Debbi Michiko Florence

Debbi Michiko Florence
Born	1964or1965(age 60–61) San Francisco, California
Occupation	Children's writer
Alma mater	University of California, Davis
Website
debbimichikoflorence.com

Debbi Michiko Florence (born 1964 or 1965) is an American children's writer. She is known for her Jasmine Toguchi series of chapter books, the first of which is Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen (2017).

Biography

Florence was born in San Francisco, California, into a Japanese American family and grew up in Los Angeles. As the grandchildren of Japanese-born emigrants, she is a part of the cultural generation known as the Sansei . She was named after Empress Michiko, then the crown princess of Japan. ^[1]

An animal lover, Florence held several jobs working with animals and obtained a zoology degree at the University of California, Davis. After obtaining a teaching certificate and briefly teaching at a middle school, she secured an associate curator position at a zoo. She began a writing career after her marriage and later moved to Mystic, Connecticut. ^{[1] [2]} She is known for her Jasmine Toguchi series of chapter books, the first of which is Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen (2017). ^{[2] [3]} Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl won the 2018 Cybils Award and the 2019 Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award. ^{[4] [5]} In 2017, she co-founded a soy sauce brand named Moromi with local chef James Wayman and her husband, Bob Florence, who previously worked as a chemist at General Electric and Google. ^[6]

With authors Stacey Lee, Kat Cho, Traci Chee, and Van Hoang, Florence organized an auction to fundraise for Stop AAPI Hate and #HateIsAVirus in light of rising anti-Asian xenophobia and racism connected to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. ^[7] She spoke to Publishers Weekly in 2024 about the impact of an ongoing wave anti-Asian sentiment and book banning in the US: "These book bans have made me hyperaware that there are people who don't want me or my characters to exist." ^[8]

Selected publications

Picture books and graphic novels

• Michalak, Jamie; Florence, Debbi Michiko (2021). Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites. Illustrated by Yuko Jones. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN   978-0-374-31387-6. ^{[9] [10] [11]}
• Florence, Debbi Michiko (2025). Monster Maker: The Strange Creatures of Mark Nagata. Illustrated by Inko Ai Takita. Reycraft Books. ISBN   978-1-478-89063-8. ^{[12] [13]}

Chapter books

• Florence, Debbi Michiko (2017). Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen. Illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN   978-0-374-30410-2. ^[3]
• — (2018). Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl. Illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN   978-0-374-30416-4. ^[14]
• — (2019). Truman the Dog. Illustrated by Melanie Demmer. Picture Window Books. ISBN   978-1-5158-4560-7. ^{[15] [16]}

Middle grade novels

• Florence, Debbi Michiko (2020). Keep It Together, Keiko Carter. Scholastic. ISBN   978-1-338-60752-9. ^{[17] [18]}
• — (2021). Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai. Scholastic. ISBN   978-1-338-67156-8. ^{[19] [20]}
• — (2022). Sweet and Sour. Scholastic. ISBN   978-1-338-67159-9. ^{[21] [22]}
• — (2023). This Is How I Roll A Wish Novel. Scholastic. ISBN   978-1-338-78556-2. ^{[23] [24] [25]}
• Oh, Ellen, ed. (2024). On the Block: Stories of Home. Crown Books for Young Readers. ISBN   9780593648445. ^[26]
• Florence, Debbi Michiko (2025). A Study In Secrets. Aladdin. ISBN   9781665950473. ^[27]

References

1. "About Debbi". debbimichikoflorence.com. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
2. ""Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" earns Mystic author award nomination". The Day . August 2, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
3. Reviews for Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen:
   • "JASMINE TOGUCHI, MOCHI QUEEN". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
   • "Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
   • "Review of Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen". The Horn Book Magazine . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
   • "Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
   • Sahn, Sarah (2017). "Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books . 71 (1): 16. doi:10.1353/bcc.2017.0595.
4. "2018 Cybils Winners". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023.
5. "Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award". Maryland Library Association - Youth Services Division. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
6. Kurland, Ann Trieger (August 20, 2024). "Moromi soy sauce is pure umami, neither too salty nor overly tangy". The Boston Globe . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
7. Yung, Sarah (March 4, 2021). "Kid Lit Community Rallies Against Anti-Asian Racism". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 8, 2025.
8. Maughan, Shannon (September 16, 2024). "Children's Authors on the Real-World Cost of Book Banning". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 8, 2025.
9. "NIKI NAKAYAMA". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
10. "Review of Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites by Jamie Michalak, Debbi Michiko Florence, and Yuko Jones". The Horn Book Magazine . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
11. "Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
12. "Monster Maker: The Strange Creatures of Mark Nagata". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
13. Peters, John (November 2025). "Monster Maker: The Strange Creatures of Mark Nagata". Booklist . Vol. 122, no. 3. ProQuest   3272265751.
14. "JASMINE TOGUCHI, DRUMMER GIRL". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
15. "TRUMAN THE DOG". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
16. "Truman the Dog". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
17. "KEEP IT TOGETHER, KEIKO CARTER". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
18. "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
19. "JUST BE COOL, JENNA SAKAI". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
20. Giles, Juanita (August 30, 2021). "This Sweet, Mid-Grade Story is Perfect for Budding Romance Fans". NPR. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
21. "SWEET AND SOUR". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
22. "Sweet and Sour by Debbi Michiko Florence". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
23. "THIS IS HOW I ROLL". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
24. "This is How I Roll: A Wish Novel". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
25. "This is How I Roll by Debbi Michiko Florence". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
26. "On the Block: Stories of Home". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 8, 2025.
27. Reviews for A Study In Secrets:
    • "A STUDY IN SECRETS". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
    • "A Study in Secrets". School Library Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
    • "A Study in Secrets (Last Chance Academy #1) by Debbi Michiko Florence". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 6, 2025.
    • Damron, Aryssa (February 15, 2025). "A Study in Secrets". Booklist . Vol. 121, no. 11/12. ProQuest   3165966902.

External links

• Official website