It is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, so to celebrate these writers we asked our staff to name some of their favorites for kids, middle grade and YA readers. Here is what they had to say:

Kids

You can't go wrong with the books of Grace Lin. Beginning readers will love Ting and Ling's quest to prove their individuality in Ting and Ling: Not Exactly the Same. Another "don't miss" author is Lenore Look. I love Ruby Lu: Empress of Everything! The irrepressible 8 year old and her adventures introducing her cousin from China to her American school friends will make even the most jaded grown up laugh out loud. —Danita Nichols, Inwood

Climb! Jump! Crawl! Want to learn the art of Kung Fu? Take on a mission: milk and cookies with Maxwell in Ninja! by Arree Chung. Action’s not your thing? Learn about the world of grown-ups with a sibling duo as they tackle a summer together. Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan includes the consequences of leaving your one red sock on the clothesline, forgetting the password, and eating the last olive at a party. If you are yearning for more, Shaun Tan has plenty more to offer.  —Anna Taylor, Children’s Programming

I love Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, a rhyming story about making the traditional Korean dish that translates as "mix mix rice" (and includes a recipe!).  I also love the irrepressible, funny, scaredy cat Alvin Ho, a young boy growing up in Concord, Massachusetts, in the young reader series by Lenore Look. —Susie Tucker Heimbach, Mulberry Street

Here are some notable and thoughtfully done picture books that use popularized Buddhist philosophies to help kids learn helpful ways to view life events and handle emotions: Anh's Anger by Gail Silver teaches kids about accepting anger and sitting with it in order to get through it peacefully. In Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth, three children meet a neighborly talking panda that introduces them to traditional thought-provoking zen parables. The book won a Caldecott honor for its colorful and scenic watercolor illustrations. —Jill Rothstein, Andrew Heiskell

Middle Grade

Middle grade readers who love fantasy and magic will enjoy Minli's quest for the Old Man in the Moon in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. The way this story—part mystery, part proverbs—snaps together in the end is incredibly satisfying.  —Danita Nichols, Yorkville

The author who immediately comes to mind is Laurence Yep who has written a wide range of fantasy, realistic fiction and historical fiction.  One of my favorites is the Tiger's Apprentice. A Chinese American tween learns that magic really exists--and that he's responsible to keep an ancient artifact safe from the forces of evil. Another great read from last year was Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier  this mother and son authored historical fantasy takes place in Maoist China, and gives us a classic adventure tale involving secret tombs, dangerous traps, a little magic and a friendship that spans across the ages. —Stephanie Whelan, Seward Park

Young adult

I can think of no better subject to read 3000 pages of manga on than the story of Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha. Author Osamu Tezuka, the father of modern manga, starts with historical facts and expounds deeply into the world of imagination in this eight-volume set. Tezuka takes some liberty with the historical record--we learn that Siddhartha roots for the Yomiuri Giants during baseball season, and enjoys Coca Cola! He presents the story as a terrific, absurdist ensemble script, and a deeply moving epic of one man's life coming to embody the struggles and pain of millions. —Charlie Radin, Inwood

For teens, I would recommend checking out the graphic novels by Gene Luen Yang.  He's written several books with Asian protagonists, but my personal new favorite is The Shadow Hero. It's an historical fiction about the first Asian superhero, a boy who just wants to have a normal life and keep working at his family's grocery store in Chinatown.  But his mother decides that she wants him to be a superhero, and she won't take no for an answer. —Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge