The Diamond Explorer
Written by Kao Kalia Yang
Published by Penguin Young Readers Group
Malcolm is the youngest child of Hmong refugees, and he was born over a decade after his youngest sibling, giving him a unique perspective on his complicated immigrant family.
In the first part of the story, we meet Malcolm as an elementary school kid through the eyes of the adults in his life—his parents and siblings, but also the white teachers at his Minnesota schools. As middle school begins, we encounter Malcolm in his own words, and suddenly we see that this “quiet, slow Hmong boy” is anything but. Malcolm is a gifted collector of his family’s stories and tireless seeker of his own place within an evolving Hmong American culture, and his journey toward becoming a shaman like his grandparents before him is inspiring and revelatory.
Primary ISBN: 9781984816337
Publication Date: September 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 10 or older
Community Represented: Hmong/Hmong American
Themes: Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Coming of Age, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Discrimination: Racial, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Format: Audiobook, Generation: 1st, Identity: Multilingual, IYNB Recommends: ASCA School Counselors 2026, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Refugee: War/Conflict, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Death of Family or Friend, Trauma & Healing: Intergenerational
Setting: United States (St. Paul MN)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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