Check Out Children's Literature for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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A display of books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the Children's Literature Collection, located on the lobby level of Mullins Library.

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May with a virtual display, award-winning books and more from the University Libraries Children's Literature Collection. 

"The Children's Literature Collection in Mullins supports students pursuing education degrees and teaching certificates but is also available for anyone in the campus community," said Laura Cameron, education librarian. "Winners of several major children's literature awards are purchased for the collection each year and many winners of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature can be found on our shelves. The current virtual display on the Children's Literature Research Guide highlights just some of the fantastic titles in our collection written by Asian/Pacific American authors or featuring Asian/Pacific characters. Check out the guide to find picture books or non-fiction texts to share with the children in your life, or pick a title from the young adult novel section of the display and dive into a great read yourself! The guide contains an embedded form where you can recommend other titles we should add to our growing collection."

The Children's Literature Research Guide includes a virtual display of recommended books for a variety of reading levels, from picture books to young adult novels. 

Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association's Literature Awards honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit. One such recipient is Fred Korematsu Speaks Up by Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi, with illustrations by Yutaka Houlette. It tells the story of the title character's experience when the United States went to war with Japan in 1941, and Japanese Americans were forced into prison camps by their own government. From the publisher: 

"Inspired by the award-winning book for adults Wherever There's a Fight, the Fighting for Justice series introduces young readers to real-life heroes and heroines of social progress. The story of Fred Korematsu's fight against discrimination explores the life of one courageous person who made the United States a fairer place for all Americans, and it encourages all of us to speak up for justice."

The Children's Literature Collection is located on the lobby level of Mullins Library in the northwest corner of the building. The collection includes books suitable for children pre-K to 12th grade. The collection is organized into eight sections to allow for easier browsing: picture books, early readers, chapter and middle grade books, young adult novels, graphic novels, traditional tales, biographies and non-fiction. Each section is identified with a five-digit code, color-coded spine stickers and shelf signage.