Maisie Chan recommends five of her favourite books
- Jhalak Prize
- Jun 10, 2022
- 2 min read
Maisie Chan, winner of Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize for her middle grade book book Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths (Piccadilly Press) recommends five books that influenced her as a person and writer.
I loved this book so much that I did my B.A. dissertation on it! I didn't grow up with a Chinese mother in my life, so I was fascinated by the prospect of what that relationship might have been like if I had and this book was all about the mother-daughter relationship. It was one of the few books I'd read with a myriad of Chinese diaspora characters. I remember crying whilst reading it and also later when I watched the film by Wayne Wang. I think it's one of the first books I read where I realised how much representation mattered.
I read this book with a lump in my throat and a heavy stone-like feeling in my chest. The book is narrated by a black boy who was shot by a policeman, his ghost seeks justice and answers. It's a book that makes you question things, feel anger, and have empathy. It's a brilliant and important book about black lives, police brutality, and about young lives taken too soon.
This is one of my favourite books. A.M. Dassu put her heart into this book. The detail and care that has been taken to chart the journey of a Syrian boy's life from his home country to the stark reality of a somewhat hostile Britain. It's well researched and beautifully written. One of the best things about the book is the sense that this could happen to anyone. Anyone in the world could become a refugee at some point in their lives.
This is a picture book but for all ages. It's a clever and also sad book (with a hopeful ending) that follows the life of a cicada who works everyday in a thankless office job where he is underappreciated and dispensable. I love the illustrations and the allegory about human existence. I think Shaun Tan is an immense talent and the power of pictures can be seen clearly in all of his work. What I appreciate with this book is that children and adults can both enjoy and understand this book and what it's trying to say.
Catherine Johnson is such a good writer! This novel is brilliant. It's historical so you learn something new about people of colour in England in the 1800s. It's full of intrigue and action. Is Princess Caraboo who she says she is? It's a great example of how you can push the boundaries of what young adult fiction is. It was one of the first YA books I read when I was starting to think about becoming a children's author and it made me realise how much variety there is out there for children and teens which was not the case when I was a child.
I love how Maisie Chan highlights books that center identity, empathy, and belonging, especially The Joy Luck Club and Ghost Boys, which both leave a lasting emotional impact. During a tough semester balancing readings and prep for an online Nursing exam help, I found myself drawn to stories like these because they reminded me why compassion matters. Your post shows how powerful representation in children’s literature can shape both writers and readers.
I really enjoyed the way the post’s list of favorite books made me want to explore new stories and think about what I like to read most, especially from fresh voices and perspectives. I remember when I was stuck on a big essay and used this Law project editing service to clean up my writing and make my ideas clearer, it helped me feel proud of what I turned in. That makes me think about the value of good editing and great books.
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I really enjoyed this post Maisie Chan’s selection offers a moving and varied set of reads that thread together themes of identity, belonging, history, and emotional depth. Her choices from The Joy Luck Club to Cicada feel like invitations into perspectives she’s held close, and the commentary around each gives them new resonance. Also, as someone who works with niche topics (yes, I once looked into wholesale t-shirts as part of a small merch venture tied to literary events), I love how her reflections make me want to pair these books with tangible campaigns think a limited-edition tee celebrating Ghost Boys, for example.
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