Review: Pahua and the Soul Stealer

Title: Pahua and the Soul Stealer

Author: Lori M. Lee 

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Pages: 432

Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley 

Availability: September 7, 2021 

Summary: Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see. 

One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood--whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.

Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way. . . .

My thoughts: I'm so excited for students to get their hands on this book. Like the other Rick Riordan Presents books, this is also jam packed with action and fascinating storytelling. Each book in the imprint is written with inspiration from traditional stories and this one is based on the Hmong stories that Lori M. Lee grew up hearing. 

There are Hmong stories scattered throughout the book and the warrior shaman Pahua meets helps explain a lot of things about Hmong practices and beliefs in between their many adventures. There are also Hmong symbols at the beginning of chapters. Readers unfamiliar with Hmong storytelling and culture may not notice everything, but Hmong readers are sure to recognize the many Hmong symbols, foods, words, and much more. 

The spirit cat and the many other spirits that Pahua encounters are each unique and intriguing. Young readers may find the story to be slightly creepy, but it is not terrifying horror. It seems to be just enough scariness to send shivers up the spine on occasion without overwhelming the typical middle grade reader.

I flew through the story at a fast pace in a hurry to see what would come next. Traveling through the spirit realm with Pahua was quite a ride and I was very happy to be on the journey.

Recommendation: Pahua and her companions are sure to entertain and delight middle grade readers as they attempt to finish their quest. This will be a winner with readers who love fantasy and lots of action. There is also plenty of humor too. I'm really looking forward to sharing it with my students and hope that many readers get a chance to meet Pahua. 

Extra: Schedule of Virtual Events with the Author

Review: Yang Warriors

Title: Yang Warriors

Author: Kao Kalia Yang

Illustrator: Billy Thao

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Pages: 40

Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley

Availability: April 13, 2021

Summary: In this inspiring picture book, fierce and determined children confront the hardships of Ban Vinai refugee camp, where Kao Kalia Yang lived as a child. Accompanied by the evocative and rich cultural imagery of debut illustrator Billy Thao, the warriors’ secret mission shows what feats of compassion and courage children can perform, bringing more than foraged greens back to the younger children and to their elders. In this unforgiving place, with little to call their own, these children are the heroes, offering gifts of hope and belonging in a truly unforgettable way.

My review: Kao Kalia Yang has put the perfect words together to whisk readers back in time right into her memories. She shares about her young cousins training together each day so they would be ready when needed. They had both physical and mental exercises and their chosen leader was one of the smaller children. He was chosen because he was the most passionate about their training and believed in them the most. He had a heart for everyone and for the work they were doing. One of my favorite illustrations is this tiny boy standing with his hands on his hips. The shadow that he casts is a large one and it is also shaped like the heart motif that is often found in Hmong textiles and jewelry. It's just one of the many wonderful ways Billy Thao's artwork supports the story. 

The Yang Warriors had many reasons to train. There were Thai guards, other children who wanted space in the camp, and there were lonely ghosts. They knew there was danger around them, but they also knew they wanted to be prepared for anything. Young readers will likely connect with these creative and empathic children who did more than simply survive in this challenging situation. They taught each other and challenged each other in many ways. 

As with many of Kao Kalia Yang's stories, readers will also feel the boundless familial love within the words. Several of her adult and children's books are love letters to her grandmother and parents, but with this book, we get to see love for her sister and cousins. 

Yang and Thao each provide wonderful notes at the end of the book that include a little more information about the refugee camp experience and Hmong culture. 

Recommendation: This is truly a book for anyone. It should find a place in any library and I am excited to have it available for my students in the near future.

Hmong Resources

There are many thousands of Hmong Americans in the Midwest and other areas around the country, but teachers and librarians are not always able to easily find resources that represent those students and families. Over the past few years, I've been working to find helpful resources and I wanted to make a space to gather the books and other things I've found. If you know of others, please share them in the comments.

Publishers/Bookstores:
HER Publisher
Hmong ABC (bookstore - online & St. Paul location)
Hmong Baby (publisher)
Minnesota Reading Together Project (books to order & free pdfs)
My First Hmong Book LLC (beginning readers)
Project Hmong (publisher - early readers & bulletin board border)
Reading Karma (publisher)

St. Paul Public Schools - Hmong Language & Culture Products

Individual Books:
Astrid & Apollo series (early chapter books)
Hmanganime (Hmong Fantasy/Anime Coloring Book - free)

Hmong ABCs
Hmong in Wisconsin (WI Historical Society book)
Hmong New Year 2015 - La Crosse, WI (Electronic book - free access)
Hmong New Year 2017 - La Crosse, WI (Electronic book - free access)
Leej Twg Hlub Koj? Who Loves You?
Ntxhais (high school senior project online comic)
The Plain of Stone Jars
Ten Little Fish/Kaum Tus Me Nyuam Ntses (board book)

Who Are the Hmong People

Yer and the Tiger - audio online via Classical Storytime

Hmong Clothing/Accessories
Big Eye Little Eye (online & St. Paul location)
Muaj Tiag Clothing Co.

RedGreen Rivers

Other Resources

Duachaka Her's Resource page

Fresno Unified School District Dual Language Immersion

Hmong American Experience (latest news & stories about Hmong Americans) 

Hmong Embroidery (online textile museum) 

The Hmong Language Resource Hub

Hmong Museum

Hmong Museum coloring pages

Hmong Times (MN online news)

Joe Bee Xiong

Learn About Hmong

Madison Schools Hmong Cultural Resources Guide

Neng Now
Wisconsin Life: Hmong

Artists
Hmong Artist List curated by Duachaka Her

Hmong Artist List curated by HmongThrills 
Mai Chao (a student was able to interview her - watch here)
Multiple Artists spotlighted
Shoua Yang (he did a great virtual visit at my school)

Musicians - I'll need to find more ;)
Maa Vue

Maa Vue 'If I Became a Rapper' (fun rap using math)

Hmong instruments for purchase - Neng Now

Children's & YA Authors 
V.T. Bidania (awesome virtual visits for both 3rd & 4th grade)

Mai Chao
Hua M. Conry
Lori M. Lee

Doua Moua

Mykou Thao

Chia Gounza Vang
Ka Vang
Kao Kalia Yang

May Y. Yang

Children's & YA Illustrators
Duachaka Her (comics)
Dara Lashia Lee
Billy Thao

Spoken Word Poetry/Essays/Read Alouds (Videos)
Come Home (spoken word poem by Kevin Yang)

Hmong American Day Read Alouds (not all follow copyright regulations)
'Hmong American Experience: Life Between Two Worlds' (Poem by Nakita)

Kuv Ua Tau/I Can Do It/ (read aloud by Mykou Thao)

Leej Twg Hlub Koj? Who Loves You? (read aloud)

A Map Into the World (read aloud by Kao Kalia Yang)

The Most Beautiful Thing Read Aloud & School Visit with Kao Kalia Yang
Ka Vang (spoken word poem)

Review: Astrid & Apollo

Title: Astrid & Apollo and the Starry Campout (Astrid & Apollo #1)
Author: V.T. Bidania
Illustrator: Dara Lashia Lee
Publisher: Picture Window Books an imprint of Capstone
Pages: 64
Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
Availability: August 1, 2020

Summary: Astrid is afraid of the dark and doesn't want to go on her family camping trip. But her twin brother, Apollo, is excited. When they encounter scary things such as crawly bugs and the creepy dark, Apollo helps his twin through them. And when they encounter the scariest thing of all, Astrid might just be the one to save the starry campout.

Review: I cannot even express how excited I am about this series. This is the first and only early chapter book series to feature a Hmong American family. This first book in the series introduces the eight year old twins and their family as they go on a camping trip.

Along the way, we learn about their Hmong names and their meanings. Astrid, or Gao Nou, is apprehensive about camping, but her twin helps convince her to give it a try by framing it as an adventure. Their cousin Lily had told some horror stories about a camping trip she had been on, but this camping trip is not a horrifying even though they do encounter some intimidating critters at one point.

This is a fun and entertaining beginning chapter book that anyone could enjoy. The mishaps and frights are amusing and so is their little sister and her amazingly noisy screams. My youngest would completely relate to detesting bugs and bathrooms on campouts as Astrid does.

What makes this book more than just a typical chapter book though is the inclusion of Hmong American culture. This is something that will be interesting for other readers, but for Hmong American readers this is filled with many opportunities for connections. Between the smattering of Hmong words, egg rolls, papaya salad, Thai chili peppers, Hmong sausage, and even mention of Hmong Village Mall, there is much that Hmong American students may find familiar. Even though the mall is several hours away in St. Paul, many of my students have been there or know of the mall. The back matter also includes a brief history of how Hmong people came to be in the U.S. which is almost always new information for non-Hmong folks. A list of popular Hmong foods with their descriptions follows the historical notes.

There are many Hmong Americans in our community and across Wisconsin and Minnesota along with several other locations in the U.S. and this book is one way for readers to get a small glimpse into the Hmong American culture or even see themselves reflected on the page.

Recommendation: This is a great early chapter book for any library or home with young readers and it is essential in communities where Hmong Americans are living. The story is engaging and the chapters are brief, but challenging enough for readers just beginning to read chapter books. I cannot wait to share this series with my students, my community, and anyone else I can persuade to read it.

Extra: Author FAQ

Hmong Children's Literature

 

We celebrated Hmong New Year in La Crosse earlier this month. As always, it was amazing with fantastic food, fun, music, dancing, sports and so much to see. Hmong people have been living in the area for forty years now and have brought much to strengthen the community including this celebration.

Teaching in an elementary school, I want to make sure that the Hmong culture is also represented in our library. I wrote about that on the Nerdybookclub blog. I've looked around and have found some great books and have also added some artifacts to our collection. A few people have asked me about specific titles and resources so I wanted to share them here.

The best possible place to start when looking for resources is online with Hmong ABC. They have a physical bookstore in St. Paul, MN on Como Ave. If you are close enough to visit, it's also helpful to visit both the Hmongtown Marketplace (this is where you will find the bookstore) and the Hmong Village Shopping Center. Both shopping areas are in St. Paul and provide access to all kinds of Hmong art, clothing, music, and more. One other online resource for Hmong handicrafts is Redgreen Rivers™.

At Hmong Village, I also found a place that makes custom t-shirts and pins, Big Eye Little Eye. They have an online presence, though not all of their products are shown there. I was able to buy a t-shirt that shows the numerals 1-10 and the Hmong words for each of them. When I wore it to school many students were able to count in Hmong with me as we read my shirt. I looked, and that particular shirt isn't available online yet. You can see it here in our library window display.

Our school has a large story cloth that shows the journey of the Hmong people from Laos to Thailand and then to the U.S. Our art teacher also purchased a smaller story cloth showing Hmong New Year. He has it on display in his classroom. There is another small cloth I purchased at Hmong New Year that shows all sorts of animals. At the markets and the local New Year celebration, I've also acquired a small girl's traditional outfit, a pair of baby shoes, a ball that is used in a game at New Year, a purse, and a bracelet. These items will all be going into the Hmong Culture Kit I'm putting together for the LMC. The kit will be available for checkout to staff. I would also like to add at least one music CD and a few other items, but it will be a work in progress.

As for books, Hmong ABC is not the only place to get them, but they have the most extensive collection that I have found anywhere. Here are a few more places that offer Hmong materials:

The Reading Together Book Project - Melody of the Qeej, Shoua and the Northern Lights Dragon, and The Imaginary Day

D.C. Everest High School - Zaj Lus: A Hmong Children's Story Collection, titles for older students or for professional collections: Looking Back, Stepping Forward: The Hmong People, Hmong in the Modern World 

Project Hmong: Books for Young Readers - This is a series of controlled vocabulary books that are also bilingual.

Here are two newer self-published titles that I want to highlight:

Hmong Names by Susan Kaying Pha - here's an article about it from Hmong Times Online. I've had baby name books in my library before and students love to look up their names along with other family member names and even those of friends. I'm planning to purchase this one soon.

Gathering Fireflies was written by Mai Chao, an art teacher in our community. She wrote this novel-in-verse and created some illustrations to accompany the text. It's aimed toward middle school and high school. She wrote about a young boy who is interviewing his grandparents and learning about his cultural heritage. Mai Chao believes that it's time for Hmong voices to tell their own stories. I own this one for my personal collection, but would recommend it to our middle and high school.

If you would like to see the titles we have available in our school, visit our catalog via this link. Click on Northern Hills and then search Hmong. We only have about 50 titles right now, but I'm always looking for more.

Here are some of our most popular titles:

Zaj Lus : A Hmong Children's Story Collectionby D.C. Everest Students and Staff

Many Ideas Open the Way : A Collection of Hmong Proverbs by Randy Snook

The Terrible Journey : A Hmong Child's True Story of His Escape from Laos to Thailand by Cha Ya

Dia's Story Cloth by Dia Cha

I Won't Bite! : English/Hmong = [Kuv tsis tom!] by Rod Campbell

Pw zoo, Tus Me Ntshuab/Good Night Little Sea Otter by Janet Halfmann

Ka's Garden/Kab lub vaj by Maggie Lee McHugh and Dr. Bee Lo

Tougi the Toad Finds His Smile by Gaonou Thao

My Family is Special to Me by Bao Xiong

Nine in One, Grr! Grr! told by Blia Xiong, adapted by Cathy Spagnoli

Another favorite is our Hmong New Year book. Students and staff from our school made this using Shutterfly. Several of our students took cameras to Hmong New Year. The photographers got many wonderful photos that were used to create a nonfiction book that shares the celebration. 

If you know of other titles that would be good for us to acquire, please let me know.