Reviews of books with Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi representations.
Randy Ribay, award-winning author of Patron Saints of Nothing, returns with another stirring novel foregrounding Filipino-American experiences. Everything We Never Had follows four generations of Filipino-American boys wrestling with their identities. … More Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
Qayum’s storytelling is straightforward and direct. She refrains from exploring the inner terrains of her characters’ minds, or using literary devices to convey the gravity of grief and pain. Instead, she states the facts of the events of their lives using a subdued tone, and that in itself is enough to put readers in the characters’ shoes. … More Zia’s Story by Shahnaz Qayumi, illus. Nahid Kazemi
When Alina is selected to join her class’s advanced math group, she is faced with the best and the worst of her new school. Between incessant bullying, the struggle of trying to impress a group of friends from a completely foreign culture, auditions for the school play, and an embarrassing last name, Alina has a whole lot on her plate. … More The Unlovable Alina Butt by Ambreen Butt-Hussain
Julia is courageous, determined, and confident, but still, above all, she identifies as a swimmer. Therefore, when she feels like that part of herself is stripped away, she begins to question who she truly is and spirals over what her future will be like if she cannot be the swimmer she always dreamed of becoming. … More Julia On the Go! Swimming into Trouble by Angela Ahn, illus. Julia Kim
The Longest Shot uses tools to make its occasionally heavy information easily digestible. Soon and Chiang wisely split Larry’s life story into eight shorter sections, giving the chapters titles based on their contents. I found this format helpful for divvying up reading time and seeing what might come next in Larry’s life. The two authors also collaborated with illustrator Amy Qi to bring life to Larry’s story. Qi’s vibrant images draw the eye to key moments in Larry’s life, reaffirming them in the reader’s mind. … More The Longest Shot by Chad Soon and George Chiang, illus. Amy Qi
Karen S. Chow’s expert characterizations flow and the climax in Miracle is both beautiful and coherent, giving readers the sense of truthfulness of life’s circumstances, while at the same time creating a story that is not too heavy or bogged down by traumatic material. There may be controversy over whether or not a story surrounding death and trauma is good for children to read. But, in my opinion, if written correctly by tying in themes of love, friendship, and strength throughout the book, as Chow does, children will benefit from reading the type of material written in Miracle and realize that they are not alone. … More Miracle by Karen S. Chow
This story teaches the beautiful lesson that no matter where we are in the world, we can try and bring our favourite parts of home with us. It can be hard moving to a new country, for both children and adults. Not only does this book remind readers that they are not alone, but it also encompasses the importance of getting out into nature. Both the girl and her mother enjoy and value nature, learning about the Earth and all it has to offer. … More A Garden Called Home by Jessica J. Lee, illus. Ellaine Chen
It’s no surprise my own mother has three saris identical to the ones described, revealing that Wadhwani and Dwivedi are truly authentic and sincere in writing this story. However, not only do they capture the status of a sari in Indian culture, but they also dwell on universal themes of finding connections with our ancestors, the power of intergenerational bonds, and how resilience, knowledge, and traditions are passed down through families. Alluding to India’s traumatic history of the 1947 Partition, the story takes on a deeper meaning, portraying the struggles, survival, and ultimately the strength of refugees. … More Once Upon a Sari by Zenia Wadhwani, illus. Avani Dwivedi
The relationships in this novel are some of its best parts. Though he struggles with loneliness, Ali is never truly alone. For one, Ali has his Dada, or paternal grandfather. As we learn of Iqbal Khan’s tragic backstory, Ali’s Dada serves as the facilitator of so many lessons, showcasing the importance of listening to and being supported by elders … More Call Me Al by Wali Shah and Eric Walters
Catfish Rolling is not here to provide us with all the answers, but to remind us that there are multiple ways to exist and understand reality. Temporality is such a captivating and sometimes frightening subject, and I was completely invested in Sora and her father’s obsession with figuring out how the zones work. Ultimately though, the message of Catfish Rolling is that trying to control time instead of simply trying to understand it has dire consequences. … More Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai
YOUNG ADULTING 