List

The creator of Little Owl's Night explores and celebrates the complexities of what makes us who we are in this comforting and thoughtful picture book.

A young narrator describes herself: a girl, a granddaughter, Indian, and American. Soon, we see the young girl as a plethora of things: selfish and generous, mean and kind, brave and mischievous. While many of these qualities oppose each other, the context and illustrations make it abundantly clear that she speaks the truth. She is a walking contradiction, and that is precisely what makes her both a unique individual and an essential piece of the greater world around her. Divya Srinivasan shows what makes us human and proud to be who we are.

A rollicking, action-packed adventure of laser tag and fierce sibling rivalries, Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena is the first book in a commercial middle grade fantasy series by Julie C. Dao.

Clip and Sadie Chu couldn’t be more different. Popular, athletic Clip wants to become his school’s first seventh-grade soccer captain, while brainy star student Sadie is determined to prove that she can do anything her boastful brother can.

They have just one thing in common: they love laser tag. Like, really love it.

When the Blackwood Gaming Arena comes to town, bringing virtual reality headsets and state-of-the-art courses, they couldn’t be more excited—or competitive. But then a mysterious figure appears and claims to be a part of the game, forcing the Chus and their friends to save themselves from a sinister force lurking inside the simulation. Together, they must fight their way through epic battlegrounds that will test their speed, skills, and smarts . . . but will Clip and Sadie learn that they’re far better off working together than competing for the ultimate victory?

A 2023 CBC Teacher and Librarians Favorite

Journey into a land of magic and powerful girls in this feminist graphic novel retelling of three Indonesian folktales.

"Brimming with spirit, this is a book all about connection and empowerment. Angkasa's gorgeous rendering and vivid storytelling will pull you right in."—Tillie Walden, author of On a Sunbeam

Once upon a time. . . a princess was cursed to live as a snail, two sisters were trapped by their father’s wrath, and a mother and daughter faced a hungry giant.

No one is coming to save them. Will they get their happily ever after?

In this collection of reimagined Indonesian fairy tales, the girls are the ones with power. The power to fight evil, to protect others, and to grow as people. Because why should girls in folktales always need saving? What if they save themselves instead?

Based on graphic novelist Clar Angkasa’s favorite childhood stories and gorgeously illustrated with a dedicated color palette for each tale, this retelling of “Keong Mas,” “Bawang Merah Bawang Putih,” and “Timun Mas” is filled with spectacular landscapes, deep emotions, and a firm belief in the power of girls’ stories.

A Rise: A Feminist Book Project Honoree
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An Evanston Public Library Great Books for Kids pick!

A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2017
Parents’ Choice Recommended

Get to know Zaha Hadid in this nonfiction picture book about the famed architect’s life and her triumph over adversity from celebrated author-illustrator Jeanette Winter.

Zaha Hadid grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and dreamed of designing her own cities. After studying architecture in London, she opened her own studio and started designing buildings. But as a Muslim woman, Hadid faced many obstacles. Determined to succeed, she worked hard for many years, and achieved her goals—and now you can see the buildings Hadid has designed all over the world.

An exciting new update of the classic Sherlock Holmes detective stories in which Sherlock is a 10-year-old kid living in Singapore and Watson is his trusty robot companion!

Introducing the Sherlock Sam series by A.J. Low--a fresh, cross-cultural twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, tailored for middle-grade readers. Set in iconic Singapore locations, the series follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving 10-year-old Samuel Tan Cher Lock (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam), Watson, his reluctant robot sidekick, and the rest of the Supper Club (a "Scooby Doo gang," of sorts) as they prove that mysteries are best solved through teamwork.
In Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong, Auntie Kim Lian's precious Peranakan cookbook disappears, and Sherlock Sam cannot eat her delicious ayam buah keluak anymore! Will Sherlock Sam be able to use his super detective powers to find this lost treasure?

Praise:
"A promising adventure series with Super Sleuth Sherlock Sam! His insatiable appetite to sample Singapore's popular foods and never-give-up attitude to solving mysteries will keep readers glued till the last page."
--Adeline Foo, author of the bestselling series The Diary of Amos Lee

"A thrilling kid's detective romp in the grand tradition of Famous Five, with a lovable robot and delicious Peranakan food!"
--Otto Fong, author of Sir Fong's Adventures In Science

"Sherlock Sam and Watson are set to become one of Singapore's favourite detective duos! Sam's preoccupation with food struck a familiar chord with the Singaporean in me and Watson's deadpan one-liners had me laughing out loud. What afun-filled, food-filled adventure story! This is a delicious read that will certainly warm your heart like a good serving of ayam buah keluak!"
--Emily Lim, award-winning author of Tibby, the Tiger Bunny and Prince Bear & Pauper Bear

"Watson is a delightful creation. He follows a rich line of great robot companions from Star War's R2D2 to Star Trek's Data; no detective should leave home without one!"
--Sonny Liew, Eisner-nominated author of Malinky Robot

"A genius kid detective would be good. A genius kid detective with a wise-acre robot sidekick is even better. Add a wicked sense of humor and you've one of the sharpest, funniest books you'll read all year."
--Hal Johnson, author of Immortal Lycanthropes

"This book will definitely draw you in with its twists and turns that will leave you guessing with each turn of the page who the culprits are. There are also many funny lines from Watson that will cause you to burst out in laughter."
--Seow Kai Lun, ?Singapore's Child

"A clever, entertaining and funny children's novel...a promising start to a new book series [with] bold and whimsical illustrations by drewscape"
--Tina Gan, Red Dot Diva

"This debut local novel is rich (in local references) and satisfying (as a mystery story)."
--Stephani Yeo, Young Parents

"BOTH boys were clamouring to read the book first, so I was left with no choice but to read the book TOGETHER with the both of them...I found it to be utterly captivating enough to make me want to complete the book in one sitting...the localized dialogue is hilariously tongue-in-cheek and the book's subtle appeal to a child's instinct for the mysterious proved to be just what kept both Ash and Ayd deeply intrigued."
--Kelvin Ang, Cheekiemonkies

"A.J. Low have created an intriguing tale which would keep young readers eager to find out what happens next, while subtly documenting old-school landmarks such as Chin Mee Chin Confectionery and Katong Antique House. Looks set to be a betseller."
--Clara Chow, My Paper

"I like this book because it leaves you with questions in your mind which make you want to keep reading."
--Greta Roberts, 9, in Expat Living Singapore

Safiya and her mother have never seen eye to eye.

Her mother doesn't understand Safiya's love of gaming, and shy Safiya doesn't think she has anything in common with her vibrant, sometimes volatile mother. But when her mother falls into a coma, Safiya's whole world shifts. She finds herself dreaming about an unfamiliar setting and a rebellious girl who's distinctly familiar.

Gradually she realizes that she's experiencing her mother's memories of her childhood in Kuwait. As Safiya unlocks these memories the way she would unlock levels in a game, she finds a path to accepting loss and embracing who she is--someone not so different from her mother after all.

Through the inspirational stories of 50 famous and under-celebrated women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, South Asian girls will have a chance to dream about lives for themselves that radically differ from the limited narratives and stereotypes written for them by their culture, wider society and the mainstream media.
Bringing together illustrious entertainers (Meera Syal, Jameela Jamil, Mindy Kaling), pioneering business leaders (Indra Nooyi, Anjali Sud, Ruchi Sanghvi) and a host of other, equally remarkable yet less well known, figures (including the British Muslim spy, Noor Inayat Khan, and fearless activist, Jayaben Desai), Stories for South Asian Supergirls seeks to redress the imbalance for young girls of colour by empowering them to break new ground for themselves and to inspire others in the process.
Illustrated with striking portraits by ten international South Asian female artists, this is a book for all ages - the perfect gift that will be treasured by parents as much as their children will enjoy reading them.

“A fantastic story about the awkward feelings of being from neither here nor there."
—Dan Santat, National Book Award winner and author of A First Time for Everything

With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she’s secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That’s when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine.

Kathy loves Maine’s idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can’t get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn’t look like the other kids in this
rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she’s not sure if it’s in America, Thailand . . . or anywhere.

Caught between two worlds—a poverty-stricken village and a fancy big-city school—a young Sri Lankan girl must decide who she really is and where she really belongs.

1998, Colombo. The Sri Lankan Civil War is raging, but everyday life must go on. At Kavi’s school, her friends talk about the weekly Top 40, the Backstreet Boys, Shahrukh Khan, Leo & Kate… and who died—or didn’t—in the latest bombing. But Kavi is afraid of something even scarier than war. She fears that if her friends discover her secret—that she is not who she is pretending to be—they’ll stop talking to her.

I want to be friends with these / happy, / fearless, / girls / who look like they / belong.
So I could also be / happy, / fearless, / and maybe even / belong.

Kavi’s scholarship to her elite new school was supposed to be everything she ever wanted, but as she tries to find some semblance of normalcy in a country on fire, nothing is going according to plan. In an effort to fit in with her wealthy, glittering, and self-assured new classmates, Kavi begins telling lies, trading her old life—where she’s a poor girl whose mother has chosen a new husband over her daughter—for a new one, where she’s rich, loved, and wanted. But how long can you pretend to be someone else?

This dazzling novel-in-verse comes from an astonishing new talent who lived through the civil war herself. Perfect for fans of Jamine Warga, Supriya Kelkar, and Rajani LaRocca, I Am Kavi centers a powerful South Asian voice, and stars an unforgettable heroine each and every one of us can relate to.

"KAVI'S COURAGE AND VOICE ARE NOT TO BE MISSED."—Reem Faruqi, award-winning author of Call Me Adnan, Unsettled, and Golden Girl

"TRIUMPHANT."—Dan Gemeinhart, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Midnight Children

"I LOVED IT!"—Nizrana Farook, award-winning author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An Indies Introduce Selection
An Indies Next Pick
A School Library Journal Middle Grade Magic Selection
A Children's Book Council Hot off the Presses Selection

A stunning picture book about a family's connection to their land, their home, and each other--from the creators of My First Day.

Long ago, Grandfather came to a new land. Fish swam in the water, birds chirped in the sky, monkeys played in the trees. And in this wilderness, with his own two hands, Grandfather built a house.

It wasn't easy. But the land gave him what he needed. And it became his home. Decades later, his grandson will have all he needs: a head full of memories, two capable hands, and the heart to appreciate family, nature, and home. This picture book creates a warm symphony of conservation and the sacred bond between grandparent and child, perfect for baby showers, birthdays, and family celebrations.

"This bright and bubbly early reader graphic novel, based on debut creator Yu's own immigration story, validates the sometimes overwhelming nature of learning an unfamiliar language as a child in a new country." --Publishers Weekly
 

Being the new kid in school is scary enough. But imagine what it would be like if you were the new kid in a new school, in a new country. That's exactly the situation Mei Yu finds herself in when her family moves from China to Canada. As she navigates her new school, she discovers a unique way to learn English and makes a new friend along the way in this heartwarming story based on the author's own experiences.
 

In this stand-alone companion novel to the acclaimed Boy, Everywhere, A. M. Dassu returns to extend the story of Sami's best friend Ali, who organizes a charity soccer match for their friend Aadam while his whole life is privately unraveling.

After their friend Mark's mum wins the lottery and gets a giant house with an indoor pool, Ali and Sami have been having the time of their lives hanging at Mark's house. Even their friend Aadam gets a job there, which means he can make more money for his legal battle for UK residency. But when some money goes missing, Aadam is accused of stealing it--and all three boys are unceremoniously kicked out of Mark's house in suspicion.

On top of that, Ali's dad, who abandoned the family when Ali was little, is suddenly turning up everywhere in town, and a half-brother Ali never knew has shown up at Ali's school. Ali feels miserable and resentful about it, making it hard to be a good friend.

The boys know Aadam is innocent, and if he doesn't raise thousands of pounds right away, he could get deported back to Syria amidst its civil war. At least Ali has a plan: they'll host a charity football penalty match to raise money for Aadam so he can stay in the UK.

But can Ali pull together the match--even if he feels his whole life at home is falling apart?

A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.

Nothing can prepare you for The Gauntlet…

It didn’t look dangerous, exactly. When twelve-year-old Farah first laid eyes on the old-fashioned board game, she thought it looked…elegant.

It is made of wood, etched with exquisite images—a palace with domes and turrets, lattice-work windows that cast eerie shadows, a large spider—and at the very center of its cover, in broad letters, is written: The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand.

The Gauntlet is more than a game, though. It is the most ancient, the most dangerous kind of magic. It holds worlds inside worlds. And it takes players as prisoners.

Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in the adorable chapter book series following Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl—in this fifth novel, Mindy goes to South Korea!

Mindy is super excited to go to South Korea to visit her grandparents! She has never taken such a big trip before, and she can’t wait to see her family again. Plus, Dad’s girlfriend, Julie, is also going to meet the family for the first time.

Mindy and Julie decide to make a traditional Korean meal for the family as a thank-you for hosting. But after a few mishaps, Mindy fears they are cooking up a big disaster in the kitchen! Can Mindy and Julie make sure their meal passes the most important taste test of them all?

"An affirming and enchanting love letter from parent to child." -- Kirkus (starred review)

"The heartfelt title will be welcomed by new parents as the narrator voices the universal dream of wishing the best in life for their newborn." --Booklist

"It's cozy and hopeful in all the best ways."--Publishers Weekly

A 4-star Common Sense Selection recipient for Books

From New York Times bestselling Joanna Ho, author of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners and Eyes that Speak to the Stars, comes a heartfelt picture book about the depths of a mother's love. One Day is a mother's ode to her baby boy--she shares her hopes and dreams for her son as she envisions him exploring the world.

Her son will be courageous and kind, powerful and curious, and blaze his own trail. He will know that it is okay to cry, or be scared, or uncertain. Above all, he will know that he is more than enough exactly as he is.

An extraordinary gift for Mother's Day and loved ones everywhere.

One day,

your hair will tumble across your head

as you embark on adventures

Life will pull tears that

Roll like rivers over your cheeks

Let them roll, sweet boy

Softness is a sign of strength

This biography of basketball superstar Jeremy Lin is an anthem of Asian American pride that speaks to any child who feels underestimated or misunderstood. If Lin can, you can!

Have you ever been told that you CAN’T? Growing up in the Bay Area, Jeremy Lin heard that over and over again. People made fun of his size and his race and wouldn’t give him a chance. But Jeremy persevered until he became the first Taiwanese American to play in the NBA. And when his big moment came, he seized it!

Jeremy’s meteoric rise, dubbed "Linsanity," inspired the world and a whole generation of young Asian Americans. As author Richard Ho puts it, “Jeremy’s struggles were our struggles, so his triumphs were our triumphs. He made us believe that if he could succeed, so could we.”

Fitting in at a new school is hard enough, but when you're an awkward, big-nosed, nerdy Pakistani girl with a funny last name, it can seem impossible.

Eleven-year-old Alina Butt has changed schools four times already since her family moved to England from Pakistan. Even after all that practice, she doesn't seem to be getting any better at being the new kid. Mocked for her last name and her "weird" lunches, Alina has had enough! Taking a leap of faith to try and stand out for the "right" reasons, Alina auditions for the school play. Her hopes of landing the lead role in Cinderella are dashed when her new friend gets the part of Cinderella instead...and her bully is cast as Prince Charming!

Alina must rely on her stubborn will and wacky sense of humor to survive the endlessly embarrassing and ridiculous situations she finds herself in and discover her own unique way to shine!

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

An Indigenous legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or Mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, based on the Academy Award–contending short film.

In the 15th century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing.
 
As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once-sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today.

With illuminating words and stunning illustrations by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Daniel Sousa, KAPAEMAHU is a monument to an Indigenous Hawaiian legend and a classic in the making.