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You Are Here: Connecting Flights: Twisted Tales of Young Asian Americans in a Chaotic Airport
An incident at a TSA security check point sows chaos and rumors, creating a chain of events that impacts twelve young Asian Americans in a crowded and restless airport. As their disrupted journeys crisscross and collide, they encounter fellow travelers--some helpful, some hostile--as they discover the challenges of friendship, the power of courage, the importance of the right word at the right time, and the unexpected significance of a blue Stratocaster electric guitar.
Twelve powerhouse Asian American authors explore themes of identity and belonging in the entwined experiences of young people whose family roots may extend to East and Southeast Asia, but who are themselves distinctly American.
Written by Linda Sue Park, Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, Mike Chen, Meredith Ireland, Mike Jung, Minh Le, Ellen Oh, Randy Ribay, Christina Soontornvat, and Susan Tan, and edited by Ellen Oh.
Twelve powerhouse Asian American authors explore themes of identity and belonging in the entwined experiences of young people whose family roots may extend to East and Southeast Asia, but who are themselves distinctly American.
Written by Linda Sue Park, Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, Mike Chen, Meredith Ireland, Mike Jung, Minh Le, Ellen Oh, Randy Ribay, Christina Soontornvat, and Susan Tan, and edited by Ellen Oh.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
111 people are currently reading
4691 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Oh
23 books1,052 followers*Hi friends! I'm not often on Goodreads so if you want to keep up with me, the best place to do so is on instagram! I'm at elloecho!
Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. She loves K-pop, K-dramas, and eating good food that someone else cooks for her. She is fueled by Diet Coke. Ellen is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.
Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. She loves K-pop, K-dramas, and eating good food that someone else cooks for her. She is fueled by Diet Coke. Ellen is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 411 reviews
August 23, 2023
You Are Here: Connecting Flights is an excellent novel written by twelve authors and edited by Ellen Oh. The setting is at an international airport in Chicago. Each chapter focuses on a different character, each a young Asian American, with different family backgrounds, makeups, parenting styles, and levels of support. Some of the characters pop up in the stories of others, and all the storylines intertwine to create a really enjoyable reading experience. Each chapter has its own feel, but it is because each character is unique, and not the fact that each chapter has a different author. From this reading, I have some new-to-me authors who I’d like to check out more of their work. Highly recommended for the target audience of 8–12-year-old readers, but teens and adults would enjoy it as well. – Diana F.
April 7, 2025
I’ve experienced almost every one of these scenarios, both as the recipient of vitriol and ignorance and as the daughter who was constantly being told to stay small and invisible.
The last story had me sobbing. This book exactly demonstrates the emotional burdens we have carried as immigrants who identify as Americans but for whom space only exists when it’s convenient for others.
The last story had me sobbing. This book exactly demonstrates the emotional burdens we have carried as immigrants who identify as Americans but for whom space only exists when it’s convenient for others.
April 2, 2023
If I'm not mistaking, this is my first Ellen Oh book (she is the editor on this specific title). It definitely won't be my last. CW: racism, discrimination, racial slurs
You Are Here: Connecting Flights is almost a direct response to Ellen Oh's previous edited work Flying Lessons which received criticism from some readers for not having representation of the Asian American experience. The book follows 12 connecting stories that all take place in a Chicago airport featuring characters primarily from Southeast and East Asia. Each of these characters is written by a different author that attempts to capture the Asian American experience.
What Worked: I would like to point out that these stories aren't easy to read because most of the characters experience racism/discrimination in some way. What's interesting is that every character handles their experience in different ways reiterating the idea that while Asian Americans may share some things in common, their experiences won't be exactly the same. There was also great diversity in the challenges/joys that each character faced including feeling caught in between two worlds, not fulfilling parental/familial expectations, adoption, language barriers, poverty, immigration, friendship, faith, courage, empowerment, and more. I loved the interconnectedness of the stories. As a reader, I had fun connecting the dots of how the characters either communicated with or saw each other in the airport. While each character is written with different styles because of the number of authors who contributed, I think that Ellen Oh did a great job tying them together and utilizing the addition of the pandemic to emphasize the amount of anti-Asian hate that increased as a result. This is one of those books that simply needs to exist to fulfill Dr. Bishop's message of children having mirrors in literature. I can't imagine how many readers will pick this book up and feel seen as an Asian American. I also can't imagine the number of readers who will pick this up and gain new insight to what it's like to be Asian American. This was a relatively quick read, but it's one that I will refer to in the future for so many people I encounter.
You Are Here: Connecting Flights is almost a direct response to Ellen Oh's previous edited work Flying Lessons which received criticism from some readers for not having representation of the Asian American experience. The book follows 12 connecting stories that all take place in a Chicago airport featuring characters primarily from Southeast and East Asia. Each of these characters is written by a different author that attempts to capture the Asian American experience.
What Worked: I would like to point out that these stories aren't easy to read because most of the characters experience racism/discrimination in some way. What's interesting is that every character handles their experience in different ways reiterating the idea that while Asian Americans may share some things in common, their experiences won't be exactly the same. There was also great diversity in the challenges/joys that each character faced including feeling caught in between two worlds, not fulfilling parental/familial expectations, adoption, language barriers, poverty, immigration, friendship, faith, courage, empowerment, and more. I loved the interconnectedness of the stories. As a reader, I had fun connecting the dots of how the characters either communicated with or saw each other in the airport. While each character is written with different styles because of the number of authors who contributed, I think that Ellen Oh did a great job tying them together and utilizing the addition of the pandemic to emphasize the amount of anti-Asian hate that increased as a result. This is one of those books that simply needs to exist to fulfill Dr. Bishop's message of children having mirrors in literature. I can't imagine how many readers will pick this book up and feel seen as an Asian American. I also can't imagine the number of readers who will pick this up and gain new insight to what it's like to be Asian American. This was a relatively quick read, but it's one that I will refer to in the future for so many people I encounter.
April 25, 2023
I can see why kids would connect and respond to stories like this, and I do understand that they based it on real situations, either in the author's own lives or real situations that happened as a result of anti-asian hate crimes, but it felt like they just said "let's cram in as many cliche and extreme racist situations and microaggressions possible." Especially for this format, where every author wrote about that, it just lost a lot of the realism and nuance I wanted from a book like this in 2023. Not everything is a stinky lunch story, c'mon.
November 8, 2024
lots of finding racial identities (sweet), family/friendships (also sweet), and racism (extremely anger inducing). honestly i liked the stories where the kids are balancing between their asian and american identities, and the message that it's okay to feel more comfortable with one side.
i'm happily sheltered in an asian city, so it was also pretty shocking to see how mean racist people can be. to kids too. fiction reflects reality, after all.
some of the character changes happened really quickly, like someone makes a racist comment and then the kid just ✨character development✨ so -1 star.
also the popcorn mix (→ the kids' multiracial identity)?? ingenious subtle metaphor 🤯
bob 24 #8
i'm happily sheltered in an asian city, so it was also pretty shocking to see how mean racist people can be. to kids too. fiction reflects reality, after all.
some of the character changes happened really quickly, like someone makes a racist comment and then the kid just ✨character development✨ so -1 star.
also the popcorn mix (→ the kids' multiracial identity)?? ingenious subtle metaphor 🤯
bob 24 #8
April 11, 2023
3.5 stars
January 15, 2023
ARC provided by Follett First Look
Excellent collection of short stories all taking place in Chicago's O'Hare airport from the points of view of a variety of characters. Lots of topical concerns surrounding the treatment of Southeast Asians, especially since the pandemic.
I am interested in seeing a finished copy; it would have been nice if each chapter/story had had the author listed at the beginning of the chapter. My students often read short story collections and then want to see what books were written by the authors whose stories they enjoyed, and it was a bit difficult to figure this out in the ARC.
Excellent collection of short stories all taking place in Chicago's O'Hare airport from the points of view of a variety of characters. Lots of topical concerns surrounding the treatment of Southeast Asians, especially since the pandemic.
I am interested in seeing a finished copy; it would have been nice if each chapter/story had had the author listed at the beginning of the chapter. My students often read short story collections and then want to see what books were written by the authors whose stories they enjoyed, and it was a bit difficult to figure this out in the ARC.
April 4, 2023
4.5 stars — This one's a stunner. Ya girl absolutely got teary thinking about the kids who need and will be validated by it most, especially after the rise in anti-Asian racism and violence over the last few years. Love as well that there's a diverse cast of characters with not only Southeast and East Asian Americans, but mixed-race kids too. My only note is that I would've loved to see a story or two from mixed-race authors who are, say, Black and Asian, or Latine and Asian, not just white and Asian.
A really lovely anthology overall, though, with a clever central concept and setting that links all of the characters together. 💕
A really lovely anthology overall, though, with a clever central concept and setting that links all of the characters together. 💕
May 1, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
A collection of emotional and funny short stories following 12 young Asian Americans in a Chicago airport.
I have qualms about stories that only focus on the struggles of being Asian American, that surround themselves in racism and xenophobia and culminate in overcoming hardship and standing against hate. Obviously, You Are Here does this, but it is the explicit goal. The anthology features a diverse cast of characters, from a diverse group of authors, depicting the vast expanse and intersectionality of East and Southeast Asian American identities. The young characters embody a vast array of backgrounds, personalities, hobbies, and relationships to their heritage, and overall I think this is a moving and effective collection that shows the power of standing up for yourself and others, whether it be to your well-intentioned family or explicitly racist strangers.
What a wonderful book to read for a middle grader. A book that unapologetically says you are here, you belong here, and you always have and always will.
A collection of emotional and funny short stories following 12 young Asian Americans in a Chicago airport.
I have qualms about stories that only focus on the struggles of being Asian American, that surround themselves in racism and xenophobia and culminate in overcoming hardship and standing against hate. Obviously, You Are Here does this, but it is the explicit goal. The anthology features a diverse cast of characters, from a diverse group of authors, depicting the vast expanse and intersectionality of East and Southeast Asian American identities. The young characters embody a vast array of backgrounds, personalities, hobbies, and relationships to their heritage, and overall I think this is a moving and effective collection that shows the power of standing up for yourself and others, whether it be to your well-intentioned family or explicitly racist strangers.
What a wonderful book to read for a middle grader. A book that unapologetically says you are here, you belong here, and you always have and always will.
June 12, 2024
In college literature courses, I was taught that if you try to write a message instead of story, your books and writing will come out dull, uninspired, and forced. That is precisely what the majority of this book is like - though I enjoyed the first chapter and Khoi's chapter. The rest of the book just sounded like a PSA about how all white people are evil (unless, of course, they're gay) and the way to respond to racism is to be really smug and obnoxious about it and put people in their place. There's no nuance and most of the stories felt so forced and dry. There are much better stories out there that deal with racism in a compelling, nuanced, and understanding fashion - this one is not it.
March 26, 2023
Yup, that's right....5 stars, baby! This is an amazing collections of interconnected stories. The main characters are 12 year olds of all the various Asian communities and their families and challenges, big and small.
Read this book!
Read this book!
December 29, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this digital ARC. I do hope the Harper Collins Union strike is resolved soon so I can promote this book on my social media platforms when it comes out in March.
I adored this anthology of short stories, featuring Asian American kids, all of them passing through a busy airport terminal on a busy summer day. With the rise of anti-Asian sentiment the past couple of years, it seems that some of the experiences I had as a child traveling to the continental United States 30 years ago still ring true. I will never forget the time we were in Las Vegas (visiting from Hawaii) for a family reunion and a white lady called my Aunty a derogatory slur. It left an impression on me then, and made me realize for the first time that there are others in this country who don't see me as American, even though I was born and raised in Hawaii.
These stories offer hope and comfort. They also demonstrate activism and using your voice to stand up for what's right. I was proud of each of these kids. I felt like I knew them. I felt like I could relate to them.
Airports are busier and more stressful than ever. So many flights are delayed or outright canceled, and traveling can make even the most calm person a little unnerved. So the airport was the perfect setting for these stories. A canceled flight can bring out the worst in people. Being late and stuck in TSA is stressful. Being around crowds of people with nowhere to go is a nightmare. And it added to the everyday racism that Asian Americans experience, being in an enclosed, stressful place.
I'm so thankful that books like this exist. The 12 authors who gifted us these stories are truly remarkable and an all-star list of beloved Asian American authors. I'm excited to purchase copies for my kids' teachers and get this book into classrooms!
I adored this anthology of short stories, featuring Asian American kids, all of them passing through a busy airport terminal on a busy summer day. With the rise of anti-Asian sentiment the past couple of years, it seems that some of the experiences I had as a child traveling to the continental United States 30 years ago still ring true. I will never forget the time we were in Las Vegas (visiting from Hawaii) for a family reunion and a white lady called my Aunty a derogatory slur. It left an impression on me then, and made me realize for the first time that there are others in this country who don't see me as American, even though I was born and raised in Hawaii.
These stories offer hope and comfort. They also demonstrate activism and using your voice to stand up for what's right. I was proud of each of these kids. I felt like I knew them. I felt like I could relate to them.
Airports are busier and more stressful than ever. So many flights are delayed or outright canceled, and traveling can make even the most calm person a little unnerved. So the airport was the perfect setting for these stories. A canceled flight can bring out the worst in people. Being late and stuck in TSA is stressful. Being around crowds of people with nowhere to go is a nightmare. And it added to the everyday racism that Asian Americans experience, being in an enclosed, stressful place.
I'm so thankful that books like this exist. The 12 authors who gifted us these stories are truly remarkable and an all-star list of beloved Asian American authors. I'm excited to purchase copies for my kids' teachers and get this book into classrooms!
March 22, 2023
What a wonderful collection of interrelated stories that perfectly sum up (at least for me) what it’s like to grow up in the United States as an Asian- American. The need to feel like you fit in is difficult – your differences are always pointed out, no matter if in the US or your country of origin and you never quite fit in anywhere. It took reaching adulthood before I could really be comfortable with this. The stories touch on different nationalities and the common thread of not causing a commotion and just blending in, but feeling the need to speak your truth. I loved every single minute of this and felt that it truly captured bits and pieces of my childhood and that one incident can be interpreted so many different ways. The airport setting was perfect to mix all these beautiful nationalities together.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and @HarperCollinsCH for an honest review
I received a copy from #NetGalley and @HarperCollinsCH for an honest review
May 20, 2023
This was a GREAT middle grade #ownvoices anthology that takes place in a Chicago International airport and features a cast of incredibly diverse Asian American characters.
I really enjoyed this on audio narrated by a full cast and was impressed by the unique experiences represented. From children of divorced parents, children of immigrants, to neurodiverse families, interfaith (Jewish) families and so much more! The book also doesn't shy away from addressing anti-Asian racism in its many forms and challenges so many stereotypes. A refreshing, must-read!
Highly recommended, especially for fans of authors like Kelly Yang or the book Grounded, another middle grade collaboration published this year featuring different Muslim American authors that also takes place in an airport.
CW: anti-Asian racism
I really enjoyed this on audio narrated by a full cast and was impressed by the unique experiences represented. From children of divorced parents, children of immigrants, to neurodiverse families, interfaith (Jewish) families and so much more! The book also doesn't shy away from addressing anti-Asian racism in its many forms and challenges so many stereotypes. A refreshing, must-read!
Highly recommended, especially for fans of authors like Kelly Yang or the book Grounded, another middle grade collaboration published this year featuring different Muslim American authors that also takes place in an airport.
CW: anti-Asian racism
October 20, 2023
A high 3/low 4 rounded up because of its important content.
November 5, 2024
If I had a nickel for every story I just read about a 12-ish year old Asian-American kid who:
- doesn't want to visit the country their parent(s) are originally from,
- experiences racism for the first time in a Chicago airport after the most blown out of proportion TSA "emergency" in history,
- feels conflicted about how to react because "[Asians] don't do that kind of thing,"
- decides that they want to be more than just Asian and more than just American, so they stand up for themselves in a very public way, embarrassing the Most-Racist-Couple-in-America™️ Chad and Donna,
- all while every other Asian-American kid in the airport is going through the exact same thing at the exact same time in the exact same place (airports are huge, how did this happen?)
Then I'd have 12 nickels. Which actually is a lot of nickels. I bet you don't have 12 nickels.
- doesn't want to visit the country their parent(s) are originally from,
- experiences racism for the first time in a Chicago airport after the most blown out of proportion TSA "emergency" in history,
- feels conflicted about how to react because "[Asians] don't do that kind of thing,"
- decides that they want to be more than just Asian and more than just American, so they stand up for themselves in a very public way, embarrassing the Most-Racist-Couple-in-America™️ Chad and Donna,
- all while every other Asian-American kid in the airport is going through the exact same thing at the exact same time in the exact same place (airports are huge, how did this happen?)
Then I'd have 12 nickels. Which actually is a lot of nickels. I bet you don't have 12 nickels.
May 1, 2023
A carefully crafted collection of stories by twelve East or Southeast Asian American authors for middle grade readers. The setting is a busy Chicago airport where all the flights have been either delayed or canceled because of bad weather. Each author is telling a story from the viewpoint of a young Asian American who is dealing with racism. Although there are twelve different stories, they intersect naturally with multiple encounters with the same people in the same setting. Each voice is unique while also dealing with the racism in a manner that feels true to their personalities and their circumstances. A wonderful collection that is both sensitive and entertaining!
April 6, 2023
You Are Here: Connecting Flights is an excellent collection of interconnected short stories about the wide range of the Asian-American experience. It explores the prejudice that people of Asian descent continue to experience. This is a stunning piece of literature that is accessible, informative, moving, and inspiring for kids and adults of all ages.
Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/you-ar...
Full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/you-ar...
August 9, 2023
I really loved this ensemble MG novel! I always love books where characters are slowly connected through shared space or experience. I also loved the messages of finding a voice to stand up to racism and stand together.
August 6, 2022
Read this book on a plane which was so fitting and also had me very emotional. I'm so glad this collection exists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
Great anthology of stories connected by characters’ familial ties to East Asia and their presence in Chicago’s international airport. Well-known authors who also have ties to East Asia each contribute a short story calling on their own life experiences and current events to create hopeful, instructional and uplifting words that can be appreciated not only by readers who have connections to places like Thailand, Korea, China, the Philippines but may help those who don’t, to see life from another vantage point. Each story can stand alone but there is definite overlap among the vignettes and from different perspectives which add more depth to each one. Highly recommended for libraries of those in grades 4-8.
Note for publisher should further editions be published: It would be helpful for each story to have the author’s name listed and the bio included at the site of his or her story rather than having to shift to the Cataloguing In Publication (CIP) page at the front of the book to find the author’s name and then flip to the very back to read the brief, but informative, biography. I’m also wondering why the subtitle that is listed on the CIP page is not included with the chapter title?
A 2024-2025 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.
Note for publisher should further editions be published: It would be helpful for each story to have the author’s name listed and the bio included at the site of his or her story rather than having to shift to the Cataloguing In Publication (CIP) page at the front of the book to find the author’s name and then flip to the very back to read the brief, but informative, biography. I’m also wondering why the subtitle that is listed on the CIP page is not included with the chapter title?
A 2024-2025 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.
January 6, 2024
A bit heavy-handed for my liking (I tend to gravitate to more subtle expressions of the human experience). But I do love short stories that connect together and the setting of an airport was the perfect choice to make this happen. I also appreciate any book that is set during the pandemic and describes the many micro aggressions (and aggression aggressions) that people experienced (and still experience).
Side note - the many descriptions of airport food - which for me is the only good reason for a layover - were a highlight. Especially the famed Chicago cheddar caramel popcorn.
PS This is one of the few books I read on my phone. I liked having something loaded up that I could read in the in-between moments of life, rather than endless scrolling. Will have to keep doing this.
Side note - the many descriptions of airport food - which for me is the only good reason for a layover - were a highlight. Especially the famed Chicago cheddar caramel popcorn.
PS This is one of the few books I read on my phone. I liked having something loaded up that I could read in the in-between moments of life, rather than endless scrolling. Will have to keep doing this.
September 1, 2024
People need to read books like this. Children need to read books like this.
Audiobook version very nicely done. Appreciated the variety of readers to represent the variety of characters serving as narrators.
Audiobook version very nicely done. Appreciated the variety of readers to represent the variety of characters serving as narrators.
May 9, 2023
This was a great collection of short stories that showcased the Asian American experience for students. I loved each story, and it was super fun how they intertwined!
August 8, 2023
Brilliant. 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻
November 8, 2024
4.5 stars
I absolutely adored this book. It's a combination of stories where everyone and everything interconnect, and I love those because you get to see how a complete stranger can change your life. The entire book is about kids being stuck at an airport. Some of them are excited to go back and visit family and others are not because they're struggling with their identity. All of these kids will experience racism and hate, but each of them takes a stand against it and inspires others to do it too. It was a wonderful, thought-provoking novel. You should absolutely read this.
I absolutely adored this book. It's a combination of stories where everyone and everything interconnect, and I love those because you get to see how a complete stranger can change your life. The entire book is about kids being stuck at an airport. Some of them are excited to go back and visit family and others are not because they're struggling with their identity. All of these kids will experience racism and hate, but each of them takes a stand against it and inspires others to do it too. It was a wonderful, thought-provoking novel. You should absolutely read this.
January 27, 2023
Twelve Asian American authors collaborate on one amazing MG book!
🛄
Twelve young Asian Americans encounter travelers, sometimes kind, sometimes mean, at an airport. As their lives intersect they learn more about their identities, each other and what it means to be an American, well as East to Southeast Asian.
✈️
What a wonderful collaboration between so many great authors such as @erinentrada @elloecho @lindasue101 @pacylin @mikechenwriter @csoontornvat @tracicheeauthor @randyribay @mikejungwroteabook + more! It’s definitely fitting that I finished this one at the airport. I can’t wait for this story collection to hit the shelves March 7. Preorder your copy now!
CW: microaggressions, racism
🛄
Twelve young Asian Americans encounter travelers, sometimes kind, sometimes mean, at an airport. As their lives intersect they learn more about their identities, each other and what it means to be an American, well as East to Southeast Asian.
✈️
What a wonderful collaboration between so many great authors such as @erinentrada @elloecho @lindasue101 @pacylin @mikechenwriter @csoontornvat @tracicheeauthor @randyribay @mikejungwroteabook + more! It’s definitely fitting that I finished this one at the airport. I can’t wait for this story collection to hit the shelves March 7. Preorder your copy now!
CW: microaggressions, racism
April 25, 2023
I appreciated all these stories and the connectedness of them.
June 6, 2023
As with any collection of short stories, some are stronger than others, but all of them got to me. I think the one that got me the most was the autistic korean tween who wanted to write stories about autistic korean tweens. This is a great set of stories for middle-graders and I really liked it.
August 11, 2023
Interesting concept where 12 Asian American authors have each taken a character and written about that character’s experience during layovers at the Chicago airport. Each is an important short story about racism that Asian Americans face, some intentional and some not intentional. Each character is a chapter, so there are 12 chapters with each being its own short story, there is some overlap between characters but background knowledge is not needed as each story stands on its own. Well done, but was getting tired of the premise by the end of the book, though it did alert me to prejudices that many Asian Americans face.
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