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BOOK LIST:

American Born Chinese Readalikes

Updated: January 30, 2023

Book cover for The Arrival
The Arrival
Tan, Shaun
Call Number: 740.9999 T161 folio

Book cover for The Astonishing Color of After
The Astonishing Color of After
Pan, Emily X. R.
Call Number: YA

Leigh Chen Sanders a half-white half-chinese teen has lost her mother to suicide and she is positive that her mother visits her in the form of a bird. Follow Leigh in her journey of grief and loss as she remembers the past and works through the present by visiting her maternal grandparents in Taiwan and learning about her mother, discovering family secrets and discovering herself.


Book cover for Front Desk
Front Desk
Yang, Kelly
Call Number: x

Grade 4 - 6: Mia and her parents, immigrants from China, are excited to have jobs and a place to live when they start managing a motel. But their new boss won’t make repairs on his building or pay the family what they have earned. In her efforts to improve her English, Mia learns what a well-written letter can do to help her family.


Book cover for Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Call Number: YA

This historical fiction is set in San Francisco, in 1954, when Chinese Americans and immigrants had to live under increased paranoia, racism, and suspicion for having Communist ideas. Lily is interested in discovering what’s outside her Chinatown home. Her parents warned her not to leave their immediate neighborhood, but Lily ventures forth to various places, such as the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar. This is where she slowly discovers herself and a relationship with her first white friend, Kathleen. All of this means that Lily may end up in dangerous situations and more than she bargained for.


Book cover for The Legend of Auntie Po
The Legend of Auntie Po
Khor, Shing Yin
Call Number: 740.9999 K45-1

Book cover for Level Up
Level Up
Yang, Gene Luen
Call Number: 740.9999 Y22-6
Dennis Ouyang struggles to balance what lies in his heart and what his parents tell him is the more practical option. Should he attend medical school like they expect or give in to his video game addiction?

Book cover for Maizy Chen's Last Chance
Maizy Chen's Last Chance
Yee, Lisa
Call Number: x

Book cover for Marvel Voice's: Identity
Marvel Voice's: Identity
Yang, Gene Luen
Call Number: 741.5 M3915Ya

Book cover for Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
Gao, Laura
Call Number: 741.5 G211

Book cover for Millicent Min, Girl Genius
Millicent Min, Girl Genius
Yee, Lisa
Call Number: x

Book cover for Monkey King, Vol. 1: Birth of the Stone Monkey
Monkey King, Vol. 1: Birth of the Stone Monkey
Chen, Weidong
Call Number: 740.9999 M7456 v.1

Book cover for New From Here
New From Here
Yang, Kelly

Book cover for Pie in the Sky
Pie in the Sky
Lai, Remy
Call Number: x

Book cover for A Scatter of Light
A Scatter of Light
Lo, Malinda
Call Number: YA

Book cover for Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time
Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time
Yee, Lisa
Call Number: x

Gr. 4-6: After flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer school class, keep his failure a secret from his friends, and satisfy his academically demanding father.


Book cover for Stargazing
Stargazing
Wang, Jen
Call Number: x GN

Although Moon and Christine share a Chinese-American heritage, Moon is nothing like the kids Christine is used to be being around. Moon is creative and funny and she has visions of celestial beings. They learn how to be friends and what friendship means, especially after tragedy strikes. An absolute gem about a friendship with the new kid, accepting differences, and learning to love ourselves.


Book cover for We Served the People: My Mother's Stories
We Served the People: My Mother's Stories
Burell, Emei
Call Number: 951.05 B952

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