Many Meanings of Meilan

Andrea Wang is the award-winning author of the picture books The Nian Monster (Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor), Magic Ramen (Freeman Book Award Honor), and Watercress. The Many Meanings of Meilan is her debut middle-grade novel. The first character in Andrea’s Chinese name is an archaic one that means fragrant, but her parents’ friends all thought it was the character for jade, which sounds exactly the same. That sparked her lifelong interest in names and identity. She’d much rather be a rock than smelly. Andrea likes to write about family, food, and culture. She spent her childhood in Ohio and Boston and now lives in Colorado with her family.

Today Show Read with Jenna featureNew York Times Best Children’s Books of 20212021 New York Public Library Best Books2021 School Library Journal Best Books2021 Center for the Study of Multicultural Literature Best Books2023-2024 South Carolina Book Awards Nominee2023-24Choose to Read Ohio Reading List2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books List ★ "Wang’s resonant middle grade debut features stunning prose and a fierce protagonist . . . Meilan’s journey to reclaiming her identity and finding her inner strength is remarkably compelling and relatable."—Booklist, starred review ★ "Wang’s middle grade debut is a ­vibrant exploration of family and identity . . . Meilan’s story should be on library shelves everywhere." —School Library Journal, starred review “The little girl I was would have been thrilled to encounter Meilan and her many names in a book . . . and having found a character who embraces the complexity of being both Chinese and American, I would have been able to echo her words: ‘I am not alone.’ ” —New York Times Book Review by Jean Kwok"Meilan discovers the specific origins of her name—and, satisfyingly, the strength to proudly stand her ground."—Horn Book Magazine "Underscores the importance of personal stories."—Kirkus Reviews