Hey everyone! It's been so fun writing for this blog, but I will be taking a break from it for a while. This will be my last post until I return! Below are ten books to read in honor of Lunar New Year, which starts tomorrow, January 29th.
- Age 16 by Rosena Fung: Sixteen-year-old Roz is preoccupied with normal teenage stuff: navigating high school friendships, worrying about college, and figuring out what to wear to prom. When her estranged Por Por abruptly arrives for a seemingly indefinite visit, the already delicate relationship between Roz and her mother is upended. With three generations under one roof, conflicts inevitably arise and long suppressed family secrets rise to the surface. Told in alternating perspectives, Age 16 shifts seamlessly between time and place, exploring how this pivotal year in adolescence affects three women in the same family, from Guangdong in 1954 to Hong Kong in 1972, and Toronto in 2000.
- Bridge Across the Sky by Freeman Ng: In 1924 at the Angel Island Immigration Station, teen Chinese immigrant Soo Tai Go is awakened to the political realities of his new home as he waits to find out if he and his family will be allowed into the country.
- Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay: Set in the 1930s to today, four generations of Filipino American boys grapple with identity, masculinity, and father-son relationships.
- Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao: For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking things: the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance. There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way Gemma can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, she finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.
- Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng: As one of only two Asian Americans in his school and often left out, Gary jumps at the chance of breaking into the school's popular clique by befriending the most beautiful girl in school, but as he comes closer to achieving his goal, Gary also risks losing the only person who sees the real him.
- Halfway There : a graphic memoir of self-discovery by Christine Mari: A Japanese American college student reconnects with her roots in Tokyo, Japan, while wrestling with feelings of loneliness, depression, and cultural identity confusion.
- Kween by Vichet Chum: Soma Kear’s verses have gone viral. Trouble is, she didn’t exactly think her slam poetry video through. All she knew was that her rhymes were urgent. On fire. An expression of where she was, and that place…was a hot mess. Following her Ba’s deportation back to Cambodia, everything’s changed. Her Ma is away trying to help Ba adjust to his new life, and her older sister has taken charge with a new authoritarian tone. Meanwhile, Soma’s trending video pushes her to ask if it’s time to level up. With her school’s spoken word contest looming, Soma must decide: Is she brave enough to put herself out there? To publicly reveal her fears of Ba not returning? To admit that things may never be the same? With every line she spits, Soma searches for a way to make sense of the world around her. The answers are at the mic.
- Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang & Leuyen Pham: Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed—no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?
- The Lotus Flower Champion by Pintip Dunn: While in Thailand, the last chance for Mama to find peace before she succumbs to cancer, seventeen-year-old Alisarais is stranded on a mysterious island after their snorkeling cruise ends in disaster, where she must participate in horrific games to keep Mama and herself alive.
- What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park: A Korean American teen tries to balance her dream to become a chef with the cultural expectations of her family when she enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show.
Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate!
-Jessi G. / Young Adult Librarian
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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