Reaching by Judy Ann Sadler, illustrated by Susan Mitchell
03 Dec, by in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific
It's another weekend ...
BookDragon Grandparents Tag
Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami, translated by Atsuko Saisho and Spencer Fancutt
28 Nov, by in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers
Much to my children's dismay (and longing), we don't have a dog (allergies). I am, however, so lucky to have a regular canine companion, Z, whose mother brings her on our twice-a-week hikes through the woods. As I was sniffling and snuffling through this heartfelt...
The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht
22 Nov, by in Adult Readers, Audio, European, Fiction
With the gushing acknowledgement of her debut novel – 2011 Orange Prize, 2011 National Book Award finalist, enthusiastic thumbs up from the New Yorker, New York Times, and too many starred reviews to count – Téa Obreht is already a renowned wunderkind. Always curious about that level of fuss, I...
Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure by Naomi C. Rose
03 Nov, by in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Tibetan American
Tashi’s beloved grandfather – her Popola – has been sick in bed for two weeks. “’The doctor’s doing all she can,’” her mother assures Tashi. But Tashi soon realizes that what will help Popola most may not be medical at all. Tashi asks Popola about how...
Amulet | Book Four: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi
19 Sep, by in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese American, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific
Although this newest installment arrived months ago, it somehow went missing, thanks to my son's kleptomaniacal tendencies whenever he sees a Kazu Kibuishi title. Just finding it buried amidst his various piles of stuff (he keeps Books 1, 2, and 3 in the car for constant,...
Chanda’s Wars by Allan Stratton
02 Aug, by in African, Canadian, Fiction, Young Adult Readers
In the six months since Mama passed away, Chanda's life has changed completely. As the sole provider for her sister Lily and brother Soly, Chanda is unable to continue her own education and instead substitutes at the primary school. With Mama gone, Chanda's best friend...
The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass
16 Jul, by in Adult Readers, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific
Just sigh with me a moment. Deep breath in, deep breath out ...
Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F. Zia, illustrated by Ken Min
13 Jun, by in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Indian American
For young Aneel, having his grandparents come live with him is like having built-in playmates, not to mention "...
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
02 Jun, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Caribbean American, Fiction
Here are a few new things I learned from Junot Díaz's 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winner that many of you already read long ago ...
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
25 May, by in Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers
Talk about timing ...
Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
15 May, by in Audio, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Southeast Asian, Young Adult Readers
Vassar Spore is every Tiger Mother's dream come true. At 16, she's got her entire overachieving life perfectly planned out with the unwavering support of two control-driven-but-nurturing parents. The three seamlessly work together toward Vassar's goals: a 5.3 GPA – the new 4.0; a degree with...
Ladder to the Moon by Maya Soetoro-Ng, illustrated by Yuyi Morales
15 Apr, by in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Hapa/Mixed-race, Indonesian American
"More than anything, I wished that my mother and my daughter could have known and loved each other," Maya Soetoro-Ng writes in her "Author's Note," mourning her late mother (anthropologist S. Ann Dunham), who died a decade before her granddaughter Suhaila was born. Through the infinite...
The Story of Lee (vol. 1) by Seán Michael Wilson and Chie Kutsuwada
05 Apr, by in Adult Readers, British, British Asian, Chinese, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Hong Kongese, Young Adult Readers
The greatest strength of this series debut is, without a doubt, the art: the first spread, for example, captures the eponymous Lee gliding along on her bike, then the shock of a narrowly-missed collision with an elderly woman, and the embarrassed apology as she picks...
Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi, translated by Erdağ M. Göknar
25 Feb, by in Adult Readers, Afghan, Fiction, Translation
With the latest ongoing violence in *fill in the blank here, alas*, Afghan writer Atiq Rahimi's tight, sharp novella is a timely reminder of how the highest price of war is paid by innocent bystanders who by some luck escape death, but are mired in...
Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan
19 Jan, by in Audio, Fiction, Hapa/Mixed-race, Latina/o/x, Middle Grade Readers
"I always thought the biggest problem in my life was my name, Naomi Soledad León Outlaw, but little did I know that it was the least of my troubles, or that someday I would live up to it." So opens Pam Muñoz Ryan’s swiftly moving coming-of-age...
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han, illustrated by Julia Kuo
14 Jan, by in Fiction, Korean American, Middle Grade Readers
Her name is Clara Lee .. "first and last. It just sounds better that way. Like peanut butter and jelly, like trick-or-treat, or fairy and princess, those words just go together. Just like me, Clara Lee." She's the newest – and first Korean American! – heroine from...
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua [in San Francisco Chronicle]
08 Jan, by in Adult Readers, Chinese American, Memoir, Nonfiction, Repost
Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother did more than speak to me. It screamed, shouted and lectured me. It made me simultaneously laugh with empathy and cringe with embarrassment and exasperation. "This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs," the...
Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza
04 Jan, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Black/African American, Fiction
Sometimes my inability to process dialects actually has an upside ...
Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
28 Dec, by in Audio, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers
Martha Boyle opens her front door one day to find the mother of her dead classmate, Olive Barstow, with what seems to be almost a message from beyond. Olive, a girl too new in...
Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: A Memoir of My Fifth-Grade Year by Esmé Raji Codell, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
22 Dec, by in Audio, Jewish, Memoir, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction
This one starts with a mini-dilemma of choice ...