2019 May Reading Challenge

[Elizabeth]

May is Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month which celebrates the achievements and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States. You can check out the website below for more information.

Your challenge is to read a book written by an Asian American or Pacific-Islander author, or a book about a celebrated Asian American or Pacific-Islander. You could read a memoir like Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee, or a historical fiction novel like, Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen. You could also read something that takes place in the present day like Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.

Good luck!

https://apaics.org/events/asian-pacif...

[Linda]

An author I like who fits this category is Linda Sue Park. I am going to read

[Becky]

Do you have Pacific Islander suggestions?

[Debbie]

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is a wonderful Pacific Islander story. Someone once told me it was based on a real event, but I don't know if that's true.
Also Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener is good. It is a collection of short stories and was the basis for the movie South Pacific. If you are a glutton for punishment, there is his novel Hawaii. If you want something by an Islander, there is also Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen by Liliuokalani. I've not read either of the last two.

[Debbie]

Elizabeth, I will definitely need some help with this one for my particular needs, please. Under 100 pages. I'm currently reading 4 other books that are all over 600 pages long so I can't do anything longer than 100 for this challenge. But I do want to participate and don't want to read Island of the Blue Dolphins again. You can be my Friendly Neighborhood Librarian this time!

[Becky]

Debbie wrote: "Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is a wonderful Pacific Islander story. Someone once told me it was based on a real event, but I don't know if that's true.
..."

Thank you, Debbie! That is very helpful. I also found Moloka'i in that category. Has anyone read this?

[Elizabeth]

For Pacific Islander authors, you could try Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel or Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings, or Murder Casts a Shadow: A Hawaiæi Mystery by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl.

Debbie, I'm looking for something under 100 pages for you. So far, the closest I've found with a Pacific-Islander author is The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, but it's 150 pages. I'll keep looking for something shorter.

[Elizabeth]

Debbie,

Here's a website with some titles that might work. Lots of picture books on here. :D

https://coloursofus.com/30-asian-asia...

[Debbie]

Elizabeth wrote: "Debbie,

Here's a website with some titles that might work. Lots of picture books on here. :D

https://coloursofus.com/30-asian-asia..."

Thanks! There are several there to choose from.

[Linda]

Becky wrote: "Debbie wrote: "Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is a wonderful Pacific Islander story. Someone once told me it was based on a real event, but I don't know i..."
I read Molokai and thought it was very good.

[Jennie]

I read and loved A Song For The Stars by Ilima todd.

[Alyson]

Does Filipino-American count? Because "Hello, Universe" is one of the recent Newberys that I haven't read it, and I'd love to have a reason to move it to the top of my list!

[Elizabeth]

Alyson,

That will count.

[Greg]

I read The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara.

Don't read it. While it does have an interesting story line, it ends terribly and is not worth the time you would spend on it. Spoiler alert, the last section of the book has the protagonist describing and justifying child rape. And that's after a long section of moral relativism.

This book definitely put me off of this author, permanently. It makes me question whether I'll ever read another book that would fit this challenge.

[Elizabeth]

Can you guys believe that it is the middle of May already! Just as a heads up - I'll be going on vacation, so the winner won't be announced until the middle of the first week of June. I'll attempt to get the June challenge up a little early, but it will depend on my access to wifi.

Keep it up everyone!

[Debbie]

Have a great time off. I hope you are going somewhere fun, even if it is only a "staycation"!

[Elizabeth]

Thanks Debbie. I'm excited to be going on a trip. I've never taken quite this much time off at once before, so it will be exciting to see what happens. :D

[Teresa]

I read White Chrysanthemum. I learned a lot about Korean women and girls who were kidnapped by the Japanese and forced into sexual slavery/comfort women during the Korean War - WWII time period. The first third of the book was engrossing. The second half dragged on and on and on and on. I skimmed the last quarter of the book because I hated it by then and I just wanted the conclusion.

[Debbie]

I read The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi.

Unhei just moved from Korea to the United States. Because her name was hard for Americans to pronounce, Unhei decided to choose a new American name. The other students in her class start putting names they like into a jar so Unhei can choose a new name.

When I was in college in 1990, foreign students with unusual names were required by Immigration to choose an American style name. Some of them had very interesting names and often the reason for the name they chose is that it was the only American style name they knew. So a name jar for Unhei was a really good idea.

[Linda]

I finished A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story This is based on a true story of one of the Lost Boys. It was very good.

[Elizabeth]

Only a couple more days for you to finish this challenge.

Good luck!

[Debbie]

Elizabeth wrote: "Only a couple more days for you to finish this challenge.

Good luck!"

Enjoy your vacation!

[Elizabeth]

Jennie is our prize drawing winner for May 2019’s reading challenge. They read A Song for the Stars by Ilima Todd.