(2) YA Color by K Czap. In this engaging graphic novel, Ollie Herisson (whose father is white and American and mother is Thai) has always made friends easily at the international schools she attends, but those friendships have been short-lived because of her family's frequent moves. Wanting their daughters to experience a more typical childhood, however, Ollie's parents move the family from Germany to Virginia, hoping this move will be their last. While her younger sister, Cat, quickly makes friends, seventh grader Ollie has a harder time. Pushed over the edge by the embarrassment of having her first menstrual period at school and deflated by her mother's disappointment with her refusal to wear dresses and be more obedient ("I should have raised you more Thai"), the imaginative and outgoing Ollie gives up on her social life and finds solace in immersing herself in drawing, manga, and role-playing games. Her interests lead to unexpected friendships, particularly with the popular Nina, as they bond over their shared mixed heritage; and Zoe, who shares Ollie's love of anime. When friendship drama ensues, Ollie reconnects with Cat and learns to admit her mistakes and confront conflict. Galligan's exuberant manga-influenced style showcasing exaggerated features humorously reflects the emotional complexities of her characters. Told with sincerity and charm, this story is a relatable exploration of friendship, identity, and personal growth.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 This introspective graphic memoir explores bicultural identity and the path toward self-acceptance. Like many students at her international school in Bangkok, Thailand, eleven-year-old Kathy is "luk khrueng," or "half child." Her father is American, and her mother is Thai, but Kathy identifies more as American and, though she appreciates Thai culture, she feels that she's not Thai enough. She looks forward to summers with her father's family in Maine, but this year she's acutely aware of how her family stands out there. She's also excited to spend three weeks away from her family at summer camp, but once there she struggles to fit in as campers ask rude questions about her heritage. ("Where is that?" "Do you mean Taiwan?") Kathy learns to embrace the unique qualities that connect her to both sides of her family and to her own mixed identity. Sprinkled throughout are elements of Thai culture and Thai language, depicted in Thai text with English translation, adding depth and cultural context. The pastel-toned panels, black-and-white flashback scenes, and cleanly drawn and expressively detailed characters complement the youthful, gentle tone of Kathy's internal dialogue. In an afterword, MacLeod shares her process making the book, comics she wrote as a child, and family photos.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Illustrated by Joanna Cacao. Color by Wes Dzioba. Soontornvat's graphic-memoir adventures (The Tryout, rev. 11/22) continue as she enters her second semester of eighth grade. She's still one of the few Asian American students in her small Texas town and still longs to be a cheerleader, but many things are changing; she and best friend Megan now include classmate Leanne in their group; she is close with the kids in her art class; and most notably, her parents are getting divorced. Despite the upheaval at home, Christina tries out for the cheerleading squad and makes the team. But with a new routine and social circle, she faces even more changes; and bottling up her resentment and sadness makes her uncharacteristically bitter and mean. In this second installment, Soontornvat lays bare the difficulties of girlhood, showing both vulnerability and growth, in an approachable text accompanied by lively illustrations. Ultimately, the lesson is finding strength in community: "I didn't need life to be perfect...I just needed my squad."

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA Illustrated by Joanna Cacao. Color by Amanda Lafrenais. Soontornvat shares an intimate glimpse into her youth in this coming-of-age graphic memoir. As one of the only Asian American students in her small-town Texas middle school, she endures the typical experiences of children of immigrants in a white, homogenous town: mispronunciation of a "foreign" name; teasing and disgust around "smelly" packed lunches; the reduction of one's identity to "rice girl." Fortunately, Christina has a best friend in fellow outsider Megan, whose father is from Iran. Christina and Megan both want desperately to be chosen for the school's cheerleading squad, and Soontornvat immerses readers in their months of intense practice, shown in the dynamic cartoony illustrations. Both girls ace the tryout, but neither makes it; as a heartbroken Christina muses, maybe everyone saw them as just "too different." By pushing herself to try new activities such as Impromptu Speaking (and with support from family, friends, and the "uncles" at her parents' Thai restaurant), she begins to grow more confident, deriving strength from her community. Here, she shares her story: a "story that needed to be told" for a "young person who needed to read it."

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Great Asian Americans series. Using short, simple sentences and engaging photos, this early-reader biography series introduces famous Asian Americans, filling a gap in children's biographies. Key moments in each subject's professional life are covered chronologically and accompanied by a cumulative timeline. Ample white space around the texts and large pictures make for attractive and supportive layouts for new readers. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Pebble Plus: Great Asian Americans titles: Tammy Duckworth and Yo-Yo Ma.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) YA After Maya gets her family's Thai restaurant into hot water with the health inspector, she starts to do other students' homework for cash to pay the fines. Unable to generate the money fast enough, Maya teams up with rich, popular Camden King to run an elaborate multi-school cheating ring. Though the ending's no surprise, Maya's spirited narration will keep readers engaged.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) K-3 We Are America series. Each book in this series begins with a look at one immigrant then goes into a general discussion of his or her country of origin and its customs and culture. Illustrated with black-and-white and color photos, the text contains solid information, though pronunciations of non-English words would have been helpful. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these We Are America titles: Dominican Americans, Pakistani Americans, Thai Americans, Greek Americans, Japanese Americans, and Swedish Americans.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) 1-3 When Oy, who emigrated from Thailand to the United States with her family when she was four, begins fourth grade at a new school, she is teased and excluded because she's different. After she sees a chance to gain some social cachet, she risks both a beloved Thai dress and her self-respect. Marsden avoids clichéd characterizations, and her careful, detail-oriented prose vividly expresses Oy's conundrum.

Reviewer: Nell Beram