Books for AAPI Heritage Month

As we enter Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we want to honor and celebrate AAPI creators and stories both new and old. Read books by AAPI authors and illustrators, uplift AAPI voices, and support AAPI activists and organizers all year round. Check out the book pages on our website to download teacher’s guides!

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki & illustrated by Dom Lee

Inspired by actual events, this moving story of hope and courage in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II reveals a long-hidden and ugly part of the American past.

Bonnie’s Rocket written by Emeline Lee & illustrated by Alina Chau

“In a fresh perspective on events which changed the universe, Bonnie’s Rocket reveals to readers that STEM is at its most powerful when it is personal.” — Andrea Beaty, New York Times bestselling author of Rosie Revere, Engineer

Fresh Juice by Robert Liu-Trujillo

What makes a great juice that keeps everyone healthy? Art and his dad discover it takes carrots … collards … cayenne … and community!

Juna and Appa written by Jane Park & illustrated by Felicia Hoshino

“Felicia Hoshino’s illustrations show the tender relationship between Juna and her Appa, the power of Juna’s imagination, and the delights of the family’s dry cleaning business and surrounding community.” — Sarah Park Dahlen, Ph. D., University of Illinois

Kama’s Lei by Robin Montgomery & illustrated by Carla Golembe

Kama’s aunt is coming to visit him in Hawaii and he wants to make her the perfect present-a lei. But when the tree in his yard only has three flowers left, he has to come up with a creative solution.

Lakas and the Manilatown Fish by Anthony Robles & illustrated by Carl Angel

In this bilingual English-Tagalog story set in the U.S., Lakas, some amusing manongs, and a fish with unusual faculties take off on a fanciful romp through a dreamscape of the imagination.

Mèo and Bé by Doan Phuong Nguyen

Just before the United States enters the Vietnam War, eleven-year-old Bé and her three-footed kitten Mèo must rise above the injustices of war to find the comfort, safety, and love of a found family.

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar

When a rebellion against British colonizers spreads in 1857 India, thirteen-year-old Meera must choose between relative safety in a British household or standing up for herself and her people.

Ink and Ashes by Valynne Maetani

⭐ “This fantastic debut packs a highly suspenseful blend of action, intrigue, and teen romance.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Jaya and Rasa: A Love Story by Sonia Patel

Jaya’s a rich kid. Rasa’s motherless and broke. The unlikely love that blooms between them must survive the stranglehold their respective pasts have on them. Will their love transcend and pull them forward, or will they remain stuck and separate in the chaos of their pasts?

AAPI Book Collections:
Asian Pacific American Heritage Collection
India Culture and History Collection
Hmong Culture Collection
Philippines and Filipino Culture Collection
Asian American Collection Grades PreK-2
Asian American Collection Grades 3-5
Asian American Collection Middle School
Asian American Collection High School