Freeman Book Award

In the spirit of A Place to Belong, this remarkable novel-in-verse examines the aftershocks of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011 through the eyes of a young girl who learns that even the smallest kindness can make a difference...

In this beautiful and haunting debut novel in verse, called "a tender piece on connectedness" in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, a Japanese-American girl struggles with the loneliness of being caught between two worlds when the tragedy of 9/11...

A dazzling picture book debut about a young girl in the Philippines who returns a neighbor's roof after a typhoon with the help of her community. Typhoons are a regular part of Maya's life in the Philippines, but after this storm, she finds something...

Named one of New York Public Library's & Bank Street's Best Books of the Year!The Farewell meets Erin Entrada Kelly's Blackbird Fly in this empowering middle grade memoir from debut author Waka T. Brown, who takes readers on a journey to 1980s Japan,...

For fans of Inside Out and Back Again and Amina's Voice comes a breathtaking story of family, hope, and survival from Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents'...

*Winner Japan International Manga Award* *Honorable Mention for 2018 Freeman Book Awards for Children's and Young Adult's Literature on East and Southeast Asia* *Short-listed for the 2019 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids' Comics* Part fantasy, part...

A Time Magazine 100 Best YA Books of All Time Selection A stunning, heartbreaking debut novel about grief, love, and family, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Celeste Ng. Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died...

A breathtaking picture book featuring a Korean girl and her haenyeo (free diving) grandmother about intergenerational bonds, finding courage in the face of fear, and connecting with our natural world. Dayeon wants to be a haenyeo just like Grandma. The...

"I can't wait for readers to explore Hong Kong with Holly-Mei. I have no doubt they will love both as much as I did." --Erin Entrada Kelly, 2018 Newbery Medalist and 2021 Newbery HonoreePacked with humor and heart, this debut middle grade series follows...

The narrator is a composite of people Pu Zhelong influenced in his work. With further context from Melanie Chan's historically precise watercolors, this story will immerse young readers in Chinese culture, the natural history of insects, and the use of...

With war looming on the horizon and winter setting in, can two children escape North Korea on their own? WINNER OF THE FREEMAN BOOK AWARD! North Korea. December, 1950. Twelve-year-old Sora and her family live under an iron set of rules: No travel without...

The haunting and poignant story of a how a young Japanese girl's understanding of the historic and tragic bombing of Hiroshima is transformed by a memorial lantern-floating ceremony. Twelve-year-old Nozomi lives in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. She...

The "glorious" sequel to Freeman Award-winning The Boy from Clearwater After his imprisonment in Green Island, Kun-lin struggles to pick up where he left off ten years earlier. He reconnects with his childhood crush Kimiko and finds work as an editor,...

"An understated ode to an iconic Japanese cultural celebration, mindfulness, and the restorative power of the seasons."Kirkus Reviews"Well suited to reading aloud, the concise text works well with the precise, delicate artwork, subtly encouraging viewers...

June Hur's elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody YA historical mystery tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh. I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;Ears, but I mustn't hear;Eyes, but I mustn't see. 1800, Joseon...

Fourteen-year-old Hasina is forced to flee everything she knows in this gripping account of the refugee crisis in Myanmar. For Hasina and her younger brother Araf, the constant threat of Sit Tat, the Myanmar Army, is a way of life in Rakhine...

When the tsunami strikes the Japanese seaside town of Omori-wan, the effects are utterly devastating. Three years later, much of what happened on that day is still a mystery. As Hotaka sets about convincing local performers to appear at the town's...

A Kirkus Reviews "Best Books of the 21st Century" PickWinner of the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder AwardA July/August 2021 Kids' Indie Next PickA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionFrom renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple...

For fans of Coraline and Spirited Away comes a diverse fantasy debut steeped in Japanese mythology about a girl and a deadly curse.The last thing thirteen-year-old Saki Yamamoto wants to do for her summer vacation is trade in exciting Tokyo for the...

A stirring and magnificently illustrated picture-book memoir of the author's childhood during the Chinese Cultural Revolution Ying Chang Compestine was a young girl in 1966 when Mao launched his Cultural Revolution to reclaim power and eliminate...

***ALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature honor*** Nina loves visiting her two faraway grandmas--one in Malaysia and one in England. Spot the similarities and differences between their homes in this cozy and beautifully illustrated picture book!...

Meet the pangolin--the world's only scaled mammal. Their scales serve as armor to fend off predators. Unfortunately, these scales can do nothing to protect them from the biggest threat to their existence: humans. Pangolins are among the most poached...

A poignant coming-of-age story told in two alternating voices: a California teenager railing against the Vietnamese culture, juxtaposed with her father as an eleven-year-old boat person on a harrowing and traumatic refugee journey from Vietnam to the...

Nineteen-year-old Na has always lived in the shadow of her younger brother, Bao-bao, her parents' cherished son. Years ago, Na's parents left her in the countryside and went to work in the city, bringing Bao-bao along and committing everything to his...

**A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK!****A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year!**Anita Yasuda's evocative picture book biography about Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest, is equal parts grit and grace...

Whether working in his studio or out in the field, Japanese artist Hokusai had a constant companion—his youngest daughter, Eijo. Wherever they went, Eijo brought along her own bag of brushes and the same artistic brilliance and passion as her dad...

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * A NCSS 2023 Notable Social Studies Trade BookWhat was the pandemic of the century like at the start? This swift, gripping novel captures not only the uncertainty and panic when COVID first emerged in...

2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction - Longlist American Library Association Best Comics for Adults 2023 Booklist Editors' Choice: Best Graphic Novels 2023 Washington Post Book World Editors' Staff Pick 2023 The Guardian Best...

She thought that debuting in a K-Pop band was the finish line, but it was only the beginning. Because now it's not only Candace's company judging her--it's the entire world. How will she find the courage to stand by her beliefs, even when powerful forces...

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Sixteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore...

★ "Smith spins a quietly moving narrative...Wada's large-scale woodblock style illustrations are a perfect complement to the story's restrained text...The graceful way in which this book handles a sensitive and serious subject makes it a first...

Booklist Editor's Choice of 2024: Books for YouthSchool Library Journal Best Book of 2024Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2024A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionPerfect for fans of Illegal and When Stars Are Scattered, this poignant and moving...

In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families' histories--and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn. In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be...

From Governor General's Literary Award finalist Michelle Kadarusman, an empowering novel about a girl from the slums of Jakarta who dreams of an education and the chance at a better lifeFrom the time she was a little girl, Nia has dreamed up adventures...

In this exciting graphic novel about stepping out of your comfort zone, a traveler finds himself lost in Taiwan with no way of finding his brother--but he soon learns that this forced disconnect is helping him explore and experience the big wide world...

One day they will send for her, but how long must Van Ho wait for her family to find a way to get her out of South Vietnam?During the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Van wakes up one morning to find that her mother, her sisters Loan and Lan, and her...

An Orbis Pictus Honor Book for Outstanding Nonfiction 2019 In this important and moving true story of reconciliation after war, beautifully illustrated in watercolor, a Japanese pilot bombs the continental U.S. during WWII--the only enemy ever to do...

A Junior Library Guild Selection "Highly recommended for readers passionate about activism." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Starred Review "Sure to inspire today's youthful generation of tenacious changemakers." -- BOOKLIST, Starred Review "The messages of...

2022 Skipping Stones Honor Awards Recipient 2021 NCTAsia Freeman Award Honorable MentionThe true story of how one Japanese village suffered and survived the mercury poisoning of its waters.A powerful graphic novel/manga that tells the story of "Minamata...

Trapped in an enemy tunnel, a young refugee experiences the Korean War firsthand in this searing story of survival, loss, and hope, a companion to the Freeman Award-winning novel Brother's Keeper. Myung-gi knows war is coming: War between North and South...