BookDragon Series Tag

Astro Boy (vols. 1-5) by Osamu Tezuka, translated by Frederik L. Schodt, lettering and retouch by Digital Chameleon

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

Astro Boy, the little-boy-robot-who-could is probably Osamu Tezuka's most recognizable creation. Known as the "godfather of manga," Tezuka created Tetsuwan Atom (Mighty Atom) in Japan way back in 1951, and continued to present his manga adventures for decades. Renamed Astro Boy in the West, in 1963,...

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

16 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Absolute Favorites, Fiction, Korean American, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

For about-to-turn-sweet-16 Belly (no one calls her Isabel), summers at the beach is where her real life happens. The rest of the year pales to comings-and-goings of the large rambling seaside house, populated by two best-friend mothers and their two children each for the three...

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka 002 and 003 by Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka, co-authored by Takashi Nagasaki, supervised by Macoto Tezka

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

HOLY MOLY! And I was worried that things couldn't get better after Volume 001. Can we say WOW together? Even if you're not a manga fan, go get this series. I grabbed the original Tezuka Astro Boy series to read again, too, while I'm waiting for...

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka 001 by Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka, co-authored by Takashi Nagasaki, supervised by Macoto Tezka

07 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of manga, introduced his beloved Tetsuwan Atom – better known in the West as Astro Boy – way back in 1951. The adorable robot boy became a worldwide phenomenon, thanks to his animated incarnation that began in 1963. Since then, somewhere, somehow,...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (vols. 1-2) by Nagaru Tanigawa, art by Gaku Tsugano, characters by Noizi Ito

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

Mystery solved: For awhile (way too long), Luddite me was maintaining our main Smithsonian APA Program website (no snickering!), and every time I booted up the machine I had to work on, an adorable anime character in a little sailor suit would pop up, pointing...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa

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

In case you missed it ...

The Color of Earth and The Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa, translated by Lauren Na [in Bloomsbury Review]

02 Apr, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Korean, Repost, Translation

The first two books in a trilogy by manhwa (Korean graphic novel) master Kim introduce English readers to two generations of strong women – a beautiful widowed mother and her blossoming teenage daughter – intimately sharing their lives in early-20th century Korea. While the mother, who runs...

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look, illustrated by LeUyen Pham [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Repost

When Alvin Ho gets scared, he can’t seem to talk ...

A Golden Age [Bengal Trilogy, Book 1] by Tahmima Anam [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American, Young Adult Readers

Here’s the best news up front: Tahmima Anam’s impressive debut is the first of a planned trilogy. While still mourning the sudden loss of her too-young husband, Rehana loses custody of her young son...

This Is a Bust by Ed Lin [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Chinese American, Fiction, Repost

While Robert Chow’s life might be a bust, this second novel for the talented Lin turns out to be quite the page-turner. As the token Chinese policeman in 1976 New York Chinatown, Chow is also an...

The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Repost, Taiwanese American

Grace Lin uses her own childhood adventures in her second middle-grade title, the follow-up to last year’s successful The Year of the Dog. Pacy returns for another year of change and growth, with some...

Fairy Tail (vols. 1-2) by Hiro Mashima, translated by William Flanagan [in Bloomsbury Review]

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

The first two volumes of one of Japan’s top 10 manga bestsellers make their Stateside debut. Join the over-the-top adventures of newly inducted magic-key-carrying wizard Lucy (did she have to be so Barbie-like? Please!), motion-challenged fire...

Mia and Bravo, Mia! by Laurence Yep [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Repost

The ever-prolific Laurence Yep has penned a brand-new American Girls series featuring Mia, a talented skater who chooses figure skating over the ice hockey she’s grown up playing with her three older brothers. Dedicated and tenacious,...

The Age of Shiva by Manil Suri [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American

The long-awaited follow-up to Manil Suri's glowing debut, The Death of Vishnu, features headstrong Meera, who escapes her controlling father’s house at age 17 by marrying handsome crooner Dev which, alas, proves...

The Year of the Rat: Tales From the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin, illustrated by Miah Alcorn [in Bloomsbury Review]

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

Bing’s new pet, baby rat Ralph, proves to be a handful as he must learn to mind his own business and rein in his curiosity, not to mention his uncontrollable gnawing. Of course, his smarts and...

Mail (vols. 1-3) by Housui Yamazaki, translated by Douglas Varenas, edited by Carl Gustav Horn [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Repost, Translation

From the artist who brought you the inventively creepy Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service series comes a three-volume thriller that will cause goosebumps, even in 95 degree weather. Reiji Akiba, who grew up blind,...

To Terra (vols. 1-3) by Keiko Takemiya, translated by Dawn T. Laabs [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Repost, Young Adult Readers

Here’s an inventive new manga series, this one by a woman. It's set in the future when humans have all but destroyed planet Earth. Those who have survived the collapse have created the era of...

Translucent (vol. 1) by Kazuhiro Okamoto, translated by Heidi Plechl [in Bloomsbury Review]

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

While teenage readers will surely enjoy this manga too, adults can learn a little something about teenage dynamics. Shizuka Shiroyama, a thoughtful, timid young girl, suffers from the mysterious “Translucent Syndrome,” which means she cyclically starts...

So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 May, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Repost, Young Adult Readers

The final installment of a highly entertaining trilogy set in the same town, over the same three months, about the same three characters – each with three different perspectives about ‘how I spent my summer vacation.’...

Buddha by Osamu Tezuka [in Bloomsbury Review]

01 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Repost, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Buddha, Volume 1: Kapilavastu Buddha, Volume 2: The Four Encounters Buddha, Volume 3: Devadatta Buddha, Volume 4: The Forest of Uruvela Buddha, Volume 5: Deer Park Buddha, Volume 6: Ananda Buddha, Volume 7: Prince Ajatasattu Buddha, Volume 8: Jetavana Graphic novels are big...