Willpower by Marty Chan
January 16, 2024
In this middle-grade novel, real world issues such as poverty and bullying are explored in a kid-friendly manner. … More Willpower by Marty Chan
Category: APIDA
Reviews of books with Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi representations.
Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong
August 17, 2023
Have you ever watched Romeo and Juliet and waited the entire play hoping that the ending would be different this time? After the crippling heartbreak, faked deaths, real deaths, and gang wars of the Shakespeare retelling These Violent Delights come two novellas with the happily-ever-after both characters and readers deserve. … More Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
July 27, 2023
Told alongside three carefully illustrated fairy tales, The Magic Fish is a profound reflection on the ways our stories—both those we’ve lived, and those we’ve read—are integral to our identities, and how we can use them as avenues of connection and compassion, even in the most difficult times. … More The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
The Care and Keeping of Grandmas by Jennifer Mook-Sang, illus. by Yong Ling Kang
April 18, 2023
Review by Gabrielle Tselos Illustrated by Yong Ling Kang Tundra, April 4th, 2023 32 pages, hardcover, $23.99 CAD, 9780735271340 Ages 3-7 years Picture book, realistic fiction “My grandma was discombobulated by changes to her routine. But I was patient. Eventually, we found plans that worked for everyone.” The Care and Keeping of Grandmas tells the … More The Care and Keeping of Grandmas by Jennifer Mook-Sang, illus. by Yong Ling Kang
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
February 16, 2023
Review by Claudine Yip Margaret K. McElderry Books, September 2022 528 pages, Hardcover, $25.99 CAD, 978-6659-0558-9 Ages 14+, Grades 9+ Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction “Poison was irrefutable. If there were others like her out there, they could take a blade to the throat, they could take a bullet to the gut, but poison would … More Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee
May 12, 2022
Review by Avery Lau. Lisa Yee’s book follows Maizy Chen, a pre-teen Chinese-American girl who is taken on a trip to visit her elderly grandparents in a small town called Last Chance, Minnesota. … More Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang, illus. by Hyewon Yum
May 5, 2022
Review by Claudine Yip. While their parents take English as a second language class, immigrant children from all cultural backgrounds wait in the playroom next door. The problem is: how do you make friends when you don’t speak the same language? … More Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang, illus. by Hyewon Yum
Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young
January 25, 2022
Alice Choy has never had trouble expressing herself through song. But even she isn’t prepared when a casual night out singing karaoke with her little sister in Seoul ends with an offer to audition for one of the top K-pop entertainment companies in the world. … More Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
November 30, 2021
Review by Shyamala Parthasarathy
When sixteen-year-old Nishat comes out to her Bengali and Bangladeshi immigrant parents as a lesbian, she is met with stony silence. Things get worse when her childhood friend-turned-business rival, Flávia, sets up a henna stall for their school project. Nishat must untangle her complicated feelings about Flávia while grappling with what it means to be Muslim and gay—two identity markers that everyone tells her do not go together. … More The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
Flying Paintings: The Zhou Brothers: A Story of Revolution and Art by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by ShanZuo Zhou and DaHuang Zhou
November 11, 2021
Review by Claudine Yip
Who says real life can’t hold as many fantasies as fiction? A family of dreamers lies at the core of this biographical picture book. … More Flying Paintings: The Zhou Brothers: A Story of Revolution and Art by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by ShanZuo Zhou and DaHuang Zhou
YOUNG ADULTING 