CCBC Booklists

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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Not Here to be Liked

by Michelle Quach

CCBC Review:

Junior Eliza Quan, who is Chinese and Vietnamese American, is running unopposed for editor of her high school paper. Just before the election, biracial Len DiMartile (Japanese American/white), former baseball player and current staff writer, decides to run too. Hardworking, experienced Eliza is not a people person; Len is a good writer with natural warmth. He wins. She writes a private rant on misogyny and the patriarchy. The following Monday she’s shocked to see it on the front page of the online school paper, launching a feminist movement at her school. To Eliza’s surprise, popular Serena Hwangbo joins the cause. To her even greater surprise, Len is one of their allies. To her dismay, she starts falling for him in this romcom distinguished by the depth of the characters as well as the ideas they are exploring. Is Eliza compromising her values in being with Len? It’s a question she examines deeply. Serena projects a shallow façade for a reason. Len is a nice guy figuring things out and he messes up sometimes, as does Eliza. The interactions and relationships, including what we see of Eliza’s family, where she’s always been “the smart one,” her older sister Kim “the pretty one,” explore how people label and judge and limit one another in many ways, but especially with regard to gender, in this funny, insightful novel. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 13 and older
Age Range: Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13) Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format: Novel
Subjects: Asian Americans Chinese and Chinese Americans Families Feminism Humor Japanese and Japanese Americans Journalism and Media Love and Romance Multiracial Characters/Families Sexism Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans
Diversity subject: Asian
On CCBC Booklists: Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin

Publishers: HarperCollins, Katherine Tegen Books
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 374
ISBN: 9780063038363
CCBC Location: Fiction, Quach

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