Back to School Book List

A pile of books brought back from Hawai`i.

It is back-to-school season. I know many of you started school in August and some of you school started this week. It is a great excuse to order new books to read into the fall.

As a bonus, if you are able to order a few diverse books for the teachers in your community please do so to donate them for classrooms and school libraries or books for students to take home. Students deserve new books that have nice covers, all the pages, and are attractive to read.

Adult Books

Yellowface – This was a book I liked and hated. My friend Heidi recommended it after she listened to the audio version. The protagonist is so unlikable it is fascinating. The writer goes deep and dark with this psychological mind-twist, intertwining Asian American experiences.

Jar of Fat – I just got my copy of Seayoung Yim’s Jar of Fat play. Seayoung is an amazing playwright, formerly of Seattle, who won the Yale Drama Prize for this play. In Jar of Fat, she explores anti-fat biases, family relationships, beauty standards, and Korean American experiences.

Abraham Verghese’s newest book The Covenant of Water is an Oprah pick and getting a ton of attention. I haven’t read that very thick book yet (or 31 hours on audiobook). If you’re waiting to get the new book from the library, pick up his nonfiction My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story. He writes about being an immigrant Indian doctor during the start of the AIDS epidemic in rural Tennessee. He’s a gifted writer and it comes out in this book.

Christian Cooper and Amy Tan got me into birding. Recently while visiting family, I pulled out my phone and popped open my newly downloaded birding app to learn more about the birds in Hawai`i. I now plan to read Christian Cooper’s new book Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World. On my ‘to read/order’ list is Cooper’s Represent, a graphic novel from DC Comics where birding and superheroes come together.

Family Lore was just recommended to me by a friend. I have it on my too read list, especially since Hispanic Heritage Month starts on Sept 15.

Middle Grade and Young Adult

In a rush to finish my summer Book BINGO board, I searched for a 90-minute or less audiobook so I could complete another square — Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler filled the spot. I walked the dog extra long that day so I could finish the audiobook — it sucked me in and the dog loved his extra long walk. I learned a lot about Octavia Butler and was captivated by Ibi Zoboi’s poetry.

Children’s Book

Crowned is gorgeous. This is a collection of short fairy tales, some well known like Hansel and Gretel and others new short fairy tales with an African American and Black twist to them. The true genius is in the photographs accompanying the stories. The artist took great and loving care to get each picture just right, including hiring Black hair and makeup artists and Black costume designers. This is a gift-worthy book. It should also be in school libraries and classrooms for young children to discover.

While visiting family in Honolulu, I dragged my family to several Native Hawaiian owned bookstores – it was great. I loaded up on new books; my bag coming back was very heavy. Hi’iaka and Pana’ewa: A Hawaiian Graphic Legend is a short new graphic folktale. It is perfect for a lesson about Indigenous stories, good and bad, and possibly myths. It is perfect for beginning independent readers. I also oogled over the author’s other books Maui and Pele which did not come home with me, but I will order or borrow from a library soon.

I will stop here with the book recommendations. I have so many more diverse titles to share in future posts. I hope you enjoy some or all of these titles.

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