May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, “celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States….The month of May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.”—APAICS

Here is a list of eBooks, Audiobooks, and a Graphic Novel celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. All these books can be found on OverDrive on our website.

Multicultural:
Asian Children’s Favorite Stories: A Treasure of Folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, by David Conger & Patrick Yee — “This beautifully illustrated multicultural children’s book showcases many of the stories and fairy tales from Asia.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

China:
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin —”In the valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook and Audiobook)

Little White Duck, a Childhood in China, by Andrés Vera Martínez & Na Liu — “The world is changing for two girls in China in the 1970s, Da Qin (Big Piano) and her younger sister Xiao Qin (Little Piano) who live in the city of Wuhan with their parents.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Tiki Tiki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel & Peter Thomas —”This folktale explains why Chinese people no longer choose long names for their children.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

India:
Pashmina, by Nidhi Chanani —”In this heartwarming graphic novel debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.” (Available on OverDrive as Graphic Novel)

When the Buddha Was an Elephant: 32 Animal Wisdom Tales From the Jataka, by Mark W. McGinnis — “The Buddhist Jataka tales are simple lessons in living with honestly, wisdom and compassion that contain the power to transform the hearts and minds of those who hear them.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

The Night Run: Flashbacks, by Bali Rai —”Amritsar, India, 1919. A city on the verge of meltdown, as tension between the local people and the British colonial rulers explode.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Luka and the Fire of Light: a Novel, by Salman Rushdie —“The adventure begins one beautiful starry night in the land of Alifbay, when Luka’s father, Rashid, falls suddenly into a sleep so deep that nothing and no one can rouse him.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Japan:
Chibi: a True Story From Japan, by Barbara Brenner & Julia Takaya —”When Oka-san, a brown-and-gold duck, selects the Mitsui Office Park as the perfect spot for her nest, people flock from downtown Tokyo to watch the ducklings hatch.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr & Ronald Himler —”The star of her school’s running team, Sadako is lively and athletic…until the dizzy spells start. Then she must face the hardest race of her life—the race against time.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata & Elaina Erika Davis —“When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it’s Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare.” (Available on OverDrive as Audiobook)

Heroes, by Ken Mochizuki & Dom Lee —A Japanese American boy learns about heroism from his father and uncle who served in the U.S. Army.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Fish for Jimmy: Based on One Family’s Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp, by Katie Yamasaki —“For two boys in a Japanese American family, everything changed when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States went to war.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

Korea:
When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Keller — Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother. (Available on OverDrive as eBook and Audiobook)

The Firekeeper’s Son, by Linda Sue Park —”In Korea in the early 1800s, news from the countryside reached the king by means of signal fires. On one mountaintop after another, a fire was lit when all was well. If the king did not see a fire, that meant trouble, and he would send out his army.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

The Kite Fighters, by Linda Sue Park — “In a riveting narrative set in fifteenth-century Korea, two brothers discover a shared passion for kites.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)

A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park — “In this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters’ village famed for delicate celadon ware.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook and Audiobook)

Vietnam:
Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhhà Lai — “Inspired by the author’s childhood experience as a refugee (fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama) this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child’s-eye view of family and immigration.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook and Audiobook)

Goodbye, Vietnam, by Gloria Whelan — “When Mai’s family discovers that Vietnam government soldiers will soon apprehend her father and grandmother, the family slips away in the night.” (Available on OverDrive as eBook)