Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind

"The struggle to fit in is very nearly universal in teen culture, but it’s that much tougher for a lot of young people in the wake of 9/11. Author Neesha Meminger takes on both the topical issue of anti-Muslim racism and the ever-present struggle to be true to yourself in her intense and thoughtful novel Shine, Coconut Moon ." - Colleen Mondor for Bookslut ". . .One day, shortly after 9/11, a man wearing a turban shows up on her doorstep. He is her estranged uncle, and through him, Sam begins to realize how important being Indian American is to her identity. This novel is especially poignant as our country continues to deal with prejudice against South Asians and individuals from the Middle East." - Melanie Koss for Booklist "An important book for young people about coming to terms with identity, prejudice, and family in a post-9/11 world." - Marina Budhos, author of Ask Me No Questions and Tell Us We're Home Click here to read my blog post on Neesha...

I am still in the process of tagging posts by country. :o)

International Committee, Children's Literature Association Call for Papers: Philippine Children’s Literature 39th Annual Children’s Literature Association Conference Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA June 14-16, 2012 The International Committee of the Children’s Literature Association is planning a special country focus panel on the Philippines, to be presented at the 39th Children’s Literature Association Conference, to be held at Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA from June 14 to 16, 2012. The committee invites paper proposals that focus on any aspect of Philippine children’s literature. Papers may focus on the origins of and/or developments in Philippine children’s texts; issues of regionalism and nationalism; Philippine folklore as children’s texts; Philippine children’s literature in the diaspora; or the state of children’s literature studies in the Philippines. Preference will be given to proposals with the potential to inspire American and int...

The Twins' Blanket by Hyewon Yum (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, August 2011) This seems like a must-buy. Click here to read the New York Times article that made me want to buy the book.

Hmmm, I would have liked to see the children reading more Filipino and other Asian books. :o) Click here to learn more about Sambat Trust and how you can help build more libraries for children in the Philippines!

Filipino Readers Make It Social! The 1st Filipino Reader Conference When: September 14, 2011, Wednesday, 1-6 PM (during the Manila International Book Fair) Where: SMX Mall of Asia (Metro Manila, Philippines), Meeting Room 2 Objectives: 1. to provide support, instruction, and social time for book club members and book bloggers 2. to celebrate readers and reading in the Philippines 3. to promote a closer connection between readers, writers, and publishers Program: 1:00 – 1:20 PM Registration 1:20 – 1:30 PM Welcome Remarks 1:30 – 2:00 PM Keynote Speech: How readers can help promote Filipino authors, publishers, and Philippine literature Speaker: Carljoe Javier Author of And The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth , The Kobayashi Maru of Love , and Geek Tragedies . Also published stories in anthologies and magazines, such as Free Press , Philippine Graphic , and Fudge . Taught Creative Writing at UP Diliman and was a fellow for fiction at the UP and Dumaguete...