"Dumpling Days" by Grace Lin

Saw an AAPI 5th grader reading "Dumpling Days" on a streetcorner today and told her Grace Lin was a White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Champion of Change. She even looked up from the book one moment (while crossing street) to say tell Grace Lin it's a great book! #weneeddiversebooks

Kimchi for Life Launch with Special Tribute to Kim Pham - ameltingpotofthoughts | Buy Tickets

Tomorrow night in OC: Special Tribute to Kim Pham at book launch of "Kimchi for Life," third in the A Melting Pot of Thoughts 13 Minutes Books - "Pho for Life: A Melting Pot of Thoughts." series (in which I have a short short love story of sorts, "Where the Lava Meets the Sea") Thanks Ahn Mai Xuan Bui

Kimchi for Life Launch with Special Tribute to Kim Pham - ameltingpotofthoughts | Buy Tickets

more at fb event page: Red Carpet Celebration of the Release of "Kimchi for Life."

"Where the Lava Meets the Sea" in "Kimchi for Life."

Wow, looks great! So pleased to be a part of the A Melting Pot of Thoughts series once again, with "Where the Lava Meets the Sea" in the new book, "Kimchi for Life." Check out this sweet love letter from the editor, Ahn Mai Xuan Bui:

Dear Frances, I'd like to thank you for being a great friend of A Melting Pot of Thoughts. Your leadership in the field of Asian literature is well recognized and appreciated.

Storytelling today at Bookbound with FASCA

The students of FASCA will be joining me today with crafts and storytelling! (and maybe Chinese Yo-Yo too). Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Taiwanese American Heritage Week, and Children's Book Week! Stories on Saturday, May 10, 2014, 2:00 pm, Bookbound, 1729 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Children's storytelling and reading at Bookbound in May

Bookbound is starting Children's Book Week early as well as celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a reading and storytelling event with local writer and speaker Frances Kai-Hwa Wang who will share some of her favorite stories and books about growing up Asian in America. Intended for children, appropriate for all ages. Saturday, May 10, 2:00 pm, Bookbound, Ann Arbor.

I will tell some original stories, read some books they carry, and bring some other books too. My intention is to focus on stories set in America that deal with issues Asian Pacific American (and many other) children have to deal with here. so these will not be stories set in an ancient land far far away once upon a time. Here are some of my favorite books for your reference, and anything by Lee and Low Books is also good:
http://www.papertigers.org/personalViews/archiveViews/FKWang.html

If you can't wait that long, check out my good friend La'Ron Williams at the Ann Arbor District Library next week:

National Library Week Wrap-Up Event: Storyteller La'Ron Williams,
Saturday April 19, 2014: 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm -- Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room
This event is intended for age six to adultNational Library Week concludes with a special performance for elementary-age youth through adults featuring nationally-known Storyteller La'Ron Williams.
La'Ron is a nationally acclaimed, award-winning storyteller, earning a reputation as one of the finest storytellers in the state of Michigan. His salient gift is his remarkable rapport with audiences of all kinds, as he uses dialect, facial expressions and movement to breathe life into tales which transcend the boundaries of class and age.
La'Ron also believes that multiculturalism is an important part of life and that the power and beauty of African culture should be shared.

http://www.aadl.org/node/253169

UPDATED with a better photo. :)

Sriracha Apocalypse

The other day at the Chinese grocery store, 10 year old Little Brother told me that we should buy some Sriracha. "Why?" I asked, since Santa brought us 4 cases at Christmas, and he whispered, "You know, for the Sriracha Apocalypse!"