Madeleine Chin performing the ribbon-cutting to officially unveil the new AAPI bookshelf at Great Neck library

By Aani Nagaiah

The Takeaways

• Representation sparked her mission. Discovering an AAPI protagonist for the first time in fifth grade showed Madeleine how powerful it is for kids to see themselves in stories — and it shaped everything she built afterward.
• A shy teen became a community leader. What began as self‑publishing two books turned into school presentations, book drives, and a fast‑growing nonprofit reaching thousands of young readers.
• One young person can create real change. At just 13, Madeleine launched Mindful Reading, donated 5,000+ books, and helped libraries and youth programs elevate AAPI stories — proving age is no barrier to impact.

The Details

Thirteen-year-old Madeleine Chin did not expect a few emails from young readers to change her life. After self-publishing two books on Amazon and getting featured in The Week Junior, a national kid’s magazine, she suddenly started hearing from readers across the country who said her writing inspired them to pursue their own stories.

“I did not even know they knew about me,” she said. “But they talked about how I motivated them and inspired them to also try writing their own book.”

The feeling of making an impact on younger kids, she said, made her want to do more. That spark led to Mindful Reading Inc, the Long Island nonprofit she launched in February 2025. In less than a year, she delivered 20 school presentations, reached more than 1,800 kids, and donated more than 5,000 books across New York.

But one moment stands out. This fall, she curated and launched a dedicated AAPI bookshelf at her local Greenacres Library – 245 donated titles, custom book plates, AAPI spine labels and oversized scissors for the ribbon cutting.

To read the entire article: https://asamnews.com/2026/01/08/teen-author-mindful-reading-nonprofit/

Photo credit: Mindful Reading