May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, honoring the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. At Booksource, we believe all kids should feel represented in their classroom library, which is why we’re devoted to carrying diverse and inclusive titles like the ones listed below.

Immerse your students in the worlds of characters from Asian American and Pacific Islander backgrounds with these picks!

1. Danbi Leads The School Parade 
by Anna Kim 

Interest level: P-2
Danbi is the new girl at school, and new to America at that. Her excitement for these new experiences fades when she walks in and the class goes quiet. Readers will cheer for Danbi as she navigates her new culture through classroom games. This book will teach students that when you open your world to others, their world opens up to you.

2. Eyes That Kiss In The Corners 
by Joanna Ho

Interest level: P-3
A young Asian girl realizes her eyes look different than her friends. While some kids have round eyes, hers kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea. As she compares her features to members of her family, the child embraces what makes her uniquely beautiful. Children will love the warm and inviting illustration style of this book.

3. Watercress 
by Andrea Wang

Interest level: P-3
As a young girl’s family drives through Ohio, they excitedly stop by the side of the road to pick watercress growing wild in a ditch. The child is embarrassed, but her mother explains the family’s experience in China and how it informs their lives today. Readers will get lost in the beautiful illustrations inspired by Chinese painting techniques and gain a new understanding of the Chinese immigrant experience.

4. Drawn Together
by Minh Le

Interest level: K-3
When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens. With a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words. Readers will appreciate this story about connecting with family even when it’s difficult.

5. Jasmine Toguchi series
by Debbie Michiko Florence

Interest level: 1-4
Debbi Michiko Florence’s charming chapter book series for young readers stars Jasmine Toguchi, a spunky, eight-year-old Japanese-American heroine unafraid to try new things while learning life lessons about family, friendship and sisterhood along the way.

6. Mindy Kim series
by Lyla Lee

Interest level: 1-4
Mindy Kim just wants three things: 1) A puppy 2) To fit in at her new school 3) For her dad to be happy again. Getting all three gets tricky when Mindy’s snack of dried seaweed isn’t exactly popular at the lunch table. Mindy and her friend Sally start the Yummy Seaweed Business to try to raise money for that puppy, but they face sabotage from her classmates. Readers will relate to Mindy’s search for a place in her classroom community.

7. Front Desk series
by Kelly Yang

Interest level: 3-7
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants, and if anyone found out, they would be in big trouble. Readers will grip the pages of this suspenseful story, rooting for Mia as she helps the immigrants and chases her dreams.

8. Kiranmala And The Kingdom Beyond series
by Sayantani Dasgupta

Interest level: 3-7
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey, until her parents mysteriously vanish later that day and a rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories—like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess—and a wealth of secrets about her origin they’ve kept hidden. Share this supernatural story with adventure-loving readers!

9. Dragon Pearl
by Yoon Ha Lee

Interest level: 3-7
Thirteen-year-old Min comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you’d never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. Min would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds. Students will love joining Min’s quest as she meets gamblers, pirates and vengeful ghosts.

10. Finding Junie Kim  
by Ellen Oh

Interest level: 3-7  
Middle schooler Junie faces racist vandalism at school and just wants to ignore it. When she learns about her grandparents’ experiences as lost children during the Korean War, she finds her inner strength. Readers will feel empowered watching Junie stand up for her culture just like her family did.

11. The Best At It 
by Maulik Pancholy

Interest level: 3-7
Rahul Kapoor is about to start middle school in small-town Indiana, and he is beyond anxious. His grandfather Bhai gives him well-meaning advice, to “find one thing you’re really good at and become the best at it.” But what if Rahul can’t be the best at anything? Readers will be charmed by this touching story about family, friendship and living your truth.

12. When You Trap a Tiger 
by Tae Keller

Interest level: 3-7
When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives. Lily discovers that her grandmother stole something from the tigers, and they promise to restore Halmoni’s health if they get it back. Can the tigers be trusted? Readers will love this engaging tale about the power of stories and the magic of family.

13. Prairie Lotus
by Linda Sue Park

Interest level: 5-7
This is a powerful, touching, multilayered book about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father’s shop and making at least one friend. Award-winning author Linda Sue Park places a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland in 1880. Narrated by Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers.

14. I’m OK
by Patti Kim

Interest level: 5-9
Ok Lee knows it’s his responsibility to help pay the bills. With his father gone and his mother working three jobs and still barely making ends meet, there’s really no other choice. If only he could win the cash prize at the school talent contest! But he can’t sing or dance, and has no magic up his sleeves, so he tries the next best thing: a hair braiding business. Share this story about brainstorming creative solutions to difficult problems with students.

15. Count Me In 
by Varsha Bajaj

Interest level: 5-9
Show students there is not one way to “look American” when you share an uplifting story about a community’s fight against racism. Two middle schoolers narrate Count Me In, telling the story of their unexpected friendship. As Karina’s grandfather starts tutoring the kid next door, Chris, she realizes he is pretty cool for a boy. When the three of them are targeted and assaulted for being Indian American, the kids vow they will not let hate win.

16. Displacement 
by Kiku Hughes

Interest level: 7-12
Fans of time-travel and graphic novels will adore this family story that goes back and forth between the present and the 1940s. Teenage Kiku is pulled back in time to witness her grandmother’s experiences in World War II-era Japanese internment camps. Living alongside the historical people in the internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class.

17. We Are Not Free
by Traci Chee

Interest level: 8-12 
Readers follow 14 Japanese American teens growing up in Japantown, San Francisco as they form a community in the face of the mass U.S. incarcerations during World War II. How will they navigate the racism and injustice that surrounds them? Share this historical fiction book with students to teach them about the obstacles Japanese American communities faced then and now.

18. An Arrow to the Moon 
by Emily X. R. Pan

Interest level: 9-12
An Arrow to the Moon is perfect for students who love stories with a hint of magic. Hunter Yee is great with a bow and arrow but haunted by his family’s past. Luna Chang dreads the future and is weighed down by her parents’ expectations. The pair navigate love, relationships with their families and an ominous crack spreading across their town.

19. Frankly in Love
by David Yoon

Interest level: 9-12
Frank Li’s parents expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl, which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit is funny and nerdy just like him, but she is also white. Frank is forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don’t leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Students will relate to Frank’s search for his identity.

What other books about Asian American and Pacific Islander characters do your students love? Tell us in the comments below!