Asian American, Pacific Islander & Native Hawaiian (AANHPI) Heritage Month was originally commemorated in 1977 as Pacific/Asian American week and celebrated during the first 10 days in May. Over the years, the recognition has evolved and changed into a full-month celebration during May, recognizing and including a wider group of identities in the Asian and Pacific diaspora.
The month of May was chosen for its historical relevance, as the first Japanese immigrants came to the United States on May 7, 1843 as well as the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869—an endeavor almost entirely completed by Chinese laborers.
Throughout the month of May, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will amplify the AANHPI identities through booklists, displays, resources and programs in our locations and communities.
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If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook or Instagram. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org
After Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and new stepdad, a mysterious old woman gifts her a dragon egg during a field trip, and Grace discovers that the stories of dragons she heard when she was a young girl might actually be real–especially when the egg hatches overnight.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and as an eBook on hoopla.
When she attains the ability to hear what boys are thinking, Clara hopes her newfound powers will reverse her ex-best friend’s betrayal but ends up making a mess of everything and must fix her mistakes as she tries to figure out old friendships and new ones.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on hoopla and in eAudio on hoopla.
When Ridge, a time-traveling teenager from the future, gets trapped in 1999, he befriends Michael, a lonely twelve-year-old boy, changing the course of their lives forever.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby, as an eBook on hoopla, in eAudio on Libby, and in eAudio on hoopla.
Ollie Herisson’s dad is a diplomat, which means her family moves around a lot. She has already lived in Singapore, Korea, France, and the United States. When Ollie starts at a new school, she doesn’t worry about making a good impression because she knows that when her family inevitably moves again, she’ll get a fresh start somewhere else.
Twelve-year-old Anna must dig deep into her Hawaiian roots in order to save her best friend and her island from an angry fire goddess.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby.
Lily Xiao can’t wait to go to Camp Rock Out this summer, where she’ll finally be able to shed her “class robot” good girl reputation and start her journey to becoming the next Eddie Vedder!
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on hoopla and in eAudio on hoopla.
Tween siblings team up to save their family when childhood tales from Filipino folklore come to life in this middle-grade graphic novel.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby.
This book is a stirring account of the ordinary people and extraordinary acts that made Asian America and the young people who are remaking America today.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on hoopla and in eAudio on Libby.
When twelve-year-old chess player May Li wins an award for being the top female player at the state championship, the boys on her team question her skills, so May makes a bet with a teammate that she can earn the board-one spot at nationals and become team captain. Kyla Zhao is a featured author at the 2025 Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and in eAudio on Libby.
It’s the summer after seventh grade, and Ruby Chu is feeling more lost than ever. Her best friends aren’t speaking to her. She ended the year in detention. Her sister’s about to leave for college. Ruby’s still grieving her grandfather Ye-Ye when it seems like no one else is. And without Ye-Ye and his annual scavenger hunts across San Francisco, their hometown doesn’t really feel like home anymore.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby, as an eBook on hoopla, and in eAudio on hoopla.
When her granddaughter Aria comes to stay with her, making it her mission to turn her boba café around, Jing Li, who is the secret keeper of the monster of San Francisco, is overrun with customers while Aria sneaks away to reason with the earthquake-causing monster.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and as an eBook on hoopla.
As one of the only Asian Americans in her school, Christina confronts both well-meaning ignorance and cruel racism, but in middle school fitting in is important, which is why she and her best friend Megan are both excited and nervous to try out for the popular cheerleading squad.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby as an eBook on hoopla, and in eAudio on hoopla.
In a crowded Chicago airport, an incident at TSA impacts twelve young Asian Americans, all strangers to one another before this day. As events cause their journeys to intertwine, they discover the challenges of friendship, the perils of younger siblings, the power or words, and the unexpected significance of a blue Stratocaster electric guitar.
This title is also available for checkout as an eAudio on Libby, and an eBook on Hoopla, and eAudio on Hoopla.