Fourth Quarter And Fiscal Year 2015 Earnings Release And Teleconference
New York, NY — Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ:SCHL) announced the following schedule and teleconference information for its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2015 earnings release: Earnings Release: Thursday, July 23, 2015 at …
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Pop-Up Library and Media Center Opens For Summer in Bronx Park
BRONX, NY – Today, the Libraries Without Borders (LWB), DreamYard, New York Public Library, and the Alexander Soros Foundation opened the Ideas Box to be used in Hayden Lord Park …
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Scholastic to Publish Full-Color Graphic Novel Series from Actor Greg Grunberg and Award-Winning Cartoonist Lucas Turnbloom
SAN DIEGO, CA — Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, will publish Dream Jumper: Nightmare Escape on June 28, 2016, the first book in a full-color graphic …
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Biloxi Educators Create An 'Avenue of Literature'
The teachers are hoping that by surrounding their students with books of all genres—including classics like Gulliver’s Travels and Moby Dick, and newer titles, like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar …
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The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Announces A Renaissance Man: The Art of Fred Marcellino
Amherst, MA — The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art proudly announces its forthcoming exhibition of award-winning art and illustrations by Fred Marcellino. A Renaissance Man: The Art of …
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Dan Santat on Inspiration
In his video, Santat recalls meeting David Shannon who won a Caldecott Honor in 1999 for the book No, David!. During that meeting Shannon gave Santat some remarkable advice: “you …
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Harry Potter Book Night Scheduled for February 2016
For the first Harry Potter Book Night in February 2015, there were an amazing 10,500 parties and celebrations held all over the world, and we were overwhelmed by your fabulous …
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Nick Hornby Prescribes Reverse Psychology to Push Young Boys to Read
I have boys, and boys are particularly resistant to reading books. I had some success recently with Sherman Alexie’s great young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time …
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2015 Eisner Award Winners Announced
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7): The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn & Aron Nels Steinke (First Second) Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12): El Deafo by …
