Books

The Boston Public Library released a booklist for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Here’s what’s on it.

From titles for children to food writing and fiction, the librarians at the Boston Public Library recommended a range of books to honor the month.

Boston Public Library
A detail view of the entrance for the Boston Public Library, Main Branch addition. David L Ryan / The Boston Globe, File

By Dialynn Dwyer

May marks the start of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

In recognition of the month, the Boston Public Library has released a list of recommended books to honor and celebrate the history and experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander American communities. 

The total of 75 recommended titles on the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month booklist was compiled by staff librarians at the Central, Brighton, Chinatown, Fields Corner, and Roslindale branches of the library, according to the BPL. The reading recommendations span across categories and genres — from children’s books to poetry to food writing to fiction and memoir. Authors on the list include Massachusetts-based writers Celeste Ng and Ocean Vuong. 

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“While no one book (or even hundreds of books!) could fully reflect the diversity of the Asian American experience, we hope that this selection of recent releases will highlight current Asian American representation in print,” the librarians wrote. 

In addition to the booklist, the library is recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with its events programming, including a workshop where attendees will learn to make lotus flower lanterns (on May 9 and 11) and an “opera night” (on May 25) during which the Boston Lyric Opera will present performances and discussion around Asian representation in the industry. The library is also hosting an “open house” with its special collections. 

Below, check out the 75 books the library is highlighting for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month — and share your favorite book by an AAPI author: 

Fiction

Nonfiction

Poetry

Teen fiction

Teen nonfiction

Children’s books

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