Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Reading List: Accessible Versions with BARD & Bookshare Links
Updated 5/01/2023
Join the Library in celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout May. As part of our celebrations, our expert librarians have curated a reading list for adults, kids, and teens with more than 100 titles that spotlight a range of experiences within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talking book download website, and a free talking book and e-braille app for mobile devices. Learn more and apply.
Most of the books on the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Reading List are available in one or more accessible formats. Find links to them below.
DB = available on BARD in talkingbook format and as a mailable talking book, available via the link or by mail (call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy).
BR = available on BARD in braille format and as mailable physical braille, available via the link or by mail (call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy).
BK = available through Bookshare via the link. All Heiskell members can gain access to Bookshare for free.
Adult
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung: DB, BR, BK
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff: DB
Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America by Vivek Bald: BK
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui: DB,
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang: DB, BK
Bright Lines by Tanaïs (née Tanwi Nandini Islam): DB, BK
Central Places by Delia Cai: BK
Chlorine by Jade Song: BK
Dear Girls by Ali Wong: DB, BK
The Dream Builders by Oindrila Mukherjee: BK
Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan: DB, BK
The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman (eds.): DB, BK
Gutted by Justin Chin: BK
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar: DB, BK
If They Come for Us: Poems by Fatimah Asghar: DB, BR, BK
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon: DB, BK
Insurrecto by Gina Apostol: DB, BK
The Laughter by Sonora Jha: BK
The Leavers by Lisa Ko: DB, BK
A Living Remedy: A Memoir by Nicole Chung: BK
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong: DB, BR, BK
Monstress: Stories by Lysley Tenorio: BK
New Waves by Kevin Nguyen: DB, BK
No-No Boy by John Okada: BK
Not Quite Not White: Losing and Finding Race in America by Sharmila Sen: BK
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong: DB, BR, BK
The Perfect Sound by Garrett Hongo: BK
Quarantine: Stories by Rahul Mehta: BK
Sea Change by Gina Chung: BK
Soft Science by Franny Choi: BK
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki: DB, BK
This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila: BK
We Too Sing America by Deepa Iyer: DB, BR, BK
What We Are by Peter Nathaniel Malae: BK
Teens
96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash: BK
After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay: DB, BR, BK
Blue Boy: A Novel by Rakesh Satyal: BK
Born Confused byTanuja Desai Hidie: DB, BK
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo: DB, BK
The Cartographers by Amy Zhang: BK
Flux by Jinwoo Chong: BK
Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park: BK
Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier: DB, BK
A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai: BK
Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel: BK
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu: BK
Welcome Me to the Kingdom by Mai Nardone: BK
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: DB, BK
When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao: BK
Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed: DB, BK
You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins: DB, BK
Y/N by Esther Yi BK
Kids
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan: DB, BK
Any Day with You by Mae Respicio: DB, BK
Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park: DB, BR, BK
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin: DB, BK
Enly and the Buskin' Blues by Jenny Liu: BK
Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe: BK
Finally Seen by Kelly Yang: BK
The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat: BK
Juna's Jar by Jane Bahk: BK
Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca: BK
A Morning with Grandpa by Sylvia Liu: BK
One Day by Joanna Ho: BK
Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang: DB
A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn: BK
This Is How I Roll by Debbi Michiko Florence: BK
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller: DB, BK
Join the Library in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout May with book recommendations, free online events, resources, and more.