2022 SUMMER READING LIST

2022 Summer Reading List PDF

Are you looking for a curated summer reading list that celebrates diversity, inclusivity and intersecting identities? The We Are Kid Lit Collective selects books by and about BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), with attention to their intersecting identities. Chosen books are thoroughly selected, discussed, and vetted by two or more members.

2022 We Are Kid Lit Collective members: Sam Bloom, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo Vázquez, and Lyn Miller-Lachmann.

PICTURE BOOKS

Ancona, George; translated by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. Mi escuela / My school. (Scholastic/Children’s Press, 2004). Bilingual (Spanish; English). Part of the Somos Latinos book series, this title follows an elementary student during a typical day at school. Mi escuela / My school features straightforward text (in English and Spanish) and photographs from George Ancona, who passed away in January 2021.

Bashi, Golbarg; illustrated by Nabi H. Ali. Counting Up the Olive Tree: A Palestine Number Book. (Dr. Bashi, 2019). English.  When a woodcutter is planning to cut the last olive tree, a team of soccer players one by one climb up the tree. An uplifting story of community and solidarity while counting children and depending on each other. 

Burgos, Hilda Eunice; illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro. The Cot in the Living Room. (Kokila, 2021). English. A young girl is jealous of the children who stay at her Dominican-American family’s apartment, because they get to sleep on the cot in the living room. But when the girl finally gets her chance at the coveted spot, she finds that sleeping on the cot isn’t the amazing experience she believed it to be.

Bowles, David; illustrated by Erika Meza. My Two Border Towns. (Kokila, 2021). English; Spanish. 
A boy and his father share a weekend ritual: driving across the Rio Grande to The Other Side (the Mexican town just across the border) to eat good food, visit friends, and check in with families camped out along the bridge, seeking asylum.

Clarke, Maxine Beneba. When We Say Black Lives Matter. (Candlewick, 2021). English. Employing bold mixed media art and poetic text, Clarke depicts a Black couple explaining to their child the many reasons why Black Lives Matter.

Dawes, Kwame; illustrated by Tom Feelings; afterword by Jerry Pinkney. I Saw Your Face. (Dial Books, 2005). English. Inspired by a conversation between both creators, Dawes’ lyrical prose and Feelings’ sketches and illustrations capture the myriad of faces and experiences within the Africa diasporas. 

Flett, Julie; translated by the Cree Literacy Network.  We All Play / kimêtawânaw. (Greystone Kids, 2021). English; Plains Cree (y-dialect). An ideal book for very young readers, with appealing illustrations showing animals romping about in their respective habitats — and children playing just like the animals do.

Fritsch, Kelly and Anne McGuire; illustrated by Eduardo Trejos. We Move Together. (AK Press, 2021). English. Disability justice, positivity and inclusivity are at the center of this title. Simple text and bright illustrations appeal to children, while thorough back matter guides any adults who may have questions, or field questions from curious young readers.

Gonzalez, Maya Christina and Matthew SG. They, She, He: Easy as ABC. (Reflection Press, 2019). English. Through this inclusive alphabet book, children learn about pronouns, what makes each one of us unique, and the joys of childhood. 

Greenfield, Eloise; illustrated by Colin Bootman. Alaina and the Great Play. (Alazar Press, 2021). English.
Rambunctious Kindergartener Alaina prepares for her speech at the end of the play at school, then embellishes a bit once on stage. Told with Greenfield’s characteristic humor and love for her young Black characters, this book was released shortly before her passing in August, 2021. 

Higuera, Donna Barba; illustrated by Juliana Perdomo. El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! (Abrams, 2021). English.
Neither Ramón nor El Cucuy, the monster who lives in Ramón’s cactus pot, can sleep. Both are scared for different reasons, but each comforts the other in their own way.

hooks, bell; illustrated by Chris Raschka. Be Boy Buzz. (Disney/Jump at the Sun, 2002) (Little, Brown, 2016). English. This bright and attractive title, released in board book format in 2016, delivers all the buzz on being a boy. bell hooks passed away in December, 2021.

Johnson, Angela; illustrated by Rhonda Mitchell. Mama Bird, Baby Birds. (Orchard Books, 1994). English. Two siblings interact with a baby bird in their backyard, and learn the connection, care, and love between mothers and their babies. 

Johnston, Aviaq; illustrated by Tim Mack. What’s My Superpower? (Inhabit Media, 2017). English. Nalvana can identify the different superpowers her friends and family have, but she struggles to find her own superpowers…that were within her all along. 

Lazo Gilmore, Dorina K.; illustrated by Kristi Valiant. Cora Cooks Pancit. (Shen’s Books/Lee & Low, 2009). English. With her older siblings busy, Cora finally gets to be Mama’s assistant chef! After helping to cook her favorite Filipino dish, pancit, Cora wonders what the rest of her family will think.

Lil Nas X; illustrated by Theodore Taylor III. C Is for Country. (Random House, 2021). English. Howdy readers! African American country performer Lil’ Nas makes sure everyone knows how much fun we can all have out in the country.

Luby, Brittany; illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley; translated by Alvin Ted Corbiere & Alan Corbiere. Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This Is How I Know: A Book About the Seasons. (Groundwood, 2021). Bilingual (Anishinaabemowin; English) An intergenerational story in which a child and her grandmother interact with nature, and identify what makes each of the different seasons unique. 

Mirchandani, Raakhee; illustrated by Holly Hatam. Hair Twins. (Little, Brown, 2021). English. A girl and her father share a special bond over hairstyles, hair love, and culture in loving and caring moments.  

Moss, Thylias; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. I Want to Be. (Dial, 1993). English. This whimsical poem, told from the point of view of an endlessly curious young African American girl, features illustrations from decorated author-illustrator Jerry Pinkney, who passed away in October, 2021.

Noor, Nabela; illustrated by Nabi H. Ali. Beautifully Me. (Simon & Schuster, 2021). English. Zubi internalizes harmful messages about body image until she finally breaks down at a family dinner, leading to a discussion on the importance of self-love.

Phi, Bao; illustrated by Dion MBD. Hello, Mandarin Duck! (Capstone, 2021). English. As neighbors head to the park for the May Day parade, a multicultural cast of children try to steer a lost mandarin duck to the pond, greeting one another along the way by saying “hello” in numerous variations and languages. 

Smith, Cynthia Leitich; illustrated by Cornelius van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. Jingle Dancer. (HarperCollins, 2000) (Heartdrum, 2021). English. A young Muscogee (Creek) girl longs to jingle dance at the next powwow, but worries she will not be able to find enough jingles for her dress. In 2021, a new paperback version featuring new cover typography, updated text and ancillary materials, including an author’s note, was published in tandem with We Need Diverse Books.

Spillett-Sumner, Tasha; illustrated by Michaela Goade. I Sang You Down from the Stars. (Little, Brown, 2021). English. As she awaits the arrival of her baby, a pregnant mother gathers some gifts from nature and others that are crafted through traditions to create a caring bundle for her little one. 

Steptoe, John. Baby Says. (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1988) (HarperFestival, 2018). English. Baby will do anything to get his long-suffering older brother’s attention! A board book version of this classic story of African American brotherly love was published in 2018.

Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia; illustrated with art by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt. The Me I Choose to Be. (Little, Brown, 2021). English. Poetic text and bold photography combine in this empowering picture book about self-love and the endless possibilities of Black selfhood.

Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah; illustrated by Ebony Glenn. Mommy’s Khimar. (Salaam Reads, 2018). English. A Black Muslim child plays dress up with her mother’s headscarves, finding comfort in the familiar, in this cozy, sensory-rich picture book.

Tudor, Aslan. Young Native Activist: Growing Up in Native American Rights Movements. (Self-Published, 2019). English . Through photographs and personal accounts, this book tells the story of a young Lipan Apache activist and his family’s involvement in the American Indian Movement. 

Wang, Andrea; illustrated by Jason Chin.  Watercress. (Neal Porter/Holiday House, 2021). English. When her parents stop to pick fresh watercress by the side of the road, a young girl is initially embarrassed. But after hearing her mother’s story of her difficult childhood in China, the child has a deeper appreciation for her family.

CHAPTER BOOKS/BEGINNING READERS

Black, Sonia W.; illustrated by George Ford. Hanging Out with Mom. (Scholastic, 2000). English. After a long day at work, a mother takes her son out to spend a lovely afternoon of activities around the park. 

Dant, Traci; illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Some Kind of Love: A Family Reunion in Poems. (Marshall Cavendish, 2010). English. “Must be some kind of love,” begins each poem in Dant’s loving ode to an African American family’s reunion back home in Missouri. Whether fishing, sharing stories, or sharing a bed, the love amongst family is evident in Velasquez’s painterly vignettes.

Dillard, J.; illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts. J.D. and the Family Business. (Kokila, 2021). English. African American siblings,  J.D. and Vanessa, work together to build an online presence for their growing businesses in this installment in the J.D. the Kid Barber chapter book series. 

Ford, Bernette; illustrated by Jennifer Kindert. Hurry Up! (Scholastic, 2003). English. A young Black boy takes us through his school day in this beginning reader with repetitive word use. Bernette Ford passed away in June, 2021.

Guerra, Jill; translated by Morelia Rivas. When I Breathe Deeply/Cuando respiro profundo. (Self-published, 2020). Bilingual (English; Spanish). Mindfulness and the power of breath as tools of healing and liberation are presented through vibrant photographs and simple text in this bilingual book. 

Hall, Kirsten; illustrated by Gloria Calderas. Grandma’s House. (Children’s Press, 2004). English. A girl visits her grandmother’s house and enjoys every activity, game; every single moment she spends with her. 

Johnson, R. Kikuo. The Shark King. (Toon Books, 2012). English. In this graphic novel, Johnson, who grew up in Hawai’i, re-imagines a traditional Hawai’ian folktale by centering the story on Nanaue rather than his father, the shape-shifting shark god, Kamohoalii.

Lim, Hope; illustrated by Hyewon Yum. I Am a Bird. (Candlewick, 2021). English; Spanish. Each morning, a little girl and her dad ride his bike to school, passing through the city and parks. The girl admires the birds and nature until one day an old lady catches her attention, and they realize their shared love for birds. 

Lyons, Kelly Starling; illustrated by Nneka Myers. Jada Jones: Dancing Queen. (Penguin Workshop, 2019). English. Mrs. Flowers inspires all the members of Student Council to be kind. They decide to have a dance to raise money to help their classmates in need. But Jada can’t dance!

McDonald, Kirsten; illustrated by Fátima Anaya. Carlos & Carmen: Over the Fence. (Magic Wagon, 2018). English. While playing in their backyard, two siblings accidentally toss their hula hoop over the fence, and their imaginations run wild as they plan how to get it back. 

Oxtra, Cristina; illustrated by Seb Burnett. Keep Dancing (Kids’ Sports Stories). (Picture Window Books, 2021). English. Twins Lito and Nenita enjoy learning and practicing Filipino dances, but when boys tease Lito for doing so, his confidence and love for dancing is threatened. 

Platt, Christine; illustrated by Sharon Sordo. Ana & Andrew: A Snowy Day. (Magic Wagon, 2019). English. It’s the first snowfall of the season and siblings Ana and Andrew enjoy a lovely day with their neighbors, and even learn how to make snow ice cream. 

Ramirez-Stapleton, Lissa D.; illustrated by Shawn Richardson. Black Deaf Lives Matter. (Self-published, 2021). English. Author Ramirez-Stapleton, a hearing advocate for the D/deaf community, created this interactive nonfiction book, better known as a coloring book, to inform readers about the history and culture of the Black D/deaf community. 

Richardson, Charisse K.; illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The Real Slam Dunk. (Puffin, 2005). English. Marcus dreams of being a professional basketball player, and one day he and his classmates get the opportunity to meet his basketball hero, Jason Carter. Through this meeting, Marcus learns about different ways and opportunities on how to be a star. 

Roe, Mechal Renee. I Love Being Me! (Random House, 2020). English. An ode to Black girlhood, self-love and the uniqueness of physical and emotional traits in each one of us. 

Sheth, Kashmira; illustrated by Jenn Kocsmiersky. Nina Soni: Master of the Garden. (Peachtree, 2021). English.  Nina, a young Indian American girl,  and her friend Jay go to work with Nina’s mom, a landscape architect, for Take Your Child to Work Day. As the summer continues, Nina and Jay decide to continue working in the garden, and along the way they learn a little about science, math and business. Mom’s job isn’t nearly as easy as it seems! This book is part of the Nina Soni series.

Taylor-Butler, Christine; illustrated by Nancy Devard. A Mom Like No Other. (Scholastic, 2004). English. In this early reader, a young Black girl explores all the ways she’s different from her mom, and the reasons why she loves her so!

Yamasaki, Katie. Dad Bakes. (Norton, 2021). English. Dad wakes early each morning to work at the bakery, and then comes home after work to bake with his daughter. Using simple text and boldly colored paintings, Yamasaki tells a tender story of a child and her formerly incarcerated parent.

MIDDLE GRADE (AGES 8-12)

Adi, Hakim. African Migrations. (Thomson Learning, 1994). English. This concise, readable history of the migrations of African people informs young readers of the contributions of Africans throughout the world.

Bryan, Ashley; illustrated with photos by Bill McGuinness. Words to My Life’s Song. (Atheneum, 2009). English. This book from Ashley Bryan, who passed away in February 2022, features more than just the artist and storyteller’s fascinating life story. Part autobiography; part guided tour of Little Cranberry Island, Bryan’s longtime home; and part visual sampler of the artist’s varied work, this title captures the man’s ebullient soul and acts as a fitting introduction to – and culmination of – Ashley Bryan’s remarkable career.

Coulson, Art & Traci Sorell; illustrated by Carlin Bear Don’t Walk & Roy Boney Jr. The Reluctant Storyteller. (Reycraft, 2020). English. This illustrated collection, featuring a novella, a short story, and an essay, explores various facets of Cherokee culture and identity.

Davis, Tanita S. Partly Cloudy. (Katherine Tegen Books, 2021). English. Madalyn, a young Black girl, and her parents think that changing schools would be the best way for her to reduce the microaggressions she faces all too often. To do this, Madalyn packs up to go live with her great uncle in his home that’s about three hours away. Madelyn  finds that while the school may be better, she has so much to learn about family, community and friendships.

Day, Christine. The Sea in Winter. (Heartdrum, 2021). English. Christine Day, an enrolled citizen of the upper Skagit tribe, is the author of this middle grade novel. Maisie Cannon wants so badly to get back to her ballet training, but can’t because of her injury. As close and loving as her family is, they can’t understand how hopeless she feels. A family trip along the coast is meant to be a getaway for everyone. Maisie tries hard, almost too hard, to hide her feelings so everyone can have a good time. How can she work through this?

Ewing, Eve L.; illustrated by Christine Almeda. Maya and the Robot. (Kokila, 2021). English. After learning that her best friends, Jada and MJ, are in a different class, Maya, an introverted young Black girl, becomes even more nervous about the 5th grade. When she finds a robot named Ralph, Maya uses her science skills to get him up and running, opening up a whole new world of connections.

Garcia, Laleña; illustrated by Caryn Davidson. What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Principles Activity Book. (Lee & Low, 2020). English. Guiding principles, activities, and coloring pages intersect activism, love, and solidarity within the Black Lives Matter movement and youth leadership for social change. 

Harris, Duchess. The Scottsboro Boys. (Abdo Publishing, 2019). English. Harris writes a historical account of nine Black teenagers who were arrested in 1931 in Alabama and put on trial for crimes they did not commit. The author relates the 90-year-old case to current events in the United States.

Hiranandani, Veera. How to Find What You’re Not Looking For. (Penguin Young Readers, 2021). English. Ariel is a 12-year-old girl living through 1967 with her middle class Jewish family. Between the bullying she gets from classmates and her sister having to run away to be with her Indian American husband, Ariel faces the changing dynamics of her country, school, and family head on.

Kelkar, Supriya. American as Paneer Pie. (Simon & Schuster, 2020). English. Twelve-year-old Lekha, born in the U.S. of immigrant parents, is the only Indian American in her suburban Michigan school. She’s trying hard to fit in and fly under the bullies’ radar. But then, until a special election brings out the xenophobes, and an Indian-born girl her age moves in across the street.

Kendall, Christine. Jamari. (Kweli Teen; http://www.kwelijournal.org/kweli-teen/2017/2/20/jamari-by-christine-kendall, 2017). English. Jamel, an eight year-old Black boy,  narrates this story about his twin brother, Jamari. His unbound curiosity seems to bother his teacher, Miss Anderson so much that she’s called the School Resource Officers to remove him from class. It seems Jamari’s desire to understand things has given him a much different perspective of the world. This story is available online at no charge on the Kweli Journal site.

Khan, Hena; adapted by Susi Grissom. Amina’s Voice: A Reader’s Theater Script. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZK4hEkubwNDWotAbIu3pZt8gm_HsA40TU4uRSyOogGg/edit (Bound to Stay Bound Books, 2019) English(?) In this scene from Amina’s Voice, Pakistani American middle school students Amina, along with her friends Emily and Soojin, explore ways to make friends and fit in at school.

LaMotte, Lily; illustrated by Ann Xu. Measuring Up. (HarperAlley, 2020). English. While missing her grandmother back in Taiwan, Cici navigates the blending of her Taiwanese culture and her new American identity with heart, bravery, and cooking. This graphic novel is perfect for young foodies and comic book fans alike.

Lewis, Cicely. Mass Incarceration, Black Men, and the Fight for Justice. (Lerner, 2021). English. ReadWoke librarian Cicely Lewis introduces readers to the concept of mass incarceration; its continued impact on Black people in the United States from slavery times to the present; and the work being done to end this injustice. 

Martínez, Andrés Vera and Na Liu; illustrated by Andrés Vera Martínez. Little White Duck: A Childhood in China. (Lerner/Graphic Universe, 2012). English. In this semi-autobiographical graphic novel, author Na Liu shares stories of growing up in Wuhan, China in the late 1970’s. Through her childhood, readers see how the country was changing politically, economically, and socially.

Nash, Woodrow and Shelly Fraser Mickle. Sculptor Woodrow Nash: How I Search for My Ancestors. (Pelican, 2021). English. African American Sculptor Woodrow Nash details his process for making life-size art work of Africans who were enslaved in the Americas. In his process, he presents evidence on the  details that inform his work.

Oh, Ellen. Finding Junie Kim. (HarperCollins, 2021). English. A Korean American middle schooler avoids speaking out against racism and antisemitism in her school, risking her friendships and her integrity in the process. Through the stories of her immigrant grandparents who survived the Korean War in villages invaded by both sides, she learns the costs of silence and how to be strong in the face of hate. Junie turns to her family when she faces tough mental health issues.

Oshiro, Mark. The Insiders. (HarperCollins, 2021). English. Héctor, a middle schooler whose family has recently moved, finds that his new town (and school) is not a safe place for a gay theater kid. Relentlessly bullied (with very little help from the adults at his new school), Héctor finds himself hiding in the janitors’ closet—but there’s something different about this hiding spot, which magically transforms itself into a room where Héctor can relax and be himself, and make new friends from different parts of the country.

Warga, Jasmine. The Shape of Thunder. (Balzer+Bray, 2021). English. Cora and Quinn were once the closest of friends, but after what Quinn’s brother did to Cora’s sister, is it even possible for them to remain close? There was a shooting and its aftermath is  tearing the two girls apart. If only they could go back and change things! But, should they even have to? How much of this is really their responsibility? The story is told in the alternating voices of Cora, who lives with her Lebanese father and white maternal grandmother, and Quinn, who is white.

Weatherford, Carole Boston; illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. (Carolrhoda, 2021). English. The Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa was known as Black Wall Street because of its thriving businesses and tight-knit Black community, until a false accusation in 1921 unleashed a white mob with guns, torches, and even an aerial bombing. This is the last of Floyd Cooper’s books to come out in his lifetime; he passed away in July 2021.

Yang, Kao Kalia; illustrated by Billy Thao. Yang Warriors. (University of Minnesota Press, 2021). English. The Yang Warriors are a group of older children, risking it all to gather fresh greens for their malnourished younger cousins and siblings in this fictionalized account from author Yang’s childhood in Thailand’s Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. Thao’s comic-style illustrations enhance the warriors’ superhero qualities.

YOUNG ADULT (AGES 12-18)

Àbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah. Ace of Spades. (Feiwel & Friends, 2021). English.  Devon is shocked when he’s selected to be a prefect at the elite private school he attends, but Chiamaka knows she deserves it. It’s their senior year and the privileges that come with this new title are exciting. But that quickly wears off when Devon’s and Chiamaka’s deepest secrets are revealed to the entire school. Who, or what, is behind these efforts to ruin them socially and academically?

Ak’abal, Humberto; illustrated by Amelia Lau Carling; translated by Hugh Hazelton. Aquí era el paraíso: Selección de poemas de Humberto Ak’abal/Here Was Paradise: Selected Poems of Humberto Ak’abal. (Groundwood, 2020). Bilingual (Spanish; English). A selection of poems based on the Maya poet’s memories of his days as a child in the village of Momostenango, Guatemala. Ak’abal is known as one of the greatest Indigenous poets in the Americas.

Allaire, Christian. The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures. (Annick Press, 2021). English. This beautifully illustrated nonfiction book displays the many ways the clothes, jewels and other adornments we wear are personal expressions of our cultures and our own true selves. 

Johnson, George M. We Are Not Broken. (Little, Brown, 2021). English. Award winning Black non-binary author and activist George M. Johnson delivers a powerful memoir of their childhood that reflects on the joys and tribulations of growing up in their grandmother’s home. 

Liu, Jennie. Like Spilled Water. (Carolrhoda Lab, 2020). English. When her younger brother dies suddenly from an alleged suicide after doing poorly on his university entrance exams, Na, a 19-year-old student at a vocational school in China, must drop out and rush home to care for her devastated parents. There, she uncovers the truth about both his death and her arranged marriage.

Morales, Ricardo Levins. Color for Justice, Color for Calm. https://www.rlmartstudio.com/product-category/coloring-pages/ (Self-published, 2020). English; Spanish. The artist Ricardo Levins Morales designed these meditative coloring sheets so that anyone could use his art as social medicine. The pages can be downloaded from his site and are freely available for anyone who needs to color for calm or for justice.

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller. (Carolrhoda Lab, 2012). English. Nelson combines meticulous research along with a storyteller’s flair to document the life and times of her great-uncle Lewis Michaux, an extraordinary African American literacy pioneer of the Civil Rights era.

Pink, Randi. Angel of Greenwood. (Feiwel & Friends, 2021). English. It’s 1921 and two Black teens, rule-following Angel and rebel Isaiah, seem to have little in common other than a desire to succeed in and contribute to their prosperous Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma known as Greenwood. But somehow, a romance blossoms between the two in the days before armed white people cross into the town to massacre and destroy Greenwood and its residents.

Takei, George; Justin Eisinger; and Steven Scott; illustrated by Harmony Becker. They Called Us Enemy. (Top Shelf Productions, 2019). English. Japanese American writer and actor George Takei recounts his childhood in a US incarceration camp during World War II. The graphic novel personalizes this imprisonment by detailing Takei’s family’s struggles as they faced an uncertain future in their own country. 

Thakur, Sophia. Somebody Give This Heart A Pen. (Candlewick, 2020). English. In this collection of poems, slam poetry artist Sophia Thakur explores life as a young mixed-race woman trying to make sense of life and all it has to offer. 

Williams-Garcia, Rita. A Sitting in St. James. (Quill Tree, 2021). English. Williams-Garcia weaves a tale of Thisbe, a young Black woman rendered invisible by enslavement in St. James Parish, Louisiana, in this deeply researched historical fiction novel. Readers become aware of the peculiarities of enslavement in that region of the country and the ways oppressions and violent abuses based in race, gender and sexual orientation were enacted. 

Wong, Alice (Ed.). Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories for Today (Adapted for Young Adults). (Delacorte, 2021). English. Asian American disabilities activist Alice Wong edited this collection to share a few of the many first person stories from people with disabilities. These are unexpected, honest, enlightening and something we all need to read. 

Yoo, Paula. From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry. (Norton, 2021). English. A compelling account of the 1982 killing of Chinese American Vincent Chin, the verdicts that took the Asian American community to the streets in protest, and the groundbreaking civil rights trial that followed.