May is Asian Pacific American Heritage month!! The Handley Regional Library Youth Services Department is celebrating this month by sharing a list of titles that are either written by an individual or featuring a character of Asian Pacific American Heritage. More titles and authors can be found by searching the library catalog using the search term #youthasianpacific.
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say--A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and on Hoopla as an eBook, audiobook, and movie.
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin--As a father and his daughter hike up and out of the Grand Canyon, their discoveries of different fossils at various layers of the canyon transport the girl back in time to the era in which that fossil was a living plant or animal. In these past eras, the land itself is entirely different and in the process of being transformed by millions of years of erosion. This book can be found on Hoopla as an audiobook and movie.
Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Martin.--“Sohn maash” is the flavor of love that chefs mix into their handmade foods, and Korean chef Roy Choi, a “street cook” who works out of a food truck in Los Angeles, wants all his customers, the “outsiders, low-riders/ kids, teens, shufflers and skateboarders/ to have food cooked with care, with love,/ with sohn maash.” His specialty is remixing food from the streets, like good music, to stay true to L.A. food culture. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and on Hoopla as an eBook.
Shark Lady by Jess Keating--Presents an illustrated true story of pioneer ichthyologist Eugenie Clark. As a young girl, Clark loved sharks and devoted her life to studying them despite being told that women shouldn't become scientists. This book can be found on Hoopla as an audiobook and movie.
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly--One day, when a bully named Chet pulls a prank that goes wrong, 11-year-old Virgil Salinas—whose life at home is already not that great—and his beloved pet guinea pig, Gulliver, end up trapped in a well. When his friend Kaori Tanaka, a self-proclaimed psychic, realizes Virgil is missing, she enlists the help of Valencia Somerset, a deaf, smart, brave, and secretly lonely girl, to find and rescue Virgil. It ends up becoming an epic quest of smarts, bravery, and luck, with a little bit of help from the universe itself. This book can be found on both Libby and Hoopla as an audiobook and eBook.
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh--Twelve-year-old Harper Raine has heard the whispers about her new home in Washington, D.C.—it is rumored to be haunted. Harper's not sure she believes in such things until her four-year-old brother, Michael, starts acting strangely. Now Harper wonders if his new imaginary friend, Bill, is something more. And while she struggles to unravel the mysterious and dark history of the home, she also tries to tap into memories she's repressed about an accident that left her badly injured. This book can be found on Hoopla as an eBook.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei--A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. This book can be found on Hoopla as an eBook.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han--Getting over a crush isn't easy, but 16-year-old Lara Jean Covey has come up with a solution—she writes the objects of her affection love letters, which she stockpiles in a hatbox beneath her bed in order to move on with her life. Imagine Lara Jean's shock when she is approached by two of her former crushes who tell her they have received her letters! It turns out someone has mysteriously mailed these secret missives. Lara Jean has to get to the bottom of it while performing some major damage control—especially since one of the crushes is her older sister's recent ex-boyfriend. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and eBook.
Warcross by Marie Lu--Warcross--an online video game phenomenon--is a way of life for millions of players around the globe. For impoverished teenage hacker Emika Chen, working as a bounty hunter to track down players who place illegal bets on the game, it's her only means of survival. However, when she tries to hack the opening game of the International Warcross Championships just to make some quick cash, she accidentally glitches herself into the game. Becoming an overnight sensation, Emika is sure she will be arrested, but then she gets a call from the game's creator who offers her a job as an undercover security agent. Whisked off to Tokyo, Emika quickly uncovers a sinister plot that could bring down the whole Warcross empire. This book can be found on Libby as an eBook.