Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes

by Mia Wenjen

Meet 17 Asian Pacific American female athletes
from yesterday and today!

From snowboarder Chloe Kim and hockey player Julie Chu to
soccer player Natasha Kai-Marks, these champions inspire us
as we learn how they rose to compete at the highest level and how they
pave the way for others to follow.

32 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2021

Reviews

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2024. I had requested to review more diverse books for my classroom other than books with Hispanic characters, which I have a lot of. I LOVED the representation in this book, and thought it would be great to use either with our nonfiction literature unit, or with our biography writing unit. The text is accessible for upper elementary students, it included many text features, it includes current updates, and students do not have to read the whole book to find the information they need. I cannot wait to add this to my classroom library and use this book as a tool for students for years to come!

[Christine Alemshah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so honored to be a book reviewer this year, and to share my #gifted book CHANGING THE GAME: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FEMALE ATHLETE by Mia Wenjen with you! #readyourworld

A little about the book:

CHANGING THE GAME: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FEMALE ATHLETE by Mia Wenjen shines a spotlight on seventeen Asian American female athlete trailblazers who attained high levels of success despite setbacks such as poverty, gender stereotypes, and racism. The book is an inspirational stepping stone for modern young athletes to believe in themselves and pursue their passions.

About the Author:

Mia Wenjen is an author and co-founder of Multicultural Children’s Book Day that celebrates diversity in children’s literature. CHANGING THE GAME: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FEMALE ATHLETE by Mia Wenjen is such an important book! So much so that Scholastic purchased reprinting rights, and it will be available at Book fairs later this year. What wonderful news!

My review:

CHANGING THE GAME: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FEMALE ATHLETE by Mia Wenjen filled my Filipino mixed-heritage heart with such joy! I loved reading about Victoria Manalo Draves and felt a kinship to her story. In her early training days, she faced racial prejudice, forcing her to change her name to her mother’s maiden name, so it sounded less ethnic, and not being able to have her dad with her at practices because he was Filipino. Victoria did not let those setbacks stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a professional diver. In 1948 Vicky became the first Filipino to represent the United States at the London Olympic Games. She then became the first woman to win Olympic Gold in both the 10-meter platform and 3-meter platform springboard events. All the women in this book have such significant stories that serve as inspiration for young athletes today. Despite facing adversity, they all persevered, which is an important message. My daughter has said, “only boys can achieve _.” I will share this book (and others) with her to show her that is not the case!

[Allison Abas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me from the Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD). This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

Changing The Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes was an inspiring read that depicted the lives and legacies of seventeen female athletes. This book did a wonderful job at shining light on the obstacles and hurdles that these women jumped over in order to achieve greatness. If you are looking for a quick read that is sure to captivate curious learners, this book is a great choice! With "action shot" pictures and statements from the change makers, Changing the Game pulls you into the competitive world of sports. It does a great job of representing a variety of sports as well as featuring women from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds.

As an Asian American myself, this book was gold medal worthy! Everybody deserves to see and read about positive role models! Thank you once again to MCBD for this donation. I can not wait for my students to read it as well!

#ReadYourWorld

[e · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Wenjen’s book explores the talents of many talented Asian Pacific American Female Athletes, highlighting not only their accomplishments but also the challenges these women overcame to rise above. Readers will be inspired by the stories of these seventeen Asian Pacific American female athletes, such as Korean American EJ Lee Smith, who, despite her height, rose to fame as one of the greatest point guards to play college basketball. Along with others like Julie Chu who was the first Asian American to play on the U.S. Olympic Hockey team.

Honest Thoughts:
This book is inspiring for so many people: athletes, women, Asian Pacific Americans and anyone who cares about equality, inclusion, and diversity. The women highlighted are from a variety of sports and struggled to become the inspirations they now are. These stories should be told in every classroom to raise awareness of not only the athletes, but also their perseverance and hard work which led them to be the top competitors in their sports.

Visit https://miawenjen.com/ to experience a world of beautiful, diverse texts! #ReadYourWorld #gifted

[Jennifer Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing The Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes
Mia Wenjen, 2021

This delightful children’s book is written at a mid to upper-4th-grade level. However, the quality and content may interest readers of any age. An average of two total pages has been dedicated to each featured athlete. The layout pairs a full-page high-quality photograph with a full-page biography. Bright colors, captions, and text variations draw the reader’s focus to each athlete’s specific accolades and accomplishments. Wenjen (2021) demonstrates how Asian females have historically exhibited exceptional athletic prowess, even within adversity. Her delightful and engaging text highlights the achievements of women of a wide range of ages. While these female athletes share a common Asian heritage, their backgrounds and interests are diverse.

[Julianne DeSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of Multicultural Children’s Book Day, and I am so happy I got a chance to read it! It's a very quick read, which makes it excellent for reluctant readers, especially those interested in sports. I loved the way all of stories about the athletes shared different interesting facts about the women, and included athletes from different generations. As a teacher, I think this book would be excellent not only to engage reluctant readers, but to teach writing craft as well. Every biography features a hook that asks readers to examine something from their own life, which I think would be an excellent example for teaching introductions! Overall, this book will become a great resource in my classroom!

[Alexis]

A perfect book to use in history, literature, or PE classes to discuss important and powerful Asian Pacific American Female Athletes. This book came out during the perfect time-the Olympics and had many of the athletes I watched. I loved reading their stories, where they came from and where they needed up. It is short and powerful. A must have for classrooms and libraries!

[Sayuni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an inspiring and novel little book. Each entry is detailed and engaging. Even as someone without a real interest in sports, I found the book engaging, informative, and even inspiring. I highly recommend this as a coffee table book that you flip through periodically. I mostly recommend the book for children who are interested in sports.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute book. The title is perfect and so catchy. I loved reading about these powerful women, their stories and what they achieved. Each of these biographies inspire young girls to reach for the stars. A beautiful book to be read over and over again.