Librarian Prep Post: Book Recommendations for May’s Heritage and Awareness Months

May is a month to honor heritage, history, and well-being by sharing meaningful stories and perspectives in libraries and classrooms. With Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month approaching, now is the time to start planning.

This post features book recommendations to help you build thoughtful displays, spark discussions, and engage readers of all ages.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Slippery, Spicy, Tingly

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Keo loves kimchi! And he loves his halmoni! When his grandmother visits and digs a big hole in the backyard, Keo isn’t sure what’s happening. A story with heart, humor, and lots of cabbage!

The Rock in My Throat

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4

In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a Hmong refugee child navigating life at home and school in America while carrying the weight of her selective mutism.

Dreams to Ashes

Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5

A powerful nonfiction picture book about the history of Chinese immigration to the West Coast, presented through the lens of the 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre. An essential account that offers both heartbreak and hope.

The Red Car to Hollywood

Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12

In LA’s Chinatown in 1924, sixteen-year-old Ruby Chan rebels against her parents’ conventional plans for her future. A friendship with nineteen-year-old Anna May Wong, a rising Hollywood film star, opens up new possibilities.

Explore more of our titles and series focused on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage!

Jewish American Heritage Month

Twist, Tumble, Triumph

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Ágnes Keleti can forget about the war when she is doing gymnastics—until Jewish athletes are barred from the gym. Never giving up on her dream, her moment of triumph comes at the 1952 Olympics.

Ellis Island Passover

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4

Uncle Ezra shares the story of his first seder in America with Miriam, giving her a broader, more personal sense of the meaning of Passover and the importance of sharing family stories.

Interrupted Lives

Interest Level: Grade 5 – Grade 9

After surviving World War II and the Holocaust as children, nine survivors share their memories in first-person interviews.

Inkflower

Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12

Lisa’s father has six months to live when he decides to tell a story he has kept hidden about a boy sent to Auschwitz—a boy who lost everything and started again. But Lisa doesn’t want to hear it because she has secrets too.

Explore more of our titles and series focused on Jewish Heritage!

Mental Health Awareness Month

Mindful Nature

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3

Calming narration and stunning nature photography create mindful moments, empowering readers to connect to our great green world. Published in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation®.

What-to-Do Guides for Kids

Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5

What-to-Do Guides for Kids help kids help themselves using cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in therapy. Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, these books empower kids through rough spots and set them up to live with a more calm, settled mind.

Disconnected

Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12

Alzheimer’s disease is a dementia that affects the memory, thinking, and behavior of millions of Americans. Understand more about what Alzheimer’s is through a look at its stages, current clinical research, caregiver accounts, and more.

Dealing with Disorders and Disease

Interest Level: Grade 5 – Grade 12

This detailed and insightful series will provide readers with a thorough understanding of diseases and disorders that affect many young people, and it is also an invaluable source of information for people who live with the conditions.

Explore more of our titles and series focused on mental health awareness!