It's the twins' first time fishing. Astrid and Apollo can't wait to ride on their Uncle Lue's fast boat and get goofy pictures with all the fish they catch. But Apollo keeps catching things that are not fish! When a storm brings them to shore, Apollo starts to feel like he's a fishing failure. Can the twins turn the day around and help Apollo find the fun in fishing?
Astrid and Apollo watch their cousin Lily in an amazing dance performance, and she convinces them to audition for the Hmong dance school she attends. Astrid is excited, but Apollo isn't so sure. The twins learn the audition routine and work hard to prepare for the big day. When Apollo faces a setback, he realizes how much he does want a place at the dance school. Will his creative solution save the day or cost him his chance?
Astrid is anxious about her family's camping trip because she is afraid of the dark (and bears), but her twin Apollo is looking forward to the experience; and Astrid is doing okay, despite the bugs and the dark, until she hears the scratching outside the family's tent--but Astrid is determined not to let her father face the threat alone.
As Astrid and Apollo practice for their duet in the third-grade recorder concert they become increasingly frustrated with their little sister Eliana, who keeps getting in the way, but when events leading up to the concert do not go as planned the twins realize just how much Eliana feels left out. Includes facts about the Hmong.
Astrid and Apollo are attending the Hmong New Year festival (which is held at a big arena in St. Paul or Minneapolis in November or December), but in the crowded arena they are soon separated from their parents and younger sister, and between rescuing a little lost boy, and getting mistaken for a pair of famous child singers, the festival turns into quite an adventure for the twins.
The story follows Astrid and Apollo as they visit their grandmother's farm, where they delight in her humorous tales and Uncle Meng's enchanting magic tricks. While gathering vegetables for the farmers' market, readers also learn about Hmong culture through integrated facts, enriching the narrative with educational elements.
Twins Astrid and Apollo are excited to be going to the Hmong July Fourth Soccer Festival, but when they are told to babysit their baby sister, Eliana, it looks like they will miss the particular match their father is interested in--especially as they cannot figure out what the "yummy milk" Eliana demands is, and are forced to spend their money on buying different treats to keep her from throwing a tantrum.
Astrid and Apollo really want to win their events at the tae kwon do competition, but when things do not go according to plan, the twins discover there is more than one way to become a winner. Includes facts about the Hmong.
Astrid and Apollo's family is excited for their trip to Laos to attend a family wedding. But bad weather cancels their plans, and the twins' parents are disappointed to miss seeing their home country. Some brainstorming and a messy painting project inspire an idea: If their parents can't go to Laos, Astrid and Apollo will bring Laos to them! But can they keep their plan a surprise?