Award Winning and Notable Children's Books PreK - 8

As long as he can remember, Xian has wanted to be a great calligrapher, like his father. When he turns six, he's finally old enough to start studying. Calligraphy is more than writing--it's painting--and Xian learns how much work and creativity go into what look like effortless strokes.

On the island of Koh Panyee, in a village built on stilts, there is no open space. How will a group of Thai boys play soccer? After watching the World Cup on television, a group of Thai boys is inspired to form their own team. But on the island of Koh Panyee, in a village built on stilts, there is no open space.

Discover the unlikely story of Beate Sirota Gordon, a young woman who grew up in Japan and returned as a translator working for the American military after WWII. Fluent in Japanese language and culture, she was assigned to work with the delegation writing the new post-war constitution. Thanks to her bravery in speaking up for the women of Japan, the new constitution ended up including equal rights for all women.

In this beautiful, heartfelt picture book, a young girl moves from a small village to a big city in China, where she longs to find a friend...and ultimately meets someone very much like her.

When the Sakura Bloom by Nariso Togo sheds light on the cultural significance of cherry blossom season in Japan, and an insight into the unique mindset of its people. Through subtle text and gentle imagery readers will see the importance of slowing down to appreciate the moment. That comfort, not despair, can be found in the inevitable cycles of the seasons. How change can usher in opportunities and rejuvenation. Moreover, When the Sakura Bloom is an understated illustration of the importance of celebrating the fleeting, delicate beauty of nature and the metaphor this represents for life itself.

An Eisner-nominated middle grade graphic novel adventure based on a true story, in which a young conservationist overcomes the odds to save and return a sun bear to its natural habitat.

A multigenerational retelling of a Japanese legend. Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, celebrates a popular folktale: The Emperor of the Heavens separates his daughter, Orihime, from her love, Hikoboshi, all year--but on this day the two stars finally reunite, crossing a bridge over the Milky Way.

Sachiko's family home was about half a mile from where the atomic bomb fell on August 9, 1945. Her family experienced devastating loss. When they returned to the rubble where their home once stood, her father miraculously found their serving bowl fully intact. This delicate, green, leaf-shaped bowl--which once held their daily meals--now holds memories of the past and serves as a vessel of hope, peace, and new traditions for Sachiko and the surviving members of her family.

An honest and stirring novel about the choices made by young environmental activists, and the balancing act between consequence and triumph.

When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents' extraordinary strength and finds her voice. Inspired by her mother's real-life experiences during the Korean War, Oh's characters are real and riveting.

With war looming on the horizon and winter setting in, can two children escape North Korea on their own?

What was the pandemic of the century like at the start This swift, gripping novel captures not only the uncertainty and panic when COVID first emerged in Wuhan, but also how a community banded together.

From renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure filled with the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko featuring beautiful illustrations from Miho Satake.

Waka T. Brown, who takes readers on a journey to 1980s Japan, where she was sent as a child to reconnect to her family's roots. When twelve-year-old Waka's parents suspect she can't understand the basic Japanese they speak to her, they make a drastic decision to send her to Tokyo to live for several months with her strict grandmother.

"An essential read...with a message of hope and community." --Booklist (starred review) In the spirit of A Place to Belong, this "moving" novel-in-verse examines the aftershocks of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011 through the eyes of a young girl who learns that even the smallest kindness can make a difference.

The narrator is a composite of people Pu Zhelong influenced in his work. With further context from Melanie Chan's historically precise watercolors, this story will immerse young readers in Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and the use of biological controls in farming.

A boy helps an injured crane, that then returns in human form to weave silk and save the boy and his father from poverty. Adapted from Japanese folktales and told in alternating prose and haiku.

From the author and illustrator of A is for Activist (Seven Stories, 2013) comes a high-adventure, true story from the author's childhood in Indonesia. On its surface, My Night in the Planetarium is a modern Indonesian children's story about one night in the late '70s that the author got to spend in the Jakarta planetarium with his mum. But it's actually much more than that. It's an introduction to the history and culture of Indonesia. It's about colonialism, revolution, how power corrupts and how through art and solidarity liberation can win.

A young Korean boy named Sun-sin designs one of the greatest battleships in history and fulfills his dream of sailing the world.

Confucius is one of the most influential thinkers in history, and his teachings, collectively known as Confucianism, have transcended the ages. His ideas continue to influence democratic ideals and serve as a guide to a moral and responsible life.

In this important and moving true story of reconciliation after war, beautifully illustrated in watercolor, a Japanese pilot's flight over the continental U.S. during WWII--the only enemy ever to do so--and comes back 20 years later to apologize.

The master gave Ben, Jing, and An one dormant lotus seed each. Ben ran off to look for a hoe and buried his seed in the snow-covered ground. Jing chose the best flowerpot and compost. An led his everyday life as usual, waiting patiently until spring came.

In this new additon to the Little Kunoichi series, author and illustrator Sanae Ishida's beautiful art pairs with a gentle, fun lesson, featuring Little Kunoichi's buddy, Chibi Samurai.

My First Book of Vietnamese Words is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces Vietnamese language and culture to young children through everyday words. This Vietnamese children's book teaches in a playful way--combining the familiar ABC rhyming structure with vivid illustrations to encourage young children's natural language learning abilities.

In early-1900s Japan, Misuzu Kaneko grows from precocious bookworm to instantly-beloved children's poet. But her life ends prematurely, and Misuzu's work is forgotten. Decades later her poems are rediscovered--just in time to touch a new generation devastated by the tsunami of 2011.

Here it is! The hugely anticipated follow-up to Gratz's NYT bestselling, critically acclaimed phenomenon REFUGEE. This is another searing and heart-pounding look at kids making their way through war.

Sunflower is an only child, and when her father is sent to the rural Cadre School, she has to go with him. Her father is an established artist from the city and finds his new life of physical labor and endless meetings exhausting.

A beautiful and haunting debut novel in verse about an American-Japanese girl struggling with the loneliness of being caught between two worlds when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes an ocean away.

For fans of Coraline and Spirited Away comes a diverse fantasy debut steeped in Japanese mythology about a girl and a deadly curse.

Part fantasy, part travelogue--this graphic novel transports readers to the intersection of the natural and supernatural worlds. Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter follows the adventures of two young foreigners as they travel to a remote and mysterious corner of Japan.

In this first book of her Japanese mythology-inspired Shadow of the Fox trilogy, bestselling author Julie Kagawa weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren't what they seem, and secrets that could change the fate of the world.

One day they will send for her, but how long must Van Ho wait for her family to find a way to get her out of South Vietnam? During the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Van wakes up one morning to find that her mother, her sisters Loan and Lan, and her brother Tuan are gone. They have escaped the new communist regime that has taken over Ho Chi Minh City for freedom in the West.

A powerful and moving story about one boy caught up in the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

Goal-oriented Maya has two main concerns: getting support and permission for girls' soccer and keeping her unpredictable biracial family together. At the same time she's trying to fit in at school, figure out who her true friends are, and dodge the criticisms of her traditional East Indian grandmother and the other relatives who say girls should be quiet and obedient.

In a Japanese seaside neighborhood lives Jason Parker: A sixth grader one year older than his classmates, a stinking foreigner to some classmates, an orange belt in aikido, a big brother. Jason Parker is just a boy trying to get through his days with calm and courage. If only everyone around him would let him.