In the case of Nancy Yi Fan, it’s clear she was born with a special gift. My 10-year-old, nearly 11-year-old brought home this book for me to blog on. (At the same age, Nancy had banged out a draft of this book and was sending it in to publishers!).
Category: Asian American Children’s Books
Asian American books for kids including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, South Asian and more.
Asian Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Alvin Ho
This appealing series is a fun and funny read with great illustrations by LeUyen Pham that really make the book come alive. Look and Pham have a winning combination. Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid can have another series to dig into! Hooray for that!
Percy Jackson + Chinese Mythology = The Monkey King’s Daughter
I would recommend The Monkey King’s Daughter as a fun read for girls ages 8-12.
Tips for Hooking Reluctant Readers
I believe that all it takes to create a reader is the right book. Finding that tale is the trick. So how do you pick books that will hook reluctant readers? Each child is different, with very particular tastes. Nevertheless, here are some key elements that engage child readers, along with some suggested titles …
4th of July Picture Books with an Asian Twist
Happy Birthday United States on this 4th of July! To celebrate with picture books, I hope you enjoy two picks with an Asian twist. Both families are immigrants from China. The children in each book , like all children of immigrants, straddle between two worlds trying to be “more-American-like-their-friends” while immersed in the culture and traditions from their home country. But what is lovely in both these books is an acceptance that there is no one correct way to celebrate being an American. This is a homage to the United States of America, the great melting pot nation. Happy Birthday!
Picture Book Teaches Perseverance Through Karate (ages 4-8)
Julie Black Belt, The Kung Fu Chronicles by Oliver Chin is the kind of picture book I wished we read as we were taking karate. I really like that the main character is a girl who has dreamy notions of becoming a black belt like her favorite movie star but gets daunted by the actual training. This is the reality of karate — it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Chinese King Arthur: The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (ages 8-14)
Lloyd Alexander’s The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen reminds me of Percy Jackson but the zen version or even a more swashbuckling version of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. For ages 8-14.