About
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) prepares an annual Best of the Best Booklist that celebrates stories from across the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) diaspora. All APALA members were invited to nominate picture book titles about AANHPI communities and experiences that were published in the previous calendar year. Members of the APALA Family Literacy Focus Committee evaluated the nominations against the APALA Rubric and curated the final list. Eligible titles that earned an APALA Literature Award or Honoree designation were automatically added to the Best of the Best Booklist.
The titles depict diverse representations of heritages and cultures across the AANHPI diaspora. Some young readers may feel a personal connection to these stories, while other children will learn about lives different from their own and practice empathy. Educators, librarians, caregivers, and community members alike can refer to this list when purchasing new books, selecting titles for their young readers, and supporting educational learning and programming.
Best of the Best Lists
Access the APALA Family Literacy Committee Recommended Picture Book List, which includes the previous year’s book list and additional titles the committee believes will be a great addition to readers’ collections.
Resources
For more information about APIA literature, check out these resources:
- APALA Rubric to Evaluate Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Literature
- Use this rubric to choose high-quality books that represent APIA cultures and experiences.
- Talk Story Resources
- Find information about family literacy to share with parents and caregivers, and access resources to help with the development of diverse collections.
- APALA Book Reviews
- Read reviews of books written by APIA book authors, from children’s picture books to adult fiction and non-fiction.
- APALA Bookshop
- Purchase books from our BOTB list and support APALA at the same time! All of the titles are available on our Bookshop page.
Contact
Contact the Family Literacy Focus Committee at familyliteracy@apalaweb.org.