About Paula Yoo
Paula Yoo is an award-winning book author, TV writer/producer and feature screenwriter. She is also a former journalist, having worked for The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine. She graduated with a B.A. cum laude in English from Yale University, an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College.
Paula is the author of 12 books for children and young adults. Her debut YA novel, Good Enough, received an Asian Pacific American Honor for Youth Literature. Her 2021 YA narrative nonfiction book, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement (opens in a new window), received a Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction and was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.
Paula is also a professional violinist, having played with numerous symphony orchestras in the U.S., and has toured and recorded with a variety of pop and rock bands. When she’s not writing or playing her violin, Paula loves hanging out with her family and cats in Los Angeles, California. Learn more about Paula on the official Paula Yoo website (opens in a new window).
[NOTE: This brief biography is excerpted from Paula’s website.]
Books by this author
In this chapter book for beginning readers, Lily and her parents move from their suburban neighborhood to New York City. Lily is used to living in a house on a quiet street; she feels like a small ant on such a busy block and worries that she’ll never feel at home. As she and her parents explore their new, multicultural neighborhood, Lily discovers that sometimes change can be a good thing. Featuring a diverse cast of characters, this is the first in the Confetti Kids series (see also The Perfect Gift (opens in a new window) and Want to Play? (opens in a new window))
Lily’s New Home
Anna May Wong grew up in San Francisco in the 1920s, working diligently in her family’s laundromat but secretly daydreaming of becoming a movie star. When she set out to realize her dream, she soon discovered the lack of opportunity in Hollywood for Asian American actors. After traveling in Europe and China, Anna May ultimately decided to portray only roles she felt presented a positive image of Asians, leading the way for the many actors who followed in her footsteps.
Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story
As an Asian American child growing up in California, Sammy Lee was only allowed to use the public pool on Wednesdays. But Sammy was not easily deterred from his dream of becoming an Olympic diver, and at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, he became the first Asian American to win a gold medal in U.S. history.
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
Growing up in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus witnessed extreme poverty all around and was determined to eradicate it. Muhammad founded Grameen Bank where people could borrow small amounts of money to start a job, and then pay back the bank without exorbitant interest charges. Over the next few years, Muhammad’s compassion and determination changed the lives of millions of people by loaning the equivalent of more than 10 billion US dollars in micro-credit. His work has empowered the poor, especially women, who often have limited options.
Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank
Find this author’s books on these booklists
Themed Booklist
Biographies for Women’s History Month
Themed Booklist
Books for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Themed Booklist
Explore Korea with Picture Books
Themed Booklist
Inspiring Lives: Asian Pacific American Heritage
Themed Booklist
Thanks for the Dreamers
Themed Booklist