I invited my middle schooler to share some of her favorite books. This installment is books by Asian authors, including a mix of graphic novels, chapter books, and her favorite web-novels (webtoons). She hopes you enjoy all of these books. Make sure to also check out her previous list of POC authored books. She still re-reads many of her previous recommendations. The recommendations and descriptions are by my middle schooler, I’ve edited the list for readability.

The Book List:

Unordinary is a book that questions stereotypes, such as perfectionism, and why some people are on top. It is a graphic novel set in a fantasy world, where people have superpowers and special abilities like time manipulation, or copying other people’s special abilities. It is a good book.

I’ll Be the One is a book about a girl who is overweight and enters a K-Pop audition. She is judged by others about her looks and weight and challenges the K-Pop stereotypes. It is about her journey on how she gets past those barriers. It is a realistic fiction chapter book; the first chapter book I’ve read this year.

K-Pop Confidential, I’m only around page 80, but so far I’m hooked. It is about what a K-Pop trainee goes through to become a K-Pop idol. It goes into a behind-the-scenes look at the K-Pop industry. This is a realistic fiction book, sadly there are no pictures of K-Pop stars.

Shiver is a manga collection of short horror stories, written and illustrated by Junji Ito. I learned about it from my friend. She showed me the book and I took it from her to finish reading it. I liked it so much that I bought a different book in the same series so we could trade. It is a fantasy fictional horror book. My brother thinks those words are synonyms, but I disagree.

A Silent Voice is about a girl who is Deaf and wears hearing aids. When she starts a new school she is bullied. Eventually, the girl transfers, and plot-twist the bullier is then bullied. Plot twist two – they grow up and reunite and are now friends. It is a manga with six books in the series so far.

If you like Webtoons here are my favorites:

Dark Moon: The Blood Alter is based on a K-Pop group Enhpyen’s album Dark Blood. Vampires, a girl with superpowers who starts a new school. Read it to learn more.

Operation True Love is slightly sci-fi because there is a phone that will tell the main character who loves her. She is about to die by a villain if she doesn’t get her love points up. The main character goes on a quest to get ‘love points’ to save herself.

Villain with a Crush is another sci-fi. People have superpowers and abilities. Rosa develops superpowers and is then feared because others don’t understand her new abilities. Is she good, or bad, and who’s side is she on? The story is a giant string of misunderstandings.

Avatar: The Last Airbender my mom made me leave this one on the list. I read one chapter and so far it is good.

Erin here: I’ll add a few non-Asian middle grade books to the list to round out the list.

Healer of the Water Monster was on the Seattle Public Library Global Reading Challenge list this year. I listened to it while walking the dog and loved the story about a Native American boy and his quest to save a water monster and to restore the rains and water to a drought-stricken area. It brings climate change to life through fiction. The companion book Heroes of the Water Monster is a must read after reading book one. That one touches on family and step-brother relationships too.

The Lost Years is not by a POC author, I’m including it here since it is set in Ukraine which is currently at war. Set during the early years of the COVID pandemic a 13-year-old boy, Matthew, is stuck at home with his centenarian great-grandmother and overworked mother. Matthew learns about his great-grandmother’s life in Ukraine during the 1930s USSR, living through famine.

For a nonfiction short book, She Persisted Simone Biles, is a good introduction to biographies. The 2024 Summer Olympics is coming up, so this book might help a young reader prepare for the summer sports extravaganza. She Persisted Naomi Osaka is coming out in July 2024; I’m excited about this book too.

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