CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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The Legend of Auntie Po
CCBC Review:
Chinese American Mei, 13, lives in a Sierra Nevada lumber camp in 1885. Her father, Hao, is the head cook; her best friend (and unacknowledged crush), Bee, white, is the daughter of the camp manager. Mei, who dreams of going to college someday, is a popular storyteller among the younger children of camp families, both white and Black. (There are no other Chinese families.) Her tales of Auntie Po, a larger-than-life Chinese woman who leads a lumber crew with the help of her blue water buffalo, Pei Pei, are a favorite of everyone, including Mei herself, who’s begun seeing Auntie Po on treks in the woods. Her presence is a comfort, but when a tragedy strikes the camp, Mei wonders if Auntie Po was only in her imagination after all. Still, the power of stories in general, and Mei’s storytelling in particular, help the children cope, while friendship and community prove essential to healing. There’s a lively sensibility and overall optimism suited to the spirit of tall-tale telling in this graphic novel, even as it tackles serious issues and events, especially anti-Chinese racism and limited opportunities and expectations for women and girls. An informative author’s note provides more information on the context of this story, including the Indigenous peoples whose history is part of this time and place. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
19th Century
Asian Americans
Chinese and Chinese Americans
Community
Education
Girls and Women
Historical Fiction
Racism
Stories and Storytelling
Tall Tales
Diversity subject:
Asian
LGBTQ Character/Topic
On CCBC Booklists:
LGBTQ Lives in Selected Children's and Young Adult Books
Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin
Publishers:
Penguin Random House, Kokila
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 290
ISBN: 9780525554882
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 Khor
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.