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We have picked our favorite children's books that celebrate Southeast Asian culture. These books are located in the Easy, Juvenile, and Teen sections of the library. Please note that the teen books contain both Teen Middle and Teen High titles.
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My Bollywood Dream
by Avani Dwivedi
Celebrating Mumbai and Bollywood, this exuberant picture book follows a young girl and her family as they head out to the cinema on a Friday night where they lose themselves in the show until it's time for everyone to jump up and dance.
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Garland of Lights
by Chitra Soundar
Counting from one to ten, a family celebrates all the magical moments of Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
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Love is Here With You
by Jyoti Rajan Gopal
As a family sings their baby to sleep, deities from the Hindu pantheon act as guardians of sweet slumber, from wise Ganesha, remover of obstacles; to joyful Krishna, prince of music; to powerful Durga, goddess of strength and protection.
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The Spice Box
by Meera Sriram
When he accidentally drops the spice box, which holds his family's memories passed down from one generation to the next, Rishi must draw courage and meaning from their treasured past to set things right.
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Navya Sngs for Navarathri
by Thamizhmani, Lakshmi
Celebrating Navarathri, the nine-night Hindu holiday honoring the divine feminine, Navya loves everything about Navarathri except singing in front of a crowd until the support of her female relatives and the goddess Durga help her overcome her fear.
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Spicy Spicy Hot
by Lenny Wen
Trying her Nenek's sambal to connect with both her family and Indonesian heritage, Lintang finds the delicious dish too HOT and SPICY until Nenek helps her find a way to beat the heat.
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The Yellow Âo Dáai
by Hanh Bui
When she accidentally tears her grandmother's very special yellow áo dài while practicing the Vietnamese Fan Dance for her school's International Day, Naliah learns how to mend it as well as how to believe in herself and make it her own.
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Cooler Than Lemonade
by Harshita Jerath
Refusing to give up, Eva learns to think outside the box when her neighbor across the street sets up a competing lemonade stand, creating one challenge after another.
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The Light Within You
by Namita Moolani Mehra
Arriving in India to spend Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with her beloved Nani, Diya knows her trip will come to an end all too soon and searches for a way to take some of the light and magic of Diwali with her when she leaves.
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Kalamata's Kitchen
by Sarah Thomas
Tomorrow is Kalamata's first day at a new school, and she's nervous! If only Kalamata and Al Dente could go back to the Indian spice market they visited this summer, then maybe she'd remember how to feel brave when new experiences seem scary. Luckily for Kalamata, all the magic required for her journey is right in her own kitchen!
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Amil and the After
by Veera Hiranandani
In 1948, 12-year-old Amil, who is both Muslim and Hindu, struggles to find his place in Bombay, India, until his twin sister suggests he tell his story through drawings meant for their late mother as he tries to find hope and a sense of belonging in a chaotic world.
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Unhappy Camper
by Lily LaMotte
When their parents send them to a Taiwanese American summer camp, sisters—and polar opposites—Claire and Michelle learn more about their culture and each other, forcing Michelle to decide whether to embrace her culture and family or assimilate into the popular group at school.
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Enlighten Me
by Minh Le
After standing up to a bully who made fun of his Vietnamese heritage, Binh is forced to participate in a silent meditation retreat where he unexpectedly loses himself in the stories of the Buddha's many past lives, finding inner peace and belonging.
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The Takeout
by Tracy Badua
When a new restaurant opens near her dad's Filipino Indian food truck, serving the exact same foods, Mila dabbles in Filipino folk healing and magical traditions to expose them for the recipe thieves they are.
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When Clouds Touch Us
by Thanhháa Lòai
This breathtaking novel in verse, inspired by the author's experience, follows Hà and her family, refugees from the Vietnam War, as they move to Texas for a new job, and despite not wanting to start over again, Hà discovers unwanted change can bring a good opportunity.
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Starry Henna Night
by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
When eight-year-old Priya is hired to do a henna night for a teenage party, she and her friend Melissa are worried their ideas might be too babyish for the older girls.
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Judy, Prisoner of War
by Laurie Calkhoven
Born in Shanghai, China, in 1936, Judy is an English pointer who finds her place on a English gunboat patrolling the Yangtze River, battling pirates, contending with the Japanese occupiers, and protecting her human shipmates--until they all end up in a Japanese prison camp in Sumatra at the beginning of World War II, where every day is a struggle to survive.
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American as Paneer Pie
by Supriya Kelkar
Feeling like she lives two lives as the only Indian American girl in her school, Lekha Divekar is excited to meet a Desi newcomer only to discover that her proud new friend has just relocated to America and is not content to be quiet about bullying.
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Samira Surfs
by Rukhsanna Guidroz
After months rebuilding a new life in Bangladesh with her family, Samira decides to become a Bengali surfer girl of Cox’s Bazar, in this novel in verse about a young Rohingya girl’s journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power.
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Born Behind Bars
by Padma Venkatraman
Growing up in prison because his mother is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit, Kabir is forced into the outside world and goes on the run in a place that cares little for homeless, low-cast children.
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The Not-So-Simple Question
by Christina Matula
While on a class trip to Taiwan, where her beloved Ah-Ma is from, Holly-Mei Jones, despite settling into her new friend group, is under pressure to date while wondering if maybe being half-Taiwanese isn't enough—and if she'll ever feel like she belongs.
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Parachute Kids
by Betty C. Tang
When their parents return to Taiwan, leaving her and her two older siblings in California on their own, Feng-Li must keep her family together as they all get tangled in a web of bad choices while navigating this strange new world.
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Samira's Worst Best Summer
by Nina Hamza
When her house being TP'd leads her to meet new girl Alice, Samira finds her summer full of clue-finding hunts, garage band practices and getting to know her neighbors like never before, but when her ex-best friend attempts to steal Alice away, she must stand up for her new pal.
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The Door Is Open
by Hena Khan
Celebrating the diversity of the South Asian American experience in a local community center, this heartwarming novel of interconnected stories, set in New Jersey, follows a group of local kids who gather together to discover new crushes, fight against ignorance and even save a life.
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Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment
by Arushi Avachat
Determined to keep the peace at home and at school, Arya discovers life doesn't always work out like her beloved Bollywood movies until the person she least expects gives her a glimpse of her dream sequence just when she needs it most.
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Family Style : Memories of an American from Vietnam
by Thien Pham
Told through the lens of meaningful food and meals, this graphic novel chronicles the author's childhood immigration to America where food takes on new meaning as he and his family search for belonging, for happiness and for the American dream.
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Lost in Taiwan
by Mark Crilley
When Paul becomes lost in Taiwan, he meets Pei-Jing, who teaches him about the local culture as she helps him find his way home.
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The Karma Map
by Nisha Sharma
A youth group's temple road trip through India is a liberating escape for former mean girl Tara Bajaj and aspiring photojournalist Silas D'Souza-Gupta to explore their past and their feelings for each other.
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Tamarind and the Star of Ishta
by Jasbinder Bilan
Sent to India to stay with her estranged family, Tamarind is met with culture shock, secrets and unanswered questions about her late mother as she searches for her own identity with the help of a mysterious mountain girl named Ishta.
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American Betiya
by Anuradha D. Rajurkar
Secretly dating a boy her mother deems unsuitable, a young artist struggles with family boundaries, her evolving sense of identity and the complexities of a mixed-heritage relationship in the wake of her boyfriend’s home troubles and a visit to India.
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