1. WE ARE NOT FREE by Traci Chee

Told from the perspective of fourteen Japanese American teens whose incarceration during World War II forever changes their lives, this gripping storyt shows us a history that should never be forgotten.

2. WHEN WE WERE INFINITE by Kelly Loy Gilbert

A romantic drama featuring a close knit group of Asian American friends that captures the pain of growing up and apart. This was the book I needed as a teenager.

3. CLIMBING THE STAIRS by Padma Venkatraman

This historical drama set in India during World War II shows a girl struggling to find her place in a country on the verge of change. Padma Venkatraman writes with so much truth and beauty on subjects rarely explored.

4. THIS IS MY BRAIN IN LOVE by I.W. Gregorio

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award for excellence in the portrayal of the disability experience, THIS IS MY BRAIN IN LOVE is a refreshing romantic dramedy about two teens struggling with mental health challenges. Also, the author happens to be a surgeon.

5. LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI by Abigail Hing Wen

Don’t be fooled, there is no actual boat. Based on an actual Taiwanese cultural exchange program affectionately called ‘Loveboat,’ this story of self-acceptance and parental expectations has been called Crazy Rich Asians for the YA set.