Fighting to Belong! Volume 1: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander History from the 1700s Through the 1800s by Amy Chu and Alexander Chang illustrated by Louie Chin

“Why aren’t there more books that introduce AANHPI history to students?”

Sammy, Tiana, Joe and Padmini have a school project due on AAPI history and get lucky when Tiana’s neighbor, Kenji, agrees to give them a special tour of their local American History museum.  It turns out Kenji is not only deeply knowledgeable about Asian American and Pacific Islander history, he also has a few tricks up his sleeve which enable time travel.  

First stop is St. Malo, Louisiana where the crew learns about the Manilamen and their settlement in the American South over two hundred years ago.  Next is the Chinese American history of California, followed by the colonization of Hawai’i and an explanation of the term “Pacific Islander.”  

All told, the full-color comic is slim and fast-paced at 28 pages and followed by a 10 page curriculum guide and an afterword by Norman Chen who begins with the question “Why aren’t there more books that introduce AANHPI history to students?” 

The book may feel a bit didactic to casual readers but teachers will certainly cheer and eagerly anticipate the promised future volumes.  Overall this book is indispensable to educators of 5th  through 7th  graders.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Chang, Alexander, and Amy Chu.  Fighting to Belong Vol. 1.  San Francisco:  Third State Books, 2024.

Who Was Bruce Lee? by Jim Gigliotti Illustrated by John Hinderliter

This fast-paced juvenile biography dives into the 1964 spectacle of 23-year old Bruce Lee doing pushups using only two fingers on one hand before an amazed crowd at the International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, California.  Hinderliter’s masterful pencil illustrations support visual learners,   while text boxes cover some of the most interesting aspects of Lee’s tragically short life including his passion for dancing the Cha Cha. Recommended for curious readers of all ages. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Gigliotti, Jim and John Hinderliter.  Who Was Bruce Lee?  New York: Penguin Workshop, 2014.  Ebook.

This copy was accessed through the New York City Department of Education collection available digitally on Sora.

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

We kicked off AAPI Heritage Month 2021 with a schema activity around the geography of Asia using Geo Kids’ Asia puzzle.   Many thanks to Literacy for Incarcerated Teens for providing these approachable puzzles that invite students to use their hands assembling the Asian continent from Iran to Japan.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

“The best way to eliminate a group is to demonize them, such that their disappearance is seen as an act of justice, not discrimination.”  These words from the forward of Beyond the Gender Binary could appear in any book about New York City youth experiencing detainment.  Vaid-Menon uses this short and powerful frame to challenge the reader to shake oneself from the ignorance and complicity of transphobia.  Trans folks, non-binary people, and students with friends and family members whose identities go beyond the gender binary will find this book essential.  Which is to say: everyone. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Vaid-Menon, Alok.  Beyond the Gender Binary.  New York: Penguin Random House, 2020. ebook.

Click here for a short interview with the author from the publisher.