Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month with these books

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we have a great selection of new and recent books to help you celebrate and learn more about AAPI histories, identities, and cultures. Read on for some of our recommendations.
By Kate Pritchard, MS/HS Librarian

Below are books for those of all ages to enjoy.

Picture Books & Chapter Books:
  • "Mina vs. the Monsoon" by Rukhsanna Guidroz
  • "Drawn Together" by Minh Lê
  • "Mindy Kim" series by Lyla Lee
  • "A Big Mooncake for Little Star" by Grace Lin
  • "Take Me Out to the Yakyu" by Aaron Meshon
  • "Bilal Cooks Daal" by Aisha Saeed
Middle Grade:
  • "Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Stars Who Made America Amazing" by Phil Amara & Oliver Chin
  • "Stand Up, Yumi Chung" by Jessica Kim
  • "Everything Sad is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
  • "They Called Us Enemy" by George Takei
  • "Dear America: Young Readers' Edition: The Story of an Undocumented Citizen" by Jose Antonio Vargas 
  • "Stargazing" by Jen Wang
Young Adult
  • "Flamer" by Mike Curato
  • "This Light Between Us" by Andrew Fukuda
  • "I Was Their American Dream" by Malaka Gharib
  • "The Downstairs Girl" by Stacey Lee
  • "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo
  • "From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement" by Paula Yoo
Adult
  • "Let’s Make Ramen: A Comic Book Cookbook" by Hugh Amano & Sarah Becan
  • "All You Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung
  • "Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning" by Cathy Park Hong
  • "Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations" by Mira Jacob
  • "The Making of Asian America: A History" by Erika Lee
  • "Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In" by Phuc Tran
You can find more recommendations on our current display page. Happy reading!
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More USN News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Construction progress as of August 7, 2026.

    Back Lawn transforms with turf field, track

    Expect to see an active construction site as students, families, and faculty return to the Edgehill Campus. Progress continues on USN's most anticipated campus improvement of summer 2026.
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  • In June 2026, a group of USN students spent two weeks in Mendoza, Argentina through a program organized by Sister Cities Nashville.

    Curricular travel opportunities return for the 2026-2027 school year

    University School of Nashville is excited to announce the return of curricular travel opportunities. Student applications for the 2026-2026 school year will open Friday, August 21, 2026. Additional details, including, financial aid processes, and application timelines, will be shared with families soon.
    Please contact K-12 Director of Experiential Learning Kalee Barbis with any questions, kbarbis@usn.org.
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  • Back-to-school Popsicle Party cancelled

    Mother Nature is not cooperating for our annual Popsicle Party. Depending on which weather app you use, actual and feels-like temperatures are 98 to 101 and higher. Under these conditions, we would limit student activities, so, in the interest of everyone's health and well-being, we are going to cancell our gathering at the River Campus. There is just not enough shade and certainly no air conditioning to bring relief to hundreds of USN families. Thank you for understanding. We look forward to seeing you in a few days for the start of our new school year.
    Read More
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.