Special Collections
Multicultural Books for Children and Teens
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Rosa
by Nikki Giovanni and Bryan CollierFifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
An Island Like You
by Judith Ortiz CoferTwelve provocative stories reveal the rich, lively world of Puerto Rican American teenagers in a New Jersey barrio. Humorous, poignant, and brimming with life, this collection deftly captures the experience of growing up Puerto Rican in the United States.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
Everett Anderson's Goodbye
by Lucille Clifton and Ann GrifalconiEverett Anderson's Goodbye is a touching portrait of a little boy who is trying to come to grips with his father's death. Lucille Clifton captures Everett's conflicting emotions as he confronts this painful reality. We see him struggle through many stages, from denial and anger to depression and, finally, acceptance. In this spare and moving poem, the last in this acclaimed series, Lucille Clifton brings Everett Anderson's life full circle.
Winner of the 1984 Coretta Scott King Author Award. A Reading Rainbow Selection An NCTE Teachers' Choice
Middle Passage
by Tom Feelings and John Henrik ClarkeThe Middle Passage is the name given to one of the most tragic ordeals in history: the cruel and terrifying journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean.
In this seminal work, master artist Tom Feelings tells the complete story of this horrific diaspora in sixty-four extraordinary narrative paintings. Achingly real, they draw us into the lives of the millions of African men, women, and children who were savagely torn from their beautiful homelands, crowded into disease-ridden "death ships", and transported under nightmarish conditions to the so-called New World.
An introduction by noted historian Dr. John Henrik Clarke traces the roots of the Atlantic slave trade and gives a vivid summary of its four centuries of brutality. The Middle Passage reaches us on a visceral level. No one can experience it and remain unmoved. But while we absorb the horror of these images, we also can find some hope in them. They are a tribute to the survival of the human spirit, and the humanity won by the survivors of the Middle Passage belongs to us all.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
Hairs / Pelitos
by Sandra CisnerosIn English and Spanish, a child describes how each person in the family has hair that looks and acts different, Papas like a broom, Kikis like fur, and Mamas with the smell of warm bread.
Halmoni and the Picnic
by Sook Nyul ChoiWhen Yunmi's class plans a picnic in Central Park, her Korean grandmother, Halmoni, agrees to chaperone. But Yunmi worries that the other children will make fun of Halmoni's traditional Korean dress and unfamiliar food.
The Year of the Book
by Andrea ChengIn Chinese, peng you means friend. But in any language, all Anna knows for certain is that friendship is complicated.When Anna needs company, she turns to her books. Whether traveling through A Wrinkle in Time, or peering over My Side of the Mountain, books provide what real life cannot—constant companionship and insight into her changing world.Books, however, can&’t tell Anna how to find a true friend. She&’ll have to discover that on her own. In the tradition of classics like Maud Hart Lovelace&’s Betsy-Tacy books and Eleanor Estes&’ One Hundred Dresses, this novel subtly explores what it takes to make friends and what it means to be one.
Grandfather Counts
by Andrea ChengWhen her mother's father comes from China, Helen, who is biracial, develops a special bond with her grandfather despite their age and language differences.
The Tequila Worm
by Viola CanalesStory of Sofia, growing up in the barrio, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions. When she is singled out to receive a scholarship to an elite boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
A Full Moon is Rising
by Marilyn Singer and Julia CairnsMysterious and evocative, the full moon is the most celebrated phase of the earth s only natural satellite. Around the world, people and other living things interact with and are affected by the full moon in fascinating ways. Sailors set out to sea on the high tides the full moon causes. Insects and migrating birds are guided by its brilliant light. Families dance, sing, and feast at full moon festivals, while traders buy and sell camels. Corals reproduce, wolves howl, and children dream of being astronauts. In this poetic exploration of full moon science, celebrations, beliefs, and illusions, Marilyn Singer and Julia Cairns take us on a whirlwind international tour. Along the way we visit Canada, Israel, Morocco, India, China, Australia, and more as we learn about the many ways people welcome and honor Earth s wondrous full moon.
Africa Dream
by Eloise Greenfield and Carole ByardAn African-American child dreams of long-ago Africa, where she sees animals, shops in a marketplace, reads strange words from an old book, and returns to the village where her long-ago granddaddy welcomes her. Greenfield's lyrical telling and Byard's marvelous pictures make this book close to an ideal adventure for children, black or white. ' -Publishers Weekly.
1978 Coretta Scott King Award
Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum
by Ashley BryanFive traditional Nigerian tales including "Hen and Frog," "Why Bush Cow and Elephant are Bad Friends," "The Husband Who Counted the Spoonfuls," "Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together," and "How Animals Got Their Tails."
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
The Heart of a Chief
by Joseph BruchacAn eleven-year-old Penacook Indian boy living on a reservation faces his father's alcoholism, a controversy surrounding plans for a casino on a tribal island, and insensitivity toward Native Americans in his school and nearby town.
Through My Eyes
by Margo Lundell and Ruby BridgesOn November 14, 1960, a tiny six-year-old black child, surrounded by federal marshals, walked through a mob of screaming segregationists and into her school. From where she sat in the office, Ruby Bridges could see parents marching through the halls and taking their children out of classrooms. The next day, Ruby walked through the angry mob once again and into a school where she saw no other students. The white children did not go to school that day, and they wouldn't go to school for many days to come. Surrounded by racial turmoil, Ruby, the only student in a classroom with one wonderful teacher, learned to read and add. This is the story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. Ruby's poignant words, quotations from writers and from other adults who observed her, and dramatic photographs recreate an amazing story of innocence, courage, and forgiveness. Ruby Bridges' story is an inspiration to us all.
El Loro en el Horno
by Analia Bermejo and Victor MartinezManny Hernandez es un joven de 14 anos que debe enfrentarse a ese momento crucial en su vida.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
Where Did You Get Your Moccasins?
by Bernelda Wheeler and Herman BekkeringChildren in an urban school are curious about a classmate's pair of moccasins. In answer to their questions, the boy describes in detail how his grandmother or Kookum, made his moccasins. BERNELDA WHEELER was born in Fort Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan and has lived in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, and New York. She has a rich heritage, being part Cree and part Saulteaux, with a mixture of Scottish and French. Bernelda has been a columnist, and a journalist, and was the host, writer, and broadcaster of Our Native Land on CBC national radio. She has also worked in the field of alcoholism as a rehabilitation counsellor. She is currently based in Winnipeg and works part-time at writing, broadcasting, acting, and public speaking. BerneIda has two talented children and several grandchildren. Herman Bekkering is a freelance illustrator from Winnipeg, Manitoba. * ALSO BY BERNELDA WHEELER A Friend Called Chum I Can't Have Bannock but the Beaver Has a Dam
Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon
by Ruth Forman and Cbabi BayocWho needs a backyard when there are brownstone steps, double dutch, and freeze tag beneath the sizzling summer sun? The jingling bell of the ice cream truck mingles with laughter and sidewalk rhymes. Frosty lemonade from the corner store and tight cornrows beat the heat with style. There's nothing like summer in the city with friends, family, and a child's imagination for company.
Ruth Forman offers a poetic testament to childhood, language, and play, and Cbabi Bayoc's richly hued paintings bring the streets of South Philadelphia to vivid life.
Juna's Jar
by Jane Bahk and Felicia HoshinoSometimes a simple, everyday object can take you away on great adventures. Juna and her best friend, Hector, have many adventures together, and they love to collect things in empty kimchi jars. Then one day, Hector unexpectedly moves away without having a chance to say good-bye. Juna is heartbroken and left to wonder who will on go on adventures with her. Determined to find Hector, Juna turns to her special kimchi jar for help each night. She plunges into the depths of the ocean, swings on vines through the jungle, and flies through the night sky in search of her friend. What Juna finds is that adventure--and new friends--can be found in the most unexpected places. Coupled with dreamy watercolor illustrations by Felicia Hoshino, Juna's Jar is a heart-warming and whimsical tale about the power of the imagination.
Duey's Tale
by Pearl Bailey and Arnold Skolnick and Gary AzonA tale for both children and young adults about a seed, bottle and a branch of tree.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal
Return To Sender
by Julia AlvarezAfter Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure.
Tyler isn't sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented?
And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life.
Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico.
Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?
In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
Before We Were Free
by Julia AlvarezAnita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her 12th birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have emigrated to the United States, her Tio Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government's secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition of el Trujillo's dictatorship.
Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind.
From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl's struggle to be free.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman AlexieBestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation.
Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.
With a forward by Markus Zusak, interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney, and four-color interior art throughout, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.
Out of Wonder
by Kwame Alexander and Marjory Wentworth and Chris Colderley and Ekua HolmesOut of gratitude for the poet's art form, Newbery Award-winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, along with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, present original poems that pay homage to twenty famed poets who have made the authors' hearts sing and their minds wonder. Stunning mixed-media images by Ekua Holmes, winner of a Caldecott Honor and a John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, complete the celebration and invite the reader to listen, wonder, and perhaps even pick up a pen.
The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander2015 Newbery Medal Winner
2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner
"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell.
He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander.
Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.
A New York Times Bestseller