More Contemporary Asian-American Fiction for Young Readers
Discover the best contemporary Asian-American fiction books for young readers! Explore our curated list of engaging and diverse stories that celebrate culture, identity, and modern experiences.
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The Jade Dragon
by Carolyn Marsden
Ginny, a Chinese-American girl torn between her family's traditional values and the more modern ones in her second grade classroom, learns that friendship cannot be …
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Zen and the Art of Faking it
by Jordan Sonnenblick
Upon moving to a new town yet again, thirteen-year-old San Lee looks for a way to stand out and finds it in his knowledge of …
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Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas
by Pauline Chen
Fifth-grader Peiling Wang wants to celebrate "a real American Christmas," much to the displeasure of her traditional, Taiwanese-born father.
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Yen Shei and the American Bonsai
by Jennifer Anna
Pronouncing her name for everyone is the least of Yen Shei's troubles when her family moves from their apartment in Chinatown to a house in …
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Looking for Bapu
by Anjali Banerjee
Anu's beloved grandfather Bapu moved from India to Anu's home in the Pacific Northwest when Anu was small, and Anu is devastated when Bapu dies. …
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Girl Overboard
by Justina Chen Headley
After a snowboarding accident, Syrah Cheng, a billionaire's daughter, must rehabilitate both her knee and her self-esteem while forging relationships with those who accept her …
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Hiroshima Dreams
by Kelly Easton
Lin O'Neil, a talented but shy girl growing up in Providence, Rhode Island, develops a close relationship with her Japanese grandmother, who shares Lin's gift …
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Chloe Leiberman (sometimes Wong)
by Carrie Rosten
Chloe, an aspiring fashion designer, dreams of going to design school in London, but first has to tell her parents that she does not plan …
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First Daughter
by Mitali Perkins
During her father's presidential campaign, sixteen-year-old Sameera Righton, who was adopted from Pakistan at the age of three, struggles with campaign staffers who want to …
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Seeing Emily
by Joyce Lee Wong
Relates in free verse the experiences of sixteen-year-old Emily, a gifted artist and the daughter of immigrants to the United States, as she tries to …
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Saying Goodbye
by Marie G. Lee
In this sequel to "Finding My Voice, " Ellen Sung explores her interest in creative writing and in her Korean heritage during her freshman year …
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American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang
"Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in the popular culture. Presented in comic book format." -- Title …
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Necessary Roughness
by Marie G. Lee
Chan Kim has never felt like an outsider in his life. That is, not until his family moves from L.A. to a tiny town in …
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Lowji Discovers America
by Candace Fleming
A nine-year-old East Indian boy tries to adjust to his new life in suburban America.
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Somebody's Daughter
by Marie Myung-Ok Lee
A "heartwarming and heartbreaking"* story of a Korean American girl's search for her roots Somebody's Daughter is the story of nineteen-year-old Sarah Thorson, who was …
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What I Meant--
by Marie Lamba
Having to share her home with her demanding and devious aunt from India makes it all the more difficult for fifteen-year-old Sang to deal with …
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Wait for Me
by Na An
Mina is the perfect daughter. Bound for Harvard, she’s Honor Society president and a straight-A student, even as she works at her family’s dry-cleaning store …
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The Year of the Rat
by Grace Lin
Between her best friend's move to California and on-going dramas at the family store, Pacy begins to consider the year of the rat a complete …
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The Fold
by An Na
Korean American high school student Joyce Kim feels like a nonentity compared to her beautiful older sister, and when her aunt offers to pay for …
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She's So Money
by Cherry Cheva
Maya, a high school senior bound for Stanford University, goes against her better judgement when she and a popular but somewhat disreputable boy start a …
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A Step from Heaven
by Na An
A young Korean girl and her family find it difficult to learn English and adjust to life in America.
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The Secret Life of Maeve Lee Kwong
by Kirsty Murray
Sent to live with her strict Chinese grandparents, and uncertain of her future and where she belongs, Maeve fights to cling to her earlier life …
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Children of the River
by Linda Crew
Sundara fled Cambodia with her aunt's family to escape the Khmer Rouge army when she was thirteen, leaving behind her parents, her brother and sister, …
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Half and Half
by Lensey Namioka
FIONA CHENG IS half and half: Her father is Chinese and her mother is Scottish. Fiona looks more like her father than her mother, so …
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Shadow of the Dragon
by Sherry Garland
High school sophomore Danny Vo tries to resolve the conflict between the values of his Vietnamese refugee family and his new American way of life.
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Black Mirror
by Nancy Werlin
After her brother Daniel's death, sixteen-year-old Frances uncovers surprising truths about their boarding school's charitable group, of which Daniel was a member.
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Slant
by Laura E. Williams
Lauren, a Korean-American adoptee, has been saving for years to pay for a special eye surgery that will deepen the crease of her eyelids. However, …
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Dancing Naked
by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Kia is sixteen and pregnant. Her world crumbles as she attempts to come to terms with the life growing inside her and what she must …
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Kim/Kimi
by Hadley Irwin
Despite a warm relationship with her mother, stepfather, and half brother, sixteen-year-old Kim feels the need to find answers about the Japanese American father she …
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Good Enough
by Paula Yoo
Paula Yoo scores big in her hilarious debut novel about an overachiever who longs to fit in and strives to stand out. The pressure is …
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Split Image
by Mel Glenn
A series of poems reflect the thoughts and feelings of various people--students, the librarian, parents, the principal, and others--about the seemingly perfect Laura Li and …
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Dance for the Land
by Clemence McLaren
When twelve-year-old Kate, who is half-white, moves to Hawaii with her brother and father, she becomes a victim of racial prejudice but also learns the …
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Finding My Voice
by Marie G. Lee
As she tries to enjoy her senior year and choose which college she will attend, Korean American Ellen Sung must deal with the prejudice of …
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The Face in My Mirror
by Maureen C. Wartski
As an infant, Mai was adoped straight off a boat from Hong Kong by Leo and Vivian Houston in Serena, Iowa. Now, at fifteen, a …
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Candle in the Wind
by Maureen C. Wartski
When Harris Mizuno, a Japanese-American teenager, is shot dead by an elderly white man who mistakes him for an intruder it's up to fifteen-year-old Terry …
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Night of the Chupacabras
by Marie G. Lee
When Mi-Sun and her younger brother spend the summer in Mexico with their friend Lupe, they become convinced that there is a mysterious vampire-like monster …