Parenting an 8yo and 4yo and wanting both of them to love reading and have quality time for them, it’s top of my mind to find the next quality book to read with them. It’s hard to corral them together but there will be a time – hopefully sooner rather than later – when they will sit together and enjoy storytime with Mama together.
These following books are the ones that caught my eye between the cover to my browsing the synopsis, to a familiar author….
The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed The Face of Hockey Do I care in the least about hockey? No, but some people around here do. Looks like Kwong played for the New York Rangers but there is a Canada connection as the synopsis says he grew up in Vernon, BC. (9-12 years)
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance The author Lisa Yee (Lisa See) sounds familiar but this title looks like her first foray into Asian-American literature and it’s a story about mothers and daughters and Chinese restaurants in small town… sound familiar? (9-12 years)
We Are Golden: 27 Groundbreakers Who Changed the World When I was younger, my parents bought what seems to be the full set of “Understanding the value of….” (insert good attribute) and it spanned famous figures across all sectors but of course under-represented for Asians. This is changed now and this compilation seems geared to kids to introduce them to potential role models. (0-2 years)
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Food I’ve read Grace Lin’s Year of… books and of course this cover and title are arresting. It won’t appeal to my kids much but seems like something I’d love to borrow to leaf through and learn the kid-friendly stories behind theirs and my favourite foods! (9-12 years)
Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business I have definitely noticed the Mindy Kim titles and want to check them out. Not sure GG is so interested but this adventure sounds more fun than some other adventures so far. (6-8 years old)
The Mystery of the Painted Fan (The Nguyen Kids) I have also more recently noticed this series and want to try out a title with the kids. (6-8 years old)
Winnie Zeng Unleashes A Legend Fantasy is not really thing but I can see how it can spark the imagination so much for kids. This story is rooted in some fun Chinese symbols and so it looks like a potential gateway book for the kids. (9-12 years)
A Kid’s Guide to the Chinese Zodiac: Animal Horoscopes, Legendary Myths, and Practical Uses for Ancient Wisdom I include this purely because of the beautiful cover and because of my passing interest in the zodiac. But do I want my kids to live by the zodiac? Heck no. I was listening to a podcast where one of the co-hosts would keep on bringing up the guests’ Chinese zodiac sign and spew about compatibility and so forth and it seemed like utter nonsense to me. (9-12 years)
The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1) Gorgeous cover and another fantasy novel that is thinly veiled story of coming of age but in a fantasy context. Since it is about protecting nature, I would give this a try. (9-12 years)
The Not-So-Perfect Plan (A Holly-Mei Book #2) I read the first installment and found it perfectly cute and loved the story of a bicultural family relocating (from Canada) to Hong Kong. The adventure continues but I don’t know if it beats the first book. (9-12 years)
Ruby Lost and Found Another gorgeous cover to wrap up this list. I like how this one sounds rooted in reality and deals with some real issues like the demise of Chinatown and loss in a family. (9-12 years)
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