The Berkeley Unified School District stands with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community and wishes to affirm its commitment to the safety and well-being of Asian American students, staff and community members.  On March 24, 2021, the Berkeley Unified School District Board of Education unanimously ratified a resolution denouncing hate crimes and bigotry targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. 

These reading lists, organized by grade level, represent books published in recent years that are devoted to uplifting Asian-American and Pacific Islander history, celebrating heritage, affirming identity, and promoting antiracism. Sharing these books is one part of our effort to develop anti-racist consciousness with and for our youth and ensure they know they are not alone and that they can speak out to help stop the spread of bigotry.

How do I read these books?

Many of these books are available through Berkeley school libraries as a physical and/or ebook. For more information about any of these books, or to check one of them out, ask your school librarian.

• 3-12 graders can find hundreds of great options on Sora. For Sora ebooks, you will be prompted to log in through Clever. More information on how to access Sora is available here.

• TK-2 graders can find great ebooks and read-alouds through Tumblebooks or the Berkeley Public Library.

• You will need a Berkeley Public Library card to order books through the Berkeley Public Library catalog. If you need a Berkeley Public Library card, click here. 

For more information and instructions on accessing ebooks and audiobooks, visit our Digital Books page.

At a time when so many small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open, we also encourage folks to support our local bookstores: 

Ashay by the Bay, Bandung Books, Eastwind Books, Marcus Books, Mrs. Dalloways, Moe’s Books, Mr. Mopps, Books Inc., and Pegasus Books.