Young Adult | He Forgot to Say Goodbye by Benjamin Alire Saenz
"I mean, it's not as if I want a father. I have a father. It's just that I don't know who he is or where he is. But I have one." Ramiro Lopez and Jake Upthegrove don't appear to have much in common. Ram lives in the Mexican-American working-class barrio of El Paso called "Dizzy Land." His brother is sinking into a world of drugs, wreaking havoc in their household. Jake is a rich West Side white boy who has developed a problem managing his anger. An only child, he is a misfit in his mother's shallow and materialistic world. But Ram and Jake do have one thing in common: They are lost boys who have never met their fathers. This sad fact has left both of them undeniably scarred and obsessed with the men who abandoned them. As Jake and Ram overcome their suspicions of each other, they begin to move away from their loner existences and realize that they are capable of reaching out beyond their wounds and the neighborhoods that they grew up in. Their friendship becomes a healing in a world of hurt.
--Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 2008 READ THE REVIEWS |
Ages 5-8 | The Rabbit And The Turtle
Eric Carle brings to life Aesop's fables with his gorgeous illustrations and charming retelling of the classic stories. Designed to engage and delight readers of all ages, this collection contains some of Aesop's most timeless tales. Beautifully reissued, this new book has all the enchantment of Eric Carle's art plus traditional morals of the fables. --Scholastic, Inc. 2008 ORDER HERE |
Ages 8-12 | Lady Liberty by Doreen Rappaport
A powerfully moving, authentic portrait of the Statue of Liberty, told through the eyes of those who created her and illustrated in glorious detail. "Soon America will be one hundred years old. I share my dream of a birthday gift." It begins in 1865 as a romantic idea, but ten years later Édouard Laboulaye’s dream catches fire and takes shape. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi gives the dream the form of a lady, holding a torch to "enlighten the world." Engineers, plasterers, carpenters, coppersmiths — many of them immigrants — work together to turn the lady into a monument over 100 feet tall. Joseph Pulitzer calls on readers to help fund a pedestal, and hundreds send in nickels, dimes, and even roosters for the cause. Doreen Rappaport’s historically accurate, poetic vignettes and Matt Tavares’s magnificent images remind us of the true origins of a national symbol — and show that it took a lot of people to make the Lady.
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Ages 9-12 | Puddlejumpers by Mark Jean Ernie Banks, named for the legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop, is a troubled, thirteen-year-old juvenile delinquent. Abandoned on the doorstep of the Lakeside Home for Boys when he was three years old, his only proof that he once belonged to somebody is a vintage Ernie Banks baseball card, a crystal acorn he wears on a string around his neck, and a strange spiral birthmark on the bottom of his right foot. As a last reprieve before being sent to a juvenile detention facility, Ernie is allowed to spend three weeks on a working farm. When Ernie arrives at the home of Russ Frazier, he learns that the widower’s baby was kidnapped years before. Ernie is determined to solve the case. He teams up with Joey, a local tomboy, to investigate clues that lead them on a dangerous journey into a forbidden world of dark secrets, magic puddles, and the cavernous underground kingdom of the Puddlejumpers–eleven-inch-tall water creatures with whom Ernie has a mysterious connection.
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Ages 6-9 | Steel Town by Jonah Winter; Terry Widener, Illustrator
In Steel Town, the mills blaze all day and all night, making steel and even more steel to be shipped over the Magic Mountains, down the Pitch-Black River, and far, far away. The men who work in the mills work as hard as the machines that make the steel, never stopping. But when the men go home at night, a different side of Steel Town emerges -- one filled with music and neighbors, pierogies and spaghetti, churches and front porches.This gritty yet poetic world is brought to life through Jonah Winter's lyrical, rhythmic text and Terry Widener's luscious, nocturnal illustrations, whose massive figures glow with the few lights that shine through this darkness. This is a portrait of an imaginary town derived from the very real American steel towns of the 1930s, when the sky was often black as night all day and the cavernous mills belched out fire and smoke. Here is a journey to a town that time has not forgotten, just misplaced: Steel Town. ORDER HERE Highly recommend for every school and library. |
Ages 6-10 | One Hen - How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
by Katie Milway Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings Kojo is able to return to school. Soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. Kojo's story is inspired by the life of Kwabena Darko, who as a boy started a tiny poultry farm just like Kojo's, which later grew to be the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in west Africa. Kwabena also started a trust that gives out small loans to people who cannot get a loan from a bank. One Hen shows what happens when a little help makes a big difference. This help comes in the form of a microloan, a lending system for people in developing countries who have no collateral and no access to conventional banking. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore. ORDER HERE |
Ages 9-12 | The Dirt on Dirt
by Paulette Bourgeois Dirt. It's in the air, under your bed, on the street and between your toes. Most of the time, you're trying to get rid of it. Does showering make you feel squeaky clean? Sure you are — for now. Read this book to find out why you just can't escape dirt — and why it's important for more reasons than you think. Earth, mud, grime, soil — whatever you call it, dirt is everywhere, even where you don't expect it. Did you know that without dirt, there would be no rain? Or beautiful sunsets? The Dirt on Dirt covers not only what you think of as dirt, but also everything on and around the planet relating to dirt, from dirt homes big and small to secrets the dirt hides and much more. Youngsters will also find a bucketful of fun things to do with dirt, including how to build a bike racetrack, create fossil footprints and grow a garden playhouse.
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Ages 5-8 | Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
by Claire A. Nivola Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she alone bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people? With glowing watercolor illustrations and lyrical prose, Claire Nivola tells the remarkable story of one woman’s effort to change the fate of her land by teaching many to care for it. An author’s note provides further information about Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement. In keeping with the theme of the story, the book is printed on recycled paper.
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Ages 10-14 | How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming
by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch When the weather changes daily, how do we really know that Earth's climate is changing? A groundbreaking new book for children explains the science behind the headlines, shows how young people are participating in gathering the scientific data, and tells what can be done to avert a crisis. The authors of How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate report on such a groundswell of activity by scientists and concerned people-including many children-that what could be a fearful or depressing book is, instead, an empowering book. The evidence of climate change comes from observation over many years of the changing behavioral patterns of flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers, and much more. Some of this evidence was gathered by young people as long ago as 1900, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Scientists are making more and more of these observations, and the authors tell how young people in Siberia, Canada, Mexico, and throughout the U.S. are involved in such citizen science programs that support scientists in their climate research. The authors explain how scientists piece together the Earth's "climate history" from tree rings, mud cores, ice cores, and other sources; how this history compares with recent climate patterns; and how greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide-much of it human-made-are impacting climate. In addition to clearly presenting the underlying science, the authors explain how to take charge of one's "carbon footprint"-also known as a "climate footprint." The book graphically shows "what you-and a million kids"-can do to make a difference.
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Ages 12 and up | The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
Frankie Landau-Banks.
Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
This is the story of how she got that way
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Ages 6-10 | Eggs by Marilyn Singer
Eggs is a gorgeously illustrated picture book filled with fascinating facts about eggs. Many creatures, including amphibians, reptiles, insects, birds, and even some mammals, lay eggs. Eggs come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, from jelly-covered bullfrog eggs that float to stringy octopus eggs that hang beneath sea ledges. Animals protect their eggs in special ways too. Seahorse eggs are carried in the father's pouch, while Asian cave swiftlet eggs stay safe in a nest made of spit. As different as they are from one another, all eggs contain a special world, a place where a developing embryo can breathe, grow, and be nourished. Extraordinary facts abound in this intriguingly written and intricately illustrated picture book about the varied appearances, development processes, environments, and survival challenges of eggs. --Holiday House 2008 ORDER HERE |
Ages 5-8 | Zen Ties by Jon J. Muth
Summer has arrived -- and so has Koo, Stillwater's haiku-speaking young nephew. And when Stillwater encourages Koo, and his friends Addy, Michael, and Karl to help a grouchy old neighbor in need, their efforts are rewarded in unexpected ways. Zen Ties is a disarming story of compassion and friendship that reaffirms the importance of our ties to one another. READ THE REVIEWS |
Ages 3-5 | Little Hoot
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Jen Corace, Illustrator Reverse psychology? You bet. "All my other friends get to go to bed so much earlier than me! Why do I always have to stay up and play? It's not fair!" All Little Owl wants is to go to bed at a reasonable hour, like his friends do. But no . . . Mama and Papa say little owls have to stay up late and play. "I don't give a hoot what time your friends go to bed. In this family, we stay up late." So Little Owl spends all night jumping on his bed, playing on the jungle gym, and doing tricks on his skateboard but he's hooting mad about it ! Children who have a hard time going to bed will love this fun twist on the universal dilemma.
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Ages 5-8 | What To Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!
by Barbara Kerley Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem. Her name was Alice. Alice Lee Roosevelt was hungry to go places, meet people, do things. Father called it running riot. Alice called it eating up the world. Whether she was entertaining important White House visitors with her pet snake or traveling the globe, Alice bucked convention and turned every new experience into an adventure! Brimming with affection and wit, this spirited biography gives readers a peek family life inside the White House. Prose and pictures spring, gambol, and two-step across the pages to celebrate a maverick American heroine. ORDER HERE |
Ages 10-12 | She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer
by Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander When she was just two years old, Laura Bridgman lost her sight, her hearing, and most of her senses of smell and taste. At the time, no one believed a child with such severe disabilities could be taught to communicate, much less lead a full and productive life. But then a progressive doctor, who had just opened the countrys first school for the blind in Boston, took her in. Laura learned to communicate, read, and writeand eventually even to teach. By the age of 12, she was world famous. Audiences flocked to see her, and she was loved and admired by children everywhere. This fascinating and moving biography shows how Laura Bridgman paved the way for future generations of children with disabilities, making possible important advances in the way they would be educated. As a blind person with some hearing loss, Sally Hobart Alexander lends a unique and intimate perspective to this inspiring account. At last, the story of Laura Bridgman can find its long-deserved place alongside those of Louis Braille and Helen Keller. Authors note, source notes, bibliography, index. --Houghton Mifflin Company 2008 ORDER HERE |
Ages 12 and up | When the Black Girl Sings
by Bil Wright Lahni Schuler is the only black student at her private prep school. She's also the adopted child of two loving, but white, parents who are on the road to divorce. Struggling to comfort her mother and angry with her dad, Lahni feels more and more alone. But when Lahni and her mother attend a local church one Sunday, Lahni hears the amazing gospel choir, and her life takes an unexpected turn. It so happens that one of Lahni's teachers, Mr. Faringhelli, has nominated her for a talent competition, and she is expected to perform a song in front of the whole school. Lahni decides to join the church choir to help her become a better singer. But what starts out as a way to practice singing becomes a place of belonging and a means for Lahni to discover her own identity. In this moving book, acclaimed author Bil Wright tells the story of one girl's search to find a home where she truly belongs.
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Ages 4-8 | Necks out for Adventure: The True Story of Edwin Wiggleskin
by Timothy Basil Ering What if a tiny wiggleskin dared to leave his shell and stick his neck out? A warm, whimsical tale from the illustrator of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. For as long as anyone could remember, the wiggleskins have lived by a simple rule: Necks out to eat, and necks in to hide. But then comes the dreadful day when all the wiggleskins are ripped from their holes and taken away — all but a brave little wiggleskin named Edwin. To save his mom and the rest of the clan, Edwin must shuck his shell and adopt a new rule: Necks out for adventure! Timothy Basil Ering’s boisterous and warmhearted adventure will have you cheering for Edwin — and for plucky souls everywhere who dare stick their necks out.
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Young Adult | Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
by Gabrielle Zevin If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back. But Naomi picked heads.
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Ages 9-12 | Freedom Train
by Evelyn Coleman Clyde Thomason is proud to have an older brother who guards the Freedom Train. It's 1947, and the train is traveling to all forty-eight states, carrying important documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Clyde is lucky that the train is stopping in Atlanta. In the segregated South the train will only stop at cities that agree to integrate the crowds lining up to glimpse its famous contents. Clyde has been chosen to recite the Freedom Pledge, but he's afraid that he'll chicken out. It doesn't help that he's the favorite target of the class bully. When the bully tries to beat him up, Clyde is shocked that an African-American boy, William, comes to his rescue. He's even more shocked that William's family lives in the rich—and white—part of town. But why is he so surprised? And why can't he be open about his friendship with William? When William's family is threatened, Clyde must make a choice: Will he have the courage to speak out to protect William's freedom? Evelyn Coleman paints a touching, often humorous picture of the 1940s South. Based on the real journey of the Freedom Train, this is the inspirational story of a young boy's awakening to the injustices around him—and to the idea that things could change.
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Ages 8-13 | We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. --Hyperion Books for Children 2008 ORDER HERE |
Ages 6-10 | Heroes for Civil Rights
by David Adler Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader. Fannie Lou Hamer, founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party; The Little Rock Nine, pioneers in social integration, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Fred Shuttlesworth, Earl Warren, Ralph Abernathy, Medgar Evers, and more. Whether marching, speaking, or simply going to school, these brave men and women fought to advance social justice. David A. Adler's moving biographies and Bill Farnsworth's evocative paintings honor these Americans who risked their own lives so that others could enjoy their rights. --Holiday House 2007 ORDER HERE |
| A Taste of Colored Water
by Matt Faulkner Ages 6-9 You could blame Abbey Finch. If she hadn't come back from town with tales of a fountain bubbling forth with "colored" water, LuLu and Jelly would not have needed to go see for themselves. But it's not Abbey's fault. It's the early 1960's and colored water isn't the fruit-flavored, Technicolor wonder that LuLu and Jelly are expecint. And having a drink doesn't come without a price. Matt Faulkner has created a thought-provoking account of what happens when the naïve and whimsical imagination of a child is confounded by the reality of intolerance. --Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 2008 ORDER HERE |
| Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells: The Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist
by Philip Dray Middle-school In 1863, when Ida B. Wells was not yet two years old, the Emancipation Proclamation freed her from the bond of slavery. For her family and others like them, it was a time of renewed faith in America s promise of freedom and justice for all. Blessed with a strong will, an eager mind, and a deep belief in this promise, young Ida never turned away from the challenges she faced. She insisted on holding her family together after the death of her parents. She defied convention and went to court when a railroad company infringed on her rights. And she used her position as a journalist to speak out about injustice. But Ida's greatest challenge arose after one of her friends was lynched. How could one headstrong young woman help free America from the shadow of lawlessness that loomed over the country?
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| Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
by James Sturm, Rich Tomasso (Illustrator) Baseball Hall of Famer Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1905-1982) changed the face of the game in a career that spanned five decades. Much has been written about this larger-than-life pitcher, but when it comes to Paige, fact does not easily separate from fiction. He made a point of writing his own history. . . and then re-writing it. A tall, lanky fireballer, he was arguably the Negro League's hardest thrower, most entertaining storyteller and greatest gate attraction. Now the Center for Cartoon Studies turns a graphic novelist's eye to Paige's story. Told from the point of view of a sharecropper, this compelling narrative follows Paige from game to game as he travels throughout the segregated South. In stark prose and powerful graphics, author and artist share the story of a sports hero, role model, consummate showman, and era-defining American. --Hyperion Books for Children 2007 Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow |
Ages 6 Up | Priscilla and the Hollyhocks
by Anne Broyles Based on a true story Priscilla is only four years old when her mother is sold to another master. All Priscilla has to remember her mother by are the hollyhocks she planted by the cow pond. At age ten, Priscilla is sold to a Cherokee famiily and continues her life as a slave. She keeps hope for a better life alive by planting hollyhocks whever she goes. At last, her forced march along the Trail of Tears brings a chance encounter that leads to her freedom. Includes an author's note with more details about this fascinating true story as well as instructions for making hollyhock dolls.
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