BookDragon Nonethnic-specific

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole

06 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Absolute Favorites, Black/African American, Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

In our hyper-connected world of constant chatter, quiet is a difficult-to-access, precious commodity. Take a sweeping look around you, take a few minutes to turn everything off, and grab a copy of this spectacular, wordless book. That's right – no words, beyond the author's dedication (to a...

The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb

05 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Australian, British, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction, Young Adult Readers

Neal Bascomb is a consummate storyteller: he can unravel a tale with an ending you already know, set it at a heart-thumping pace, and never let you rest until you hit that final page. Unless you've been in total seclusion your entire life, you probably know...

Gilead and Home by Marilynne Robinson

03 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

Gilead and Home are parallel stories – that is, one is not a sequel or prequel of the other, but what happens in one, happens contemporaneously in the other. As satisfying as each novel can be alone, to read both one after the other will be...

A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

02 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Indian, Nonethnic-specific, South Asian

Of the debut novels by non-Asian men writing about Asia and Asian characters that I've read thus far this year, three stand out: Adam Johnson's The Orphan Master’s Son, Brandon Jones' All Woman and Springtime, and most recently this title by Virginia attorney Corban Addison. The one...

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale

16 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

I'm a little hesitant to tell you about this ingenious book ...

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

12 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

Since Brian Selznick’s remarkable Wonderstruck has been out for almost a year, this may be rather old news for you. However, if, like me, you're crawling out from that comfy rock and need an unforgettable fix to take back under, here's your perfect next choice. Oh,...

Zephyr Takes Flight by Steve Light

10 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

Of course, a child named Zephyr is predestined to love planes, always ready to ride the gentle winds in the limitless sky. [I should also mention that "Zephyr" is the name of the (unmanned, solar-powered) plane that holds the world record for being continuously airborne...

Amulet | Book Five: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi

01 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese American, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific

When's the last time you competed with one of your kids to read a book? Especially when said child is usually not so interested in anything without a screen? Good thing my bedtime is a little later than his, or else I'd never have gotten...

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez and Kristin Ohlson

14 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Afghan, Audio, Memoir, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

Writing a memoir these days is dangerous business: you can be outed on Oprah as the worst liar, along with your publisher (James Frey, A Million Little Pieces), you can become infamous overnight for breaking the hearts of millions who not only trusted you but even gave...

Zoya’s Story: An Afghan Woman’s Struggle for Freedom by Zoya with John Follain and Rita Cristofari

09 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Afghan, Memoir, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

Zoya was just a year old when Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan in December 1979. By age 4, she made a Russian woman soldier cry when she refused to accept her proffered chocolate. She was raised mostly by her devout grandmother, while both parents worked to...

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

01 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

Now that we're in the final weekend of summer, I figured today was the right day to choose what was apparently the title this season (yes, I do open the occasional mega-bestseller, the few times I crawl out from under my rock). Since Reese Witherspoon's production company...

Drama by Raina Telgemeier, with color by Gurihiru

31 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Drama/Theater, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific

Just so you have a little warning, tomorrow (September 1) is #DRAMADAY. That means veteran comics-maker Raina Telgemeier's latest book hits shelves tomorrow ...

Gold by Chris Cleave

26 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, British, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

Exactly two weeks have passed since the London 2012 closing ceremony; still feeling Olympic withdrawal? Might I suggest a literary antidote: Chris Cleave's latest novel, made even more timely as the Olympic sport of choice here is cycling (albeit indoors). Road cyclist Bradley Wiggins emerged...

Food and Faith by Susan Reuben and Sophie Pelham

13 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in British, British Asian, Children/Picture Books, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

Six children, six different faiths … while their holy days and festivals vary, the one thing they share – that we all share, regardless of the specifics of our backgrounds – are special foods we share with family and friends to celebrate memorable occasions. Francesca is...

The Girl Who Loved Danger: A Steve Light Storybox by Steve Light

11 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in African, Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

As the e-publishing world is shrinking our stories into little mobile devices, storyteller, teacher, and author Steve Light brings back some delightful heft with his new Storybox collection that features classic tales from around the world that your youngest readers can bring immediately to life ...

March by Geraldine Brooks

09 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

"'I've always imagined paradise as something like a library,'" the titular March expounds. Is that not a perfect thought? Alas, while March is Geraldine Brooks' most award-winning – that yellow circle on the cover announces its 2006 Pulitzer Prize – I must confess it was my least favorite; if I had...

Long Lost and Live Wire [Myron Bolitar series 9 and 10] by Harlan Coben

29 Jul, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

When the running gets tough (and long), I find my latest default stuck-in-the-ears choices to last me another 10, 20, 30 miles is something by Harlan Coben (because his Tell No One was my first pulp mystery ever and remains a favorite over a decade later) or Carl Hiaasen (because I get so...

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer

08 Jul, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Memoir, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction, Young Adult Readers

I debated for a couple of weeks over posting about this book (no, I really don't post every title I read) ...

Kodoku by Wililam Emery, illustrated by Hanae Rivera

05 Jul, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Biography, Children/Picture Books, Hapa/Mixed-race, Japanese, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

Kodoku is one of those rare titles that immediately makes you want to learn more about what you just read. The slim kiddie book chronicles the extraordinary voyage of a young man – "Kenichi the brace, Kenichi the adventurer" for whom "the wind blows forever / across...

Faith: Five Religions and What They Share by Richard Steckel and Michele Steckel

01 Jul, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

With everyday declarations of about how different we are (bipartisan struggles, ongoing wars, shifting borders, even playground scuffles), sometimes we need reminders of how alike we are to connect us back together. As founders of the Milestones Project which champions mutual respect, understanding, and acceptance...