Author Veeda Bybee’s latest book, Shining a Light, celebrates the lives of 40 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who changed America and the world. Veeda will be joining us for two programs on Tuesday, March 28: Tween Scene, a program for kids 8–12, followed by a conversation with the author. If you’re interested in exploring the many contributions of Asian-American authors, here are a few excellent recommendations to start.
American Born Chinese
By Gene Yang
Teen Graphic Novel
This critically acclaimed graphic novel explores American identity, culture, and the experience of immigrants to the United States and their children.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in The End
By Atul Gawande
Adult Nonfiction
Atul Gawande is a surgeon, writer and researcher, and a member of Pres. Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board. Drawing on his research and experiences as a surgeon, Being Mortal examines aging, death, and the medical establishment.
Boxers and Saints Series
By Gene Yang
Teen and Adult Graphic Novels
Gene Yang is a popular teacher, cartoonist, and writer of comics and graphic novels, including Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Superman Smashes the Klan.
Boxers and Saints are complimentary graphic novels that explore the Boxer Rebellion from the perspectives of several characters who were involved in this pivotal event in modern Chinese history.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
By Jenny Han
Teen Fiction
Jenny Han is the popular author of a number of young adult and children’s books, several of which have been adapted for TV and as movies, including To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which streams on Netflix.
Writing is often a way to express the things we feel strongly, but could never say out loud. Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song also writes to express herself — about every crush she’s ever had. But one day all her secret letters are mailed out, spinning her life out of control.
Oceanic
By Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Adult Poetry
Aimee Nezhukumatathil is an poet known for the sense of joy she brings to her writing. The poems in Oceanic use an encyclopedic approach to examine the natural world and how we interact with in. Her collection of essays, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, expands these concepts with beautiful illustrations.
Pachinko
By Min Jin Lee
Adult Fiction
Min Jin Lee is a Korean-American writer and journalist from New York. Her historical novel Pachinko was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2017. The novel explores themes of identity, family, and faith as a young woman from a poor but proud family finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her lover in early 1900s Korea.
The Best We Could Do
By Thi Bui
Adult Memoir
Thi Bui is a Vietnam-born American illustrator and writer. Her illustrated memoir, The Best We Could Do, describes her experiences as a young immigrant to the United States, exploring the effects of displacement, war, and immigration on herself and her family.
Written by Nathan, Programming & Outreach Librarian
