READINGS/BOOK SIGNINGS Sisters Dr. Soo Kim Abboud and Jane Kim are successful professionals: Soo is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Jane is an immigration specialist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They also happen to be Asian. Is there a correlation? The answer is yes and no, according to their new book Top of the Class: How Asian Parents Raise High Achievers -- and How You Can Too (Penguin). Jane hopes her efforts will "counter the myth that Asian students do well in school because they're Asian." She argues that Asians are not academically superior to any other race; instead, they excel because of cultural influence, not biology. "Success has everything to do with how parents raise their kids," says Jane. While Top of the Class outlines strategies for raising stellar students, it also discusses potential problems that might surface in reaction to lofty expectations. "Asian parents can definitely place too much pressure on their kids," says Jane. "There's always good intention there, but the key is to keep an open dialogue about obstacles a child may encounter."

Dr. Soo Kim Abboud and Jane Kim discussion and book signing, Thu., Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 720 Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-520-0355.