AAPI month is a time for us to celebrate AAPI culture and heritage. In classrooms this can be through a multitude of ways, but one of the most powerful is books.
Reading has always resonated with children, from a daring adventurer to a sad story, books have always touched children's hearts, so in celebrating of AAPI month here are a few of our favourite books that celebrate them.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is one of our favourites. A story about identity, friendship and personal transformation conveyed through the form of a comic book. In this book you follow three characters stories on their journeys through the story, only to find that what you thought were 3 seemingly separate stories actually had a diverging point. At the end of this action packed novel you see the moral of the story.
Growing up an immigrant is not easy, and to help ease the journey, using books like American Born Chinese can teach children that they are not alone. Their stories are heard. People relate to what they are feeling.
It's important to make an inclusive classroom, using books like American Born Chinese can provoke deeper conversations about cultural assimilation on a more elementary level, giving us the opportunity to teach and positively impact these children.