Great Middle Grade Reads by AAPI AuthorsLike this list

20 items

• Rainbow Fair

  Ma, Diana,

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  Twelve-year-old Chinese American Sophie learns about her Muslim identity for the school cultural fair while juggling expectations from her family and friends.

• The Strongest Heart

  Faruqi, Saadia,

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  Mo got used to tuning out his father's rage, and after mama leaves, Mo and Abbu move to Texas to live with family, but as Mo starts to see a future, he knows the monster within his father can come anytime.

• A Study in Secrets

  Florence, Debbi Michiko,

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  12-year-old Meg is pulled into a mysterious treasure hunt at her new boarding school and must learn to work with her new classmates, who all have secrets of their own.

• Momo Arashima Duels the Queen of Death

  Sugiura, Misa,

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  In the thrilling finale to the epic fantasy series filled with gods and monsters of Shinto mythology, a twelve-year-old girl with divine heritage risks everything to save her family—and the world—from the vengeful goddess of the underworld.

• Home Sweet Home

  Keller, Tae,

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  Korean-American middle-grader Mihi Whan Park and two friends fall into a storybook-land princess school, and quickly realize that escaping a storybook is a lot harder than falling into one.

• On Thin Ice

  Kim, Jessica, 1980-

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  Told in alternating voices, twelve-year-old fraternal twins Phoebe and Dexter reluctantly partner up for Phoebe's figure skating competition when Dexter is cut from the hockey team.

• Finally Heard

  Yang, Kelly,

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  Ten-year-old Lina wants to create a viral video to help her mom's business, but as she navigates the world of likes and views with her two best friends, Lina must find the courage to stay true to her authentic self.

• Amil and the After

  Hiranandani, Veera,

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  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…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The First State of Being

  Kelly, Erin Entrada,

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  When Ridge, a time-traveling teenager from the future, gets trapped in 1999, he befriends Michael, a lonely twelve-year-old boy, changing the course of their lives forever.

• Beasts and Beauty

  Dangerous Tales

  Chainani, Soman,

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  Twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that free hearts long kept tame, truths that explore life...and death.

• Any Way You Look

  Siddiqui, Maleeha,

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  Twelve-year-old Ainy is looking forward to working at her mother's clothing store for the summer—and someday soon wearing a hijab—but when certain boys harass her, and the boy she has a crush on does not step in, she turns to her older sister for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Winston Chu Vs. the Wingmeisters

  Lee, Stacey (Stacey Heather),

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  When San Francisco adults forget who they are and mysterious exotic birds flock to the city, twelve-year-old Winston Chu and friends team up to investigate the strange occurrences and face off against Mr. Pang's older magpie-turned-human brother,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Unbeatable Lily Hong

  Ma, Diana,

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  To save the Clarktown Community Center, which houses her parents’ Chinese school, Lily and her fellow students must master a traditional Chinese dance in time for the center’s first showcase and receive some unexpected help from her rival, Max Zhang.

• Rick Kotani's 400 Million Dollar Summer

  Brown, Waka T.,

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  Rick Kotani is looking forward to spending the entire summer playing baseball. Sure, his team never wins, but he's been practicing a special pitch he knows is going to land him a 400-million-dollar major-league contract . . . someday. That all…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Safe Harbor

  Venkatraman, Padma, 1969-

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  Moving from India to the US is difficult for Geetha, but things start to get better when she and a new friend help rescue a stranded seal.

• Snow

  Trehan, Meera,

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  In this haunting fantasy, an imprisoned princess needs the help of a girl from the modern world, who has tumbled through the kingdom's protective mist barrier, to undo a wish gone wrong and save the princess.

• Kaya of the Ocean

  Huang, Gloria L.,

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  When thirteen-year-old Chinese American Kaya learns she is the descendent of a water goddess, she must find a way to overcome her anxiety in order to control her new abilities.

• A Copycat Conundrum

  Yee, Lisa,

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  When one of their classmates starts receiving threatening notes, the Misfits investigate and uncover ties to an art forgery scheme.

• Firebred

  Kagawa, Julie,

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  Newfound friends must overcome countless danger in a quest to save the world in this epic sequel of the Storm Dragons saga!

• Infinity's Secret

  Tsang, Katie, 1987-

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  Twelve-year-old Lance Lo dreams becoming part of the Dragon Force, a team of heart-bonded humans and dragons dedicated to protecting the world from dangerous magical creatures. So he can't wait to attend Camp Claw with his younger sister, Zoe, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation