Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Book cover retrieved from author's website at
http://www.juliedao.com/forestofathousandlanterns/

Dao, J. C. (2017). Forest of a thousand lanterns. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

ISBN: 978-1-5247-3829-7

Plot Summary

Beautiful Xifeng is on the cusp of adulthood, and everything about her life seems to be ruled by opposing forces. Since childhood, her strict and terrible aunt has told Xifeng her fate: she sees Xifeng taking her place as the Empress over all the kingdom, even though their life as seamstresses in a poor village makes this future hard to imagine. Xifeng feels it is her destiny to journey to the palace and earn her place beside the Emperor, but she is also pulled toward Wei, a kind but unrefined peasant boy who has loved her since childhood. And deep within her heart, Xifeng feels the stirring of a menacing force - a force both dark and powerful. Xifeng must choose which path to take: will she take up a quiet peasant life with Wei, or will she give in to the darkness and use her beauty and cunning to claw her way to the throne?

Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts by Katie and Kevin Tsang

Book cover retrieved from publisher's website at
https://www.egmont.co.uk/books/sam-wu-is-not-afraid-of-ghosts/9781405287517

Tsang, K., Tsang, K., & Reed, N. (2018). Sam Wu is NOT afraid of ghosts. New York, NY: Sterling Children’s Books.

ISBN: 978-1-4549-3255-0

Plot Summary

Sam Wu wants more than anything to prove that he is brave. After earning the nickname “Scaredy cat Sam” following an incident that involved some pants-wetting, Sam is determined to prove his bravery. He even gets a pet snake (which terrifies him) to show his bravery! When Sam and his friends find the lid open to the snake’s cage, they suspect a ghost is haunting his house. Will Sam muster the courage to hunt down the ghost and find his snake?

The Boy & The Bindi by Vivek Shraya

Book cover retrieved from author's website at
https://vivekshraya.com/projects/writing/the-boy-and-the-bindi/

Shraya, V. & Perera, R. (2016). The boy & the bindi. Vancouver, British Columbia: Arsenal Pulp Press.

ISBN: 978-1-55152-668-3

Recording from the author’s website of the story read aloud:

Plot Summary

When a young boy shows interest in his mother’s bindi, she gives him one to wear himself, and he feels an instant calmness and connection. In this beautiful story written in rhyme, the young child explores an important feature of Hinduism and South Asian culture.

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin

Book cover retrieved from author's website
at https://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=dumplingdays

Lin, G. (2012). Dumpling days. New York, NY: Little, Brown & Company.


ISBN: 978-0-316-12590-1

Grace Lin’s Tedx Talk about books as mirrors and windows:



Plot Summary
When Pacy and her family travel from the United States to visit her grandparents in Taiwan for an entire month, Pacy is very uncertain. While her parents grew up in Taiwan, she has never been there before, and she and her two sisters do not speak the language. During her time in Taiwan, Pacy is on a roller coaster of emotions as she experiences the warmth of family, the adventure of visiting new places, the challenge of unfamiliar social norms, and the discomfort of feeling like she doesn’t belong. Pacy feels stuck between two worlds: she knows her heritage is both American and Vietnamese, but she doesn’t know much about her Vietnamese culture. Will her trip to Vietnam help Pacy understand what it means to be Vietnamese-American?