Selina Li Bi

. Apr. 2025. 320p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781641296489. COPY ISBN Gr 9 Up–Chinese Filipino American teen Jasmine Cheng has grown up with her single mom. Her beautiful and intellectual, but erratic, mother has spun many ancient Asian fantasy and magical tales. Jasmine’s father is the god Pangu, creator of the heavens and earth. Jasmine and her mother are the Phoenix and Dragon. In addition to the mythological stories, her mother teaches classical literature, such as the Chinese I Ching and Japanese haiku.

“Nonwhite and Woman: 131 Micro Essays on Being in the World,” includes an intro by the book’s executive editor, Darien Hsu Gee, who writes that, “Women of color grapple with a sense of identity and belonging, of trying to make sense of who we are and how our cultural and/or ethnic heritage impacts our navigation through life. … It is not unusual to find ourselves existing in multiple worlds or leading multiple lives. We are chameleons, more for survival than by choice.