I Am the Subway

English Translated by Deborah Smith 3-9 years Seoul Subway Passersby Travel Empathy Kim Hyo-eun summary I Am the Subway is one of the most beautiful books, and it’s narrated all by the actual subway! I love the idea of the subway recognizing passengers, and hearing bits about their lives. Color plays a huge part within…

Made in Korea

English & Korean YA Korean-American Identity Small Business Family Responsibility Social-Emotional Learning Relationships Sarah Suk summary Valerie Kwon and her cousin Charlie run an incredibly successful student business selling Korean beauty products. Valerie is desperate to prove to her family that she’s just as capable and business-savvy as her older sister, and take her grandmother…

Finding Junie Kim

English & Korean MG & Up Korean War Family History Korean-American Experience Racism Friendship Activism Own Voices SEL Immigration War Communism CW: Violent death of a pregnant woman Ellen Oh Cover Art: Alex Cho summary I’ll be real with you, I didn’t expect this book to rip my heart out in the way that it…

Thao

English & some Vietnamese 3 years & Up Self-Esteem Equity Growing Up Immigration Thao Lam summary Thao. Four letters, infinite pronunciation possibilities, much to Thao’s aggravation and dismay. Using a beautiful mix of collage and photos of herself as a child, Thao Lam tells the story of how she became desensitized to people mispronouncing her…

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

english MG & Up Friendship Adventure Social-Emotional Learning Own Voices Nizrana Farook summary Chaya is our protagonist and Robin Hood-esque figure, stealing from the rich and distributing it to folks in her village who need to pay for medical care, food, or other emergency costs. When she can’t resist breaking into the palace for some…