9 Japanese American Young Adult and Middle Grade Authors

There’s a four letter word that I like to say a lot. I say it so often, in fact, that even my toddler knows it. Now before you go gasping and spluttering and accusing me of teaching my child unnamable profanities, let me tell you what that four letter actually word is. It’s H-O-M-E. As Dorothy Gale famously said, “There’s no place like home,” and I can testify that’s true because our family’s home just happens to be the wondrous, the magical, the amazing country of Japan. There’s truly no other place like it. So today, in honor of my lovely home which I adore with my whole breakfast-loving heart, I’m going to share a list of nine Japanese American Young Adult and Middle Grade authors who need all of your love, support, and waffles (we can never forget the waffles). And they need it like… right now.

Japanese American Young Adult Authors

Akemi Dawn Bowman

“Akemi Dawn Bowman is a Ravenclaw and Star Wars enthusiast, who served in the US Navy for five years and has a BA in social sciences from UNLV. Originally from Las Vegas, she currently lives in Scotland with her husband, two children, and their Pekingese mix.”

~ Bio taken from here.

Akemi’s Books:

Julie Kagawa

“Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel. Julie now lives in North Carolina with her husband, two obnoxious cats, and a pair of Australian Shepherds that have more Instagram followers than she does. “

~ Bio taken from her website.

Julie’s Books:

Emiko Jean

“When Emiko is not writing, she is reading. Most of her friends are imaginary. Before she became a writer she was an entomologist (fancy name for bug catcher), a candle maker, a florist, and most recently a teacher. She lives in Washington with her husband and children (unruly twins). She loves the rain.”

~ Bio taken from her website.

Emiko’s Books

Upcoming Book: Tokyo Ever After

Sarah Kuhn

“Sarah Kuhn is on a quest to eat every kind of mochi in the greater Los Angeles area. In her spare time, she thinks way too much about one day adopting a pug and the lasting legacy of Claudia Kishi. A third-generation Japanese American, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and an overflowing closet of vintage treasures.”

~ Bio taken from the I Love You So Mochi back cover.

Sarah’s Books

Misa Sugiura

“Misa Sugiura’s ancestors include a poet, a priestess, a samurai, and a stowaway. She grew up in Northfield, Illinois, and went to college on the East Coast. She lived in Japan for three years before moving to the Silicon Valley and becoming a high school English teacher. Misa writes lives under a giant oak tree with her husband, two sons, two cats, and a gray-banded king snake.”

~ Bio taken from here and here.

Misa’s Books

Valynne E. Maetani

“Valynne E. Maetani (pronounced Vuh-lin Mah-eh-tah-nee) grew up in Utah and obtained a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In a former life, she was a project manager and developed educational software for children with learning disabilities. Currently, she is a full-time writer. She is a member of the We Need Diverse Books team and is dedicated to promoting diversity in children’s literature because every child should grow up believing his or her story deserves to be told.”

~ Bio taken from her website.

Valynne’s Books

Japanese American Middle Grade Authors

Cynthia Kadohata

“Kadohata was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her first published short story appeared in The New Yorker in 1986. She received a BA in journalism from the University of Southern California. She also attended graduate programs at the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University. Kadohata lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, son, and dogs.”

~ Bio taken from here.

Cynthia’s Books:

Debbi Michiko Florence

“Debbi Michiko Florence, a third generation Japanese American, is a former classroom teacher and zoo educator. A native Californian, Debbi now lives in Connecticut with her husband, rescue dog, bunny, and two ducks. She loves to travel with her husband and daughter. “

~ Bio taken from her website.

Debbi’s Book:

Margaret Dilloway

“Margaret Dilloway was born in San Diego, California to a Japanese mother and American father. She grew up in San Diego and has lived in Washington, Hawaii, and San Diego, California as an adult. She attended Scripps College in Claremont, California, earning a Studio Art B.A. in under four years. Margaret proceeded to work various odd jobs, and married a former Army Ranger, with whom she had three children.”

~ Bio taken from here.

Margaret’s Books:

Have you read any of these author’s books?

How do you think we can better support diverse authors?

Share your thoughts with me in the comments!