Multilingual Marauder Bookstore

Rising from Our Roots is a collection of stories written by multilingual students of Waipahu High School, representing their diverse backgrounds- our students come to Hawai'i from the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, Chuuk, Sāmoa, and Tonga.

This collection explores students' roots, including childhood memories and adaptations of folktales from their home countries. It follows them as they branch out in their new home, with narratives of the immigration experience, overcoming challenges, and finding their place in Hawai'i. These stories highlight and celebrate the languages and cultures that enrich our Waipahu community.

Throughout the book, the authors' unique voices come through in English and their home languges- Chuukese, Ilokano, Marshallese, Sāmoan, and Tagalog. 

200 pages

Holding On is a collection of folktales from the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, and Chuuk that have been passed down through the generations and kept alive by the Multilingual Marauders. 

After hearing these stories from their elders or reading them in books, the student authors wanted to preserve them for the next generation and for new audiences. Holding On contains the collective wisdom and lessons of their rich cultural traditions.

Some tales stay true to their origins, while others have been adapted to include the author’s interpretation. Many are in a graphic novel format to appeal to readers of all ages.

77 pages

Windows and Mirrors is a compilation of personal narratives that allows readers to catch a glimpse into the authors’ lives and an understanding of who they are and where they come from. The book also features essays about the meaning behind students' names. The student authors are from Chuuk, Pohnpei, the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, Sāmoa, and Tonga, places that lack representation in American literature. 

By sharing their diverse voices and experiences, they are providing a mirror for other young readers to see themselves and their cultures in these pages. 

The authors have incorporated their home languages in the stories, highlighting their multilingualism and cultural identities and capturing the sound of their parents’ advice and scoldings, their friends at play, and greetings and farewells to loved ones in Ilokano, Marshallese, Pohnpeian, Sāmoan, and Tagalog. 

112 pages