May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Preschool
Once Upon a Book
by Grace Lin and Kate Messner
Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to the world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.
I Am the Subway
by Kim Hyo-eun, translation by Deborah Smith
Accompanied by the constant rumbling ba-dum ba-dum of its passage through the city, the subway has stories to tell. Between sunrise and sunset, it welcomes and farewells people and holds them — along with their joys, hopes, fears, and memories — in its embrace.
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
Ant in a Book
by Yimei Wang, illustrations by Cao Cao
When an ant finds himself flattened in a book and moves from page to page, he inspires the Chinese characters printed on them to start moving too, and they create new stories every day.
Usha and the Big Digger
by Amitha Jagannath Knight, illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat
When sisters Usha and Aarti look up at the stars, they see different things. Aarti sees the Big Dipper, but Usha sees the Big DIGGER. And cousin Gloria sees the Big Kite! Could they all be right? A playful introduction to geometry and spatial relationships, featuring Indian American characters and a note about cultures and constellations.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods
by Grace Lin
Separated into courses like a Chinese menu, these tales — based in real history and folklore — are filled with squabbling dragons, magical fruits, and hungry monks. This book will take you to far-off times and marvelous places, all while making your mouth water. And, along the way, you might just discover a deeper understanding of the resilience and triumph behind this food and what makes it undeniably American.
From North to South/Del Norte al Sur
by René Colato Laínez, illustrations by Joe Cepeda
José loves helping Mamá in the garden outside their home in California. But when Mamá is sent back to Mexico for not having proper papers, José and his Papá face an uncertain future. What will it be like to visit Mamá in Tijuana? When will Mamá be able to come home?
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Finally Seen
by Kelly Yang
When ten-year-old Lina Gao steps off the plane in Los Angeles, it's her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and her little sister in five years! She has been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing, getting teased by kids at school who called her the "left behind girl." Finally, her parents are ready for her to join their fabulous life in America! Except . . . it's not exactly what she expected.
The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
by Margarita Engle, illustrations by Sean Qualls
Born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797, Juan Francisco Manzano spent his early years by the side of a woman who made him call her Mama, even though he had a mama of his own. Denied an education, young Juan still showed an exceptional talent for poetry. His verses reflect the beauty of his world, but they also expose its hideous cruelty.
High School (Grades 9–12)
The Silence that Binds Us
by Joanna Ho
Maybelline Chen isn't the Chinese Taiwanese American daughter that her mother expects her to be. May's beloved brother, Danny, on the other hand, has just been admitted to Princeton. But Danny secretly struggles with depression, and when he dies by suicide, May's world is shattered.
In the aftermath, racist accusations are hurled against May's parents for putting too much "pressure" on him. May challenges these ugly stereotypes through her writing. Yet the consequences of speaking out run much deeper than anyone could foresee. Who gets to tell our stories, and who gets silenced? It's up to May to take back the narrative.
They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei , Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, illustrations by Harmony Becker
In 1942, people of Japanese descent were captured and sent to one of ten "relocation centers."
This is Takei's story about those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, and how with the support of his parents and his experiences, he sowed the seeds of his amazing future.
Books in Spanish
Micaela
de Adalucía (escuela media a secundaria)
Micaela vibra en las entrañas de sus lectores con un latido nuevo . . . Y nos acostumbramos a ella como si la conociéramos desde siempre, como un perfume antiguo o un exquisito recuerdo que entretiene y endulza el corazón.
To access the books on our monthly MPS Reads book lists, visit your school library or local library, or go online to Sora* (formerly OverDrive) and log in with your MPS student ID number.
*Some titles are not available through Sora.