barnwife Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Can you please list books your 10-14ish yo have enjoyed with Asian characters or that take place (at least partly) in Asia? Picture books welcome, but would really appreciate some novels. We are doing a family reading challenge. Due to the Olympics, we have 2 themes for February. One is the Olympics. Finding books for that has been easy. The other is books with a setting somewhere in Asia or an Asian character. (Yes, we went with all of Asia for the theme, versus just China. Yes, we will be discussing the difference with the youngers.) I'd love to find some more novels as possibilities for our almost 12 yo and almost 10 yo. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 I often use this website when I am looking for books set in a particular location: https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/diverse-historical-middle-grade-fiction/ (this is their list for diverse historical fiction). From this one, there are links to others, including picture books. Linda Sue Park and Lawrence Yep come to mind as having books for this age group set in Korea and China. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 The front desk lotus prairie the heart of the samurai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Picture books that are favorites at our house and amazing for all ages: Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges and The Moon Lady by Amy Tan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 The ones I enjoyed as a 14 year old Memoirs of a Geisha (it's graphic though has mature content even though the girl in the story for a while is a teen), but one of the few "coming of age" stories I really like. Amy Tan books are more about China and for example the daughters in Joy Luck Club are really my mom's generation. I read it as a teen and it gave me perspective on my mom and her mom's relationship. Studio Ghibli cartoons are really good too. If you are studying WW2 (I don't know if it's appropriate for 10 year old), but Grave of the Fireflies is a very good one. It's about the final months of WW2 in Japan through the eyes of a teen and his kid sister. (Yes it's absolutely heartbreaking and you may need more than one box of tissues.) Sprited Away, Castle in the Sky and Totoro are totally OK for 10 year old. Sorry my high recommendations are so depressing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 My 12 yod just finished The Chinese Cinderella and Red Scarf Girl. Both are non-fiction, though, with deep themes. My dd learned a lot from them, and she would say she liked them except saying you like sad stories isn't the right word. (The last part is a direct quote from her bc I just asked.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal_Bear Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) I started an ethnic literature book club for Asian Amercian homeschoolers this year. FWIW, I have a degree in Asian American studies so I have a broad definition of Asian American literature. It depends if you include the middle east in your definition of Asian. In any event, I will give you the books I selected so far for the year. I try to chose less common Asian cultures and stories and other historical eras as well because of the group I am working with Daughter of the Mountains by Louise Rankin (Tibet - right at the end of British rule in India) Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai (Afghanistan pre 9/11) Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher (Persia - Islamic Golden Age) Kite Fighters By Linda Sue Park (Korea 15th c) Water Sky by Jean Craighead George (Eskimo heritage/Alaskan whaling industry) The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson (Japan - Tokugawa era just before industrialization) Edited January 25, 2022 by calbear 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) Some ideas, with reading level/interest level included: JAPAN - Japanese Children's Favorite Stories (Sakade) -- all ages, folktales - The Cat Who Went to Heaven (Coatsworth) -- gr. 4-6 - Heart of a Samurai (Preus) -- OR -- Born in the Year of Courage (Crofford) -- gr. 4-6 - Sadako and the Thousand Cranes -- gr. 4-7 - Demon in the Teahouse (Hoobler) -- gr. 5-7 - The Master Puppeteer (Paterson) -- gr. 6-8 - Sign of the Chrysanthemum (Paterson) -- gr. 6-8 - The Samurai's Tale (Haugaard) -- gr. 7-9 KOREA - Tales of a Korean Grandmother (Carpenter) -- all ages, folktales - Kite Fighters (Park) -- gr. 3-5 - The Royal Diaries: Sondok, Princess of the Moon and Stars (Holman) -- gr. 4-6 - A Single Shard (Park) -- gr. 4-6 - When My Name Was Keoko (Park) -- gr. 5-7 MONGOLIA - I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade (Wilson) -- gr. 6-8 CHINA - Ch'l-Li Purse (Fang) -- all ages, folktales - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Lin) -- gr. 3-5 - Year of the Dog (Lin) -- gr. 3-5 (family of Chinese descent in the U.S.) - In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (Lord) -- gr. 4-6 (Chinese immigrant family in the 1940s U.S.) NEPAL/INDIA - Daughter of the Mountain (Rankin) -- gr. 5-7 THAILAND - Breath of the Dragon (Giles) -- 3-5 VIETNAM - The Land I Lost; Water Buffalo Days (Nhuong) -- gr. 5-7; memoir INDIA - Keeping Corner (Sheth) -- gr. 7-9 ETA:"83 Best Asian Middle-Grade Books" -- big list, lots of countries, contemporary and historical fiction Edited January 25, 2022 by Lori D. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Favorites here: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (and others by Grace Lin) Heart of a Samurai When My Name Was Keoko A Single Shard The Samurai’s Tale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 If you want outside of China, in addition to the ones already listed by others, The Breadwinner series (Afghanistan/Pakistan), The Year of Impossible Goodbyes (N.Korea) and its sequel Echoes of the White Giraffe (S. Korea) (all fiction) and the YA edition of I Am Malala (Pakistan) (non-fiction). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 2 hours ago, calbear said: It depends if you include the middle east in your definition of Asian. In any event, I will give you the books I selected so far for the year. I try to chose less common Asian cultures and stories and other historical eras as well because of the group I am working with I'm fine with a broad definition. I'd love to see other things that haven't made the cut for your club! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal_Bear Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, barnwife said: I'm fine with a broad definition. I'd love to see other things that haven't made the cut for your club! Well, I haven't been concentrating only on Asian cultures.. Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (Sudan, Lost Boys) Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan (Africa/England) I am contemplating these: Breaking Stalin's Nose (Russia, 1930s) The Disappeared (Argentina, kidnapping 1970s) The Queen of Water (Ecuador, indigenous people, child slavery) The Lions of Little Rock (post integration Arkansas school) The Indian School (Native American, missions school) Boys Without Names (India, child labor) Kira Kira (Japanese immigration, deep South) Dragon's Gate (Chinese immigration, transcontinental railroad) Most of the books are dealing with difficult topics and issues. Edited January 25, 2022 by calbear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 It is mentioned above - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is one of my all time favorite stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 8:54 PM, Lovinglife123 said: My son really liked Ghengis Khan and the mongol horde. He might like the Genghis series by Conn Iggulden. I do remember liking Dragon's Gate but can't for the life of me actually remember the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianthus Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) I liked The Good Earth, set in China. It's not exactly graphic, but there is some mention of husband and wife on wedding night, then later a prostitute turned concubine, and a cousin jeopardizing one of the daughter's purity. It has been awhile since I read it. You might want to preread. I wouldn't give it to my 12 yr old. It might make a good read aloud to enable you to edit. Little Pear, also set in China, is a cute, easy reading chapter book for your younger kids. I just read it to my ds7. There is a sequel too, but I don't recall that title. Edited January 30, 2022 by Spirea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateCake Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianthus Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 @barnwife what else are you doing for your Olympics study? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 9 hours ago, Spirea said: @barnwife what else are you doing for your Olympics study? I'd like to be able to claim that it's well-planned out...it's not. When I introduced the idea of a thematic reading challenge, I said this month's theme would be Asia thanks to the Olympics being in China, so any books about Asia or with Asian (main) characters would count. The kids countered with "books about the Olympics should count too." So I rolled with it. Basically, we are checking out as many books as possible from the library that qualify and reading them. We have watched some stuff on various Olympic sports from youtube. The kids have been holding their own "olympics." Sometimes they compete; sometimes their stuffies do. So the Olympics part is very unschooling-ish/strewing information around. We've also discussed our qualms with the Olympics (how it currently seems sadly based on money, venues are built and never used again, etc...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianthus Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Just remembered this film and thought of this thread. Our library has Disney nature's Born in China and it is beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanabug Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Inside Out and Back Again Listen, Slowly Both by Thanhhà Lai and set in Vietnam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 "The Big Wave" by Pearl S Buck. That is on the younger side. My son read it at 10 and loved it. There is also a contemporary series my daughter has loved called where the book titles all start with "The Year of..." So like "The Year of the Dog" and "The Year of the Baby." These books are more where the main character is Asian and is written by an Asian person, but takes place in the US. They are not books making a political statement or anything, just enjoyable juvenile literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 Modern ones with Asian American protags: Alvin Ho, American Born Chinese, Miss Marvel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.