40 East Asian Middle Grade Authors
Introduction
I wanted to do something after hearing about East Asian and Asian American people being harassed because of the coronavirus. I think it’s ridiculous that people are using a global pandemic as an excuse to be racist. So I’m choosing to spend the next week being an ally of East Asian and Asian American book creators by promoting their work here on my blog and through social media.
A couple of days ago, I sent out a call on Twitter asking for some recommendations. I was looking for creators to include on my list and I was shocked by the result! Authors and illustrators shared and re-tweeted my original tweet for days afterward. I was hoping for a list of 40-50 book creators for a list that spanned picture books to YA titles. And instead, I ended up with over 115 creators and I’m hoping I was able to collect most of the names. Now, I’ve got four separate lists to share with you!
What I loved most was that I’ve read a number of these authors and illustrators and love their work. Others are on my TBR list and sitting on the bookshelves behind my desk and still, others are new-to-me and I’m so excited to dive into some new books!
Today’s Highlight
I’m sharing the next list – 40 East Asian Middle Grade Authors today. Just as a reminder, many of these authors are also illustrators or have also written for other age groups, so be sure to research their name for more titles!
40 East Asian Middle Grade Authors
- Angela Ahn – Krista Kim-Bap
- Booki Vivat – Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom
- Celeste Lim – The Crystal Ribbon
- Christina Soontornvat – A Wish in the Dark
- Cindy Lin – The Twelve
- Cynthia Kadohata – A Place to Belong
- Candy Gourlay – Tall Story
- Debbi Michiko Florence – Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen
- Ellen Oh – The Dragon Egg Princess
- Erin Entrada Kelly – Lalani of the Distant Sea
- Erin Yun – Pippa Park Raises Her Game
- Gail D. Villanueva – My Fate According to the Butterfly
- Grace Lin – Mulan: Before the Sword
- Henry Lien – Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword
- Jack Cheng – See You In the Cosmos
- Jessica Kim – Stand Up, Yumi Chung!
- Julie Abe – Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch
- Karina Yan Glaser – The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
- Kat Yeh – The Way to Bea
- Kat Zhang – The Memory of Forgotten Things
- Katie Zhao – The Dragon Warrior
- Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet: The Stonekeeper
- Kelly Yang – Front Desk
- Laurence Yep – A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans
- Linda Sue Park – Forest of Wonders
- Lisa Yee – Bumblebee at Super Hero High
- Mae Respicio – The House That Lou Built
- Maggie Tokuda-Hall – The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
- Margaret Dilloway – Summer of a Thousand Pies
- Marie Miranda Cruz – Everlasting Nora
- Mike Jung – The Boys in the Back Row
- Minh Lê – Green Lantern Legacy
- Remy Lai – Fly on the Wall
- Susan Tan – Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story
- Tae Keller – When You Trap a Tiger
- Tanya Guerrero – How To Make Friends with the Sea
- Thanhha Lai – Butterfly Yellow
- Vicky Fang – Happy Paws
- Victoria Chang – Love, Love
- Wendy Wan-Long Shang – Not Your All-American Girl
As a note, this list is specifically looking at East Asian creators and I know there are many other Asian and Asian American creators out there writing and drawing beautiful things. Take a look at these other lists for other great authors – Asian Protagonists and Indian Voices!
If you’re looking for another list, check out Mackin Library’s post!
