A Chair for My Mother by
A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.
The Boy of the Three-Year Nap by
A poor Japanese woman maneuvers events to change the lazy habits of her son.
Tar Beach by
A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name.
Apple Picking Time by
A young girl and her family spend a fall day picking apples with others from their small town.
Mama Bear by
When Mei-Mei fails in her attempt to earn money through a cookie sale for the expensive toy bear she wants for Christmas, her mother helps her see a special gift she has had all along.
Grandpa's Corner Store by
Grandfather's corner grocery business is threatened by a new supermarket, but his granddaughter, Lucy, organizes the neighbors to convince him to stay.
Gathering the Sun: an Alphabet in Spanish and English by
A book of poems about working in the fields and nature's bounty, one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet.
Click, Clack, Moo by
When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want.
Those Shoes by
Jeremy, who longs to have the black high tops that everyone at school seems to have but his grandmother cannot afford, is excited when he sees them for sale in a thrift shop and decides to buy them even though they are the wrong size.
The Magic Beads by
Its seven-year-old Lillians first day at a new school, and shes got butterflies in her tummy, but those butterflies turn into grasshoppers when she learns she has to bring something for Show and Tell at the end of the week! Lillian and her mother have just moved away from Lillians abusive father and into a family shelter, leaving behind all of their possessions. Every day that Lillian anxiously watches her classmates bring toys with which she has nothing to compare, the creatures in her stomach change and grow, until finally, she realizes that imagination can make anything magical, even an ordinary string of beads.
iSi, Se Puede! by
When Carlitos's mother and the other cleaners go on strike for higher wages, Carlitos cannot think of a way to support his mother until he sees her on television making a speech, and then he gets his class to help him make a sign to show his pride.
The Christmas Gift / El Regalo de Navidad by
When his family has to move again a few days before Christmas in order to find work, Panchito worries that he will not get the ball he has been wanting.
Each Kindness by
When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya's shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.
Happy Like Soccer by
For soccer games Sierra rides a bus out of the city to fields that are nicer than the "lot" in her neighborhood, but so her auntie can be at her last game, she asks Coach Marco if the team might play in her neighborhood on a day her aunt does not work.
Me and Momma and Big John by
Little John is proud of his mother's work as a stonecutter for a cathedral called "Big John," but struggles to understand the importance of spending so much time on one stone that no one will know Momma cut. Includes a history of New York City's Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Mama, I'll Give You the World by
Exquisite artwork and an exceptionally tender text showcase the special bond between a mother and her daughter. Every day after school, Luisa goes to Walter's World of Beauty to watch her mama work—cutting, coloring, and curling customers' hair. Before they go home, Mama puts her tip money in a special envelope for Luisa—for college. She wants to give Luisa the world! But Luisa has a plan of her own. For Mama's birthday, Luisa wants to give Mama the world. . . . This touching story of a loving child and a single, hard-working mother is sure to be a favorite of families everywhere.
My Very Own Room/Mi Propio Cuartito by
With the help of her family, a resourceful Mexican American girl realizes her dream of having a space of her own to read and to think.
Soccer Star by
Just in time for the World Cup, an inspiring story of a Brazilian boy who dreams of being a soccer star and the sister who steps in to help his team win a game.
Last Stop on Market Street by
A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.
Joelito's Big Decision by
Every Friday evening Joelito goes with his family to MacMann's for a juicy burger. But this Friday Joelito finds his best friend Brandon standing with his parents in a crowd protesting their low pay at the fast food restaurant. Will Joelito cross the picket line for a tasty burger?
A Different Pond by
As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.
Swimmy by
A little black fish in a school of red fish figures out a way of protecting them all from their natural enemies.
Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, and the Sharing Economy by
Something remarkable emerged as a result of the Great Recession of the early twenty-first century: a sharing economy. Among the loss of jobs and mortgages and uncertainty about the future, people got creative with the way they earned and spent their money. Democratic platforms like Uber and Airbnb have skyrocketed in popularity, prompting tighter government regulations. Are they the answer to an economy increasingly controlled by giant corporations? Or are they just a different way for people to profit from and exploit struggling workers? Readers learn more from viewpoints written by today's experts.
Homelessness and Street Crime by
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are without a home, sleeping on streets or in temporary shelters. Nearly one-fifth of homeless Americans suffer from an untreated mental illness. Due in part to reductions in state and city budgets, many who need assistance are left to live on the street. One natural byproduct of a life on the street is criminal behavior, as adaptation to illegal acts becomes a matter of survival. Could ending homelessness reduce crime? What are ways in which that could be achieved, and whose responsibility is it? Are the homeless being unfairly blamed for street crime? This volume offers a close examination of the issue from a variety of viewpoints.
Sweep by
In nineteenth-century England, after her father's disappearance Nan Sparrow, ten, works as a "climbing boy," aiding chimney sweeps, but when her most treasured possessions end up in a fireplace, she unwittingly creates a golem.
Paper Son: the Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by
A picture-book biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life. Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing - which he loved to do - but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime - and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi.
Stay by
Piper's life is turned upside down when her family moves into a shelter in a whole new city. She misses her house, her friends, and her privacy--and she hates being labeled the homeless girl at her new school. But while Hope House offers her new challenges, it also brings new friendships, like the girls in Firefly Girls Troop 423 and a sweet street dog named Baby. So when Baby's person goes missing, Piper knows she has to help. But helping means finding the courage to trust herself and her new friends, no matter what anyone says about them--before Baby gets taken away for good. Told in alternating perspectives, this classic and heartfelt animal tale proclaims the importance of hope, the power of story, and the true meaning of home.
The Starlight Claim by
Four months after his best friend, Dodge, disappeared near their families' camp in a boat accident, Nate is still haunted by nightmares. He'd been planning to make the treacherous trek to the remote campsite with a friend -- his first time in winter without his survival-savvy father. But when his friend gets grounded, Nate secretly decides to brave the trip solo in a journey that's half pilgrimage, half desperate hope he will find his missing friend when no one else could. What he doesn't expect to find is the door to the cabin flung open and the camp occupied by strangers: three men he's horrified to realize have escaped from a maximum-security prison. Snowed in by a blizzard and with no cell signal, Nate is confronted with troubling memories of Dodge and a stunning family secret, and realizes that his survival now depends on his wits as much as his wilderness skills. As things spiral out of control, Nate finds himself dealing with questions even bigger than who gets to leave the camp alive.
Flight for Freedom by
Many people attempted daring escapes over the Berlin Wall, and most failed, giving their lives for the hope of freedom. This is the true story of one child, Peter Wetzel, and his family's daring escape from East Berlin to West Berlin via handmade hot air balloon in 1979.
Cast Away by
Poet Naomi Shihab Nye shines a spotlight on the things we cast away, from plastic water bottles to refugees.
The One with the Scraggly Beard by
In this poignantly illustrated picture book, a young boy asks his mother questions about a homeless man he's seen.
Sometimes People March by
Highlights some of the rallying causes for organized marches throughout history.
Sometimes people march to resist injustice, to stand in solidarity ,to inspire hope. Throughout American history, one thing remains true: no matter how or why people march, they are powerful because they march together.
Brother's Keeper by
Twelve-year-old Sora and her eight-year-old brother, Youngsoo, must try to escape North Korea's oppressive Communist regime on their own in 1950. Includes historical notes, photographs of the author's mother, glossary of Korean words, and timeline.
The Train by
Ashley meets her great-uncle by the old train tracks near their community in Nova Scotia. Ashley sees his sadness, and Uncle tells her of the day years ago when he and the other children from their community were told to board the train before being taken to residential school where their lives were changed forever. They weren't allowed to speak Mi'gmaq and were punished if they did. There was no one to give them love and hugs and comfort. Uncle also tells Ashley how happy she and her sister make him. They are what give him hope. Ashley promises to wait with her uncle by the train tracks, in remembrance of what was lost.
The Library Bus by
Five-year-old Pari accompanies her mother on her library bus rounds for the first time, stopping at a village and a refugee camp so that girls there can exchange books and have a lesson in English. Talking with her mother as they drive, Pari learns that she is lucky that she can attend school the next year. Pari's mother had to learn in secret when it was forbidden to teach girls to read, and the young women the bus visits weekly have no other access to education. Inspired by the first library bus to operate in Kabul, Afghanistan.
No Vacancy by
Buying and moving into the run-down Jewel Motor Inn in upstate New York wasn't eleven-year-old Miriam Brockman's dream, but at least it's an adventure. Miriam befriends Kate, whose grandmother owns the diner next door, and finds comfort in the company of Maria, the motel's housekeeper, and her Uncle Mordy, who comes to help out for the summer.
A Wish in the Dark by
A boy on the run. A girl determined to find him. A compelling fantasy looks at issues of privilege, protest, and justice. All light in Chattana is created by one man--the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong's prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free. Nok, the prison warden's perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family's good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held dear. Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, Christina Soontornvat's twist on Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is a dazzling, fast-paced adventure that explores the difference between law and justice--and asks whether one child can shine a light in the dark.
Migrants by
The migrants must leave the forest. Borders are crossed, sacrifices made, loved ones are lost. It takes such courage to reach the end. At last the journey is over and the migrants arrive. This is the new place. With forceful simplicity, Migrants narrates the journey of a group of animals leaving a leafless forest.
Oscar's American Dream by
In 1899, an immigrant named Oscar opens a barbershop and a century later, after becoming a lady's clothing store, soup kitchen, bodega, and more, the building is torn down but Oscar's legacy remains. Includes historical notes.
Echo Mountain by
When twelve-year-old Ellie and her family lose livelihood and move to a mountain cabin in 1934, she quickly learns to be an outdoors woman and, when needed, a healer.
Yara's Spring by
Coming of age against all odds in the midst of the Arab Spring. Growing up in East Aleppo, Yara's childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara's doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family's home, she emerges to a changed world. Her parents and Nana are gone, and her brother, Saad, can't speak--struck silent by everything he's seen. Now, with her friend Shireen and Shireen's charismatic brother, Ali, Yara must try to find a way to safety. With danger around every corner, Yara is pushed to her limits as she discovers how far she'll go for her loved ones--and for a chance for freedom. Crafted through the focused lens of Jamal Saeed's own experiences in Syria and brought to life with acclaimed author Sharon E. McKay, Yara's Spring is a story of coming of age against all odds and the many kinds of love that bloom even in the face of war.
Brick by Brick by
As a little boy watches his father, a bricklayer, work hard to build the city, both dream of building a house of their own.
The Library Bus by
Five-year-old Pari accompanies her mother on her library bus rounds for the first time, stopping at a village and a refugee camp so that girls there can exchange books and have a lesson in English. Talking with her mother as they drive, Pari learns that she is lucky that she can attend school the next year. Pari's mother had to learn in secret when it was forbidden to teach girls to read, and the young women the bus visits weekly have no other access to education. Inspired by the first library bus to operate in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Drawn Across Borders: True Stories of Human Migration by
Resisting his own urge to walk away, the author, an artist, took his sketchbook and made, over the course of a decade, a series of pen-and-ink and watercolor portraits in war zones, refugee camps, and on the move. While he worked, his subjects - migrants and refugees in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia - shared their stories. Theirs are the human stories behind the headlines that tell of fleeing poverty, disaster, and war, and of venturing into the unknown in search of jobs, education, and security. Whether sketching by the hospital bed of a ten-year-old Syrian boy who survived an airstrike, drawing the doll of a little Palestinian girl with big questions, or talking with a Masai herdsman forced to abandon his rural Kenyan home for the Kibera slums, the author turns reflective art and sensitive reportage into a cry for understanding and empathy.
Nicky and Vera by
Caldecott Honoree and Sibert Medalist Peter Sís honors a man who saved hundreds of children from the Nazis. In 1938, twenty-nine-year-old Nicholas Winton saved the lives of almost 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia-a story he never told and that remained unknown until an unforgettable TV appearance in the 1980s reunited him with some of the children he saved. Czech-American artist, MacArthur Fellow, and Andersen Award winner Peter Sís dramatizes Winton's story in this distinctive and deeply personal picture book. He intertwines Nicky's efforts with the story of one of the children he saved-a young girl named Vera, whose family enlisted Nicky's aid when the Germans occupied their country. As the war passes and Vera grows up, she must find balance in her dual identities-one her birthright, the other her choice. Nicky & Vera is a masterful tribute to a humble man's courageous efforts to protect Europe's most vulnerable, and a timely portrayal of the hopes and fears of those forced to leave their homes and create new lives.
The Lion of Mars by
Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid--he loves cats, any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don't they have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It's up to Bell--a regular kid in a very different world--to uncover the truth and save his family...and possibly unite an entire planet. Mars may be a world far, far away, but in the hands of Jennifer L. Holm, beloved and bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish, it can't help but feel like home.
Wishes by
In this spare, poetic picture book based on author Muon Van's family history and told through a series of wishes, a family packs up everything they own and embarks on a perilous oceanic voyage toward a better life.
Unearthed: a Jessica Cruz Story by
Jessica Cruz has done everything right. She's a dedicated student, popular among her classmates, and has a loving family that has done everything they can to give her a better life in the United States. While Jessica is a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, allowing her to go to school and live in the U.S., her parents are undocumented. Jessica usually worries for her parents, but her fears and anxiety escalate as a mayoral candidate with a strong anti-immigration stance runs for office. As the xenophobia in Coast City increases, Jessica begins to debate whether it's worth renewing her status to stay in the U.S., or if her family would be safer and better off moving back to Mexico. And despite her attempts to lean on her friends and family, she finds herself constantly visited by visions of Aztec gods, one pulling her towards hope and the other towards anger. But when her father is detained by I.C.E., Jessica finds herself being pulled into an abyss of fear. With her father gone and feeling helpless, Jessica must find her way out of her fears and ultimately become a voice for her community.
Samira Surfs by
After months of rebuilding a new life in Bangladesh with her family, Samira decides to become a Bengali surfer girl of Cox's Bazar, in this novel in verse about a young Rohingya girl's journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power.
Room to Dream (Front Desk #3) by
After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family--to China! A total dream come true. Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like ... 1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are ... stuck. 2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it. 3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing. Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has ... room to dream!