I am excited to share some recent experiences at the AAPI Joy Festival at Central Library and Author Hour at Newhope Library that left me inspired! These events allowed me to connect with the community through my children's book, My Ong Ngoai's Garden Cal's Guide to Vietnamese Fruits and Culture.
The AAPI Joy Festival on May 17 at Central Library in downtown Los Angeles had over 2,000 attendees and featured a dynamic slate of dance performances, cooking demos, book author readings, and more. It was inspiring to see so many people gather to celebrate the Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander cultures. I was one of the three children's book authors, and a highlight of my program involved being in the hot seat for children's questions. I will never forget a kid's question about harmful fruits to humans. Honestly, I don't think I've heard of a fruit that is harmful to people, but I was happy to explore it.
Just recently, I also had the joy of participating in an Author Hour at Newhope Library in Santa Ana. It meant a lot to me to do a talk there because I grew up visiting Santa Ana, which has a large Vietnamese American population and a lot of diversity. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to engage with readers, discuss my book inspiration, and share the importance of documenting our parents' stories. I shared how my parents fled Vietnam as refugees after the Vietnam War and made their way to America. Their stories inspired me to document them so I could share them with my kids one day. I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely discussion with the audience and am grateful to everyone who came out.
These library events demonstrate our libraries' important role as hubs of learning and meaningful connections. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities to share my passion for storytelling at libraries.
Thanks everyone for listening!
Shirley Ly from the Echo Park Library at the AAPI Joy Fest
Librarian Tony Lam with staff at Newhope Library
