BookDragon Origin/Ethnic Background

The Angel of Galilea by Laura Restrepo, translated by Dolores Koch

12 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, South American, Translation

A magazine reporter, referred to as "La Monita, Blondie" – because of her "mass of blond hair" thanks to her Belgian grandfather – is sent to cover an angel sighting in the Bogotá...

The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Sebastià Serra

11 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Chinese, Chinese American, Fiction

To commemorate a dear friend's birthday, today's title had certain content requirements: something about a new year, obedient children (every parent's dream-birthday wish!), delicious food, giggly humor, all wrapped up in colorful packaging. Thankfully,...

Leo the Snow Leopard: The True Story of an Amazing Rescue by Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff

10 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction, Pakistani

Given this morning's short flurries here in DC, had to post something with SNOW in the title! Welcome to Leo's world, brought to you by the same bestselling, award-winning Hatkoff family...

Replay by Sharon Creech

09 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Audio, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific

His name is Leonardo, he'll answer to Leo, but he's most often called "sardine" by his nearest and dearest because several years ago, "Leo got squashed in a corner and cried ...

Brain Camp by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan, art by Faith Erin Hicks, color by Hilary Sycamore

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

Checking my inbox yesterday, I received quite a flurry of emails highlighting the latest announcement that Chinese students are outscoring all other students in international standardized testing, with their U.S. counterparts ranked 23 or...

Mali Under the Night Sky: A Lao Story of Home by Youme

07 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Biography, Children/Picture Books, Laotian, Nonfiction, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian American

As thin as this title might seem, it actually embodies three important sections. The main focus is clearly the story of young Mali, which begins with her carefree life in her native Laos...

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

06 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Chinese American, Fiction, Hong Kongese

I didn't actually read most of Jean Kwok's debut novel, but Grayce Wey who read it to me made it un-put-downable. Wey's gentle, lilting accent which fades in and out depending on...

Buddha’s Orphans by Samrat Upadhyay

05 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Nepali, Nepali American

First off, Samrat Upadhyay is one of my favorite short story-tellers. His debut Arresting God in Kathmandu remains one of the most memorable collections I've ever read, and a quote from the review I...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

02 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, European, Fiction, Jewish, Middle Grade Readers, Young Adult Readers

Given the somber subject matter of this title, I realize this probably verges on sacrilegious, but no disrespect is intended in any way ...

The Year of the Rabbit: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin, illustrated by Justin Roth

01 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Chinese American, Fiction

How did 2010 whoosh by so quickly? Is it really December already? Since 'next year' is just a month away, take a sneak peek at 2011 with baby Rosie! With her especially huge...

Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale by Karen Henry Clark, illustrated by Patrice Barton

30 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Chinese American, Fiction

Oh my, oh my ...

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

29 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Biography, Mongolian, Nonfiction

Hurray (itself a word of Mongol origin) for cultural anthropologist and Macalester College professor Jack Weatherford who reclaims Genghis Khan from a much maligned history that defines him as "the quintessential barbarian," leading an...

The Playwright by Daren White, art by Eddie Campbell

28 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Australian, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha

The unnamed playwright here is one lonely man. He "lodges" in Uncle Ernie's spare room as his own family stopped talking to him in 1978 when his screenplay "based upon his older, retarded brother" aired...

Out of Iraq: Refugees’ Stories in Words, Paintings and Music by Sybella Wilkes, foreword by Angelina Jolie, in association with UNHCR

27 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in British, Children/Picture Books, Iraqi, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction

Alas, tragic headlines continue to repeat over and over: The front page of today's New York Times reports, "Iraq's Ills Lead Former Exiles to Flee Again." [An online version of the article is available...

MAOH: Juvenile Remix (vol. 1) original story by Kotaro Isaka, story and art by Megumi Osuga, translated by Stephen Paul

26 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Ando, now in 11th grade, is more or less going through the motions of fitting in: "If I said I didn't feel empty inside for putting up an act ...

Mirror by Suzy Lee

23 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Korean

A lone little girl looks up to see a reflection of herself on the other page. Surprised, she checks again with just one eye, making sure the reflection is still there. No longer alone,...

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

22 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Absolute Favorites, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

I fully admit that had Mockingbird not won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature last week, I probably wouldn't have read it. I'll also tell you that by page 9, I...

Toriko (vol. 1) by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, translated by Christine Dashiell, adapted by Hope Donovan

21 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

We've all heard the stories of palate-adventurers willing to go to extreme lengths to try some of the most ...

Country Road ABC: An Illustrated Journey Through America’s Farmland by Arthur Geisert

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

While today's country roads might seem to resemble life from centuries past, subtle contemporary reminders are unmistakable ...

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Robert Byrd

19 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Biography, Children/Picture Books, Mongolian, Nonfiction

Let's start with the last pages first: Kathleen Krull notes in her "Author's Note" that "[i]nformation about Kubla Khan is sketchy." Her illustrator Robert Byrd adds that "[p]ictoral references dealing with the...