WEEK 5 Children's and YA Books with Asian Heritage Themes Introduction by author Greg Leitich Smith (Japanese-German American)

The field of Asian American children's and young adult literature includes many wonderful books poetically written and exquisitely illustrated. The number of children's authors and illustrators working from the relevant communities is steadily on the rise, and some of these folks like Yumi Heo, Cynthia Kadohata, Allen Say, An Na, Linda Sue Park, Janet Wong, Lisa Yee, and Laurence Yep have received great critical acclaim. Books featuring Japanese, Chinese, and Korean characters while still limited in number are far more prevalent than those reflecting any other Asian or Asian American community, especially the Southeast Asian. We hope to see more quality books reflecting the diversity of Asian American life in the future. Highlighted Books author/poet Janet Wong photograph Visit Janet Wong A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED AND OTHER POEMS by Janet S. Wong (McElderry, 1996). Drawing on her Chinese, Korean, and American backgrounds, poet Wong offers an insightful, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny voice to children's poetry. Free verse. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. for ages 10-up. ChainedCHAINED by Lynne Kelly (FSG, 2012). Ten-year-old Hastin takes a job with a circus owner in order to pay off his sister's hospital bill. His job -- to care for the baby elephant Nandita -- is made more difficult by the cruel elephant trainer and the circus owner. He contemplates running away with her, but where can a ten-year-old boy go to hide out with an elephant? Chained offers a thought-provoking look at elephants and how how captive elephants are sometimes treated, as well as a compelling protagonist and poignant coming-of-age story. Ages 8-up. Recommendation by Greg Leitich Smith. DUMPLING SOUP by Jama Kim Rattigan, illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders (Little Brown, 1992). Marisa enjoys preparing dumplings with her Chinese, Japanese, Korean, haole (white) family in celebration of the New Year. This charming picturebook is rare in that it's set in Hawaii and features a multiracial family. Ages 4-up.

JOURNEY HOME by Lawrence McKay, Jr., illustrated by Dom & Keunhee Lee (Lee & Low, 1998). Mai accompanies her mother on a journey from the U.S. to Vietnam to search for her mother's birth family. Their only clue is the kite Mais mother has had since she first came to the U.S. and was adopted by a white family. Though it is not the main theme of the book, Mai is also a child of AngoVietnamese heritage. This is a gentle, thoughtful story that explores the linking of worlds, loss and rediscovery, as well as the many definitions of family. Ages 5-up.

WEEK 5 MAYA RUNNING by Anjali Banerjee (Wendy Lamb Books, 2005). It's 1978, and Indian-born Maya is the only middle-schooler with brown skin in her small Manitoba town. A bully taunts her, Maya's ultra-Indian cousin Pinky attracts Maya's boyfriend, and Maya's embarrassing parents want to move to California! Maybe the Hindu elephant god, Ganesh, can make all her wishes come true. But is that what she really wants? Ages 10-up. Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo by Greg Leitich Smith Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo by Greg Leitich Smith PLEASE NOTE: The Japanese American children's book bibliography is currently the most fully developed because it was the initial Asian American children's book page on this site. The others were added as of February 1999. If you have any suggestions for other Asian American children's or young adult books, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Asian-Australian Childrens Literature and Publishing (AACLAP) project investigates and records details of Australian childrens literature either set in Asia, works that contain Asian-Australian content or characters, works that represent Asian-Australian cultures and experiences, as well as hundreds of Australian works that have been translated into at least one Asian language.

AACLAP is a rich, comprehensive bibliographic dataset of literature published during a 43year period from 1970 to 2013. It comprises agent (authors or organisations) and work records related to Asia, specifically South and East Asia, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Bay of Bengal. The collection includes autobiographical works, fiction, criticism, poetry, drama, short stories, and picture books.

Led by Professor Kerry Mallan, Martin Borchert and Associate Professor Deborah Henderson, the project provides valuable primary and secondary sources important for developing literature-focused educational programs in line with the Australian governments

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push for Asia literacy. The dataset extends beyond school level teaching to tertiary courses and research in childrens literature.

The importance of access to a comprehensive dataset of Asian-Australian childrens texts is underscored by the Australian Curriculum, especially in English and History. The Australian Curriculum: English states that the cross-curriculum priority of Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia will enable students

to explore and appreciate the diverse range of traditional and contemporary texts from and about the peoples and countries of Asia, including texts written by Australians of Asian heritage. THE SIMILARITY OF TYPICAK CHILDRENS LITERATURE Changing Characters Changing theme Has moral values