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How I Became an American
by Karin Gundisch and James SkofieldIn 1902 in a small German town a traveler turns up singing songs about America. The land sounds like paradise, and young Johann Bonfert is excited when his own family plans a life overseas. They set out from a small town in Central Europe in search of a better life in America. But for ten-year-old Johann, the journey across the Atlantic to Youngstown, Ohio, is much more than a change of home and homeland. Johann's whole family is changing, with new jobs, a new language, and new struggles. Everything is different in America. Rich people want to stay thin, the milk cows have American names, and the very air, which at home smelled of hay and rain, here smells only of soot. But finally, as he writes about his new life and begins to realize just how far he has come, "Johnny" also begins to feel that at last he is an American. Through the plain-spoken, affecting voice of Johann, prize-winning author Karin Gundisch and celebrated translator James Skofield capture the stark truths faced by German-speaking immigrants and the heartening family bonds that saw them through--experiences as true today as they were a hundred years ago." This book is full of a young boy's thoughts and dreams and very interesting details about the way people lived in the United States and Germany over a hundred years ago. It contains lyrics of songs used to encourage and discourage immigration, short versions of German children's stories and a few footnotes.
I Lived on Butterfly Hill
by Marjorie AgosínAn eleven-year-old&’s world is upended by political turmoil in this &“lyrically ambitious tale of exile and reunification&” (Kirkus Reviews) from an award-winning poet, based on true events in Chile.Celeste Marconi is a dreamer. She lives peacefully among friends and neighbors and family in the idyllic town of Valparaiso, Chile—until one day when warships are spotted in the harbor and schoolmates start disappearing from class without a word. Celeste doesn’t quite know what is happening, but one thing is clear: no one is safe, not anymore.The country has been taken over by a government that declares artists, protestors, and anyone who helps the needy to be considered “subversive” and dangerous to Chile’s future. So Celeste’s parents—her educated, generous, kind parents—must go into hiding before they, too, “disappear.” Before they do, however, they send Celeste to America to protect her.As Celeste adapts to her new life in Maine, she never stops dreaming of Chile. But even after democracy is restored to her home country, questions remain: Will her parents reemerge from hiding? Will she ever be truly safe again?Accented with interior artwork, steeped in the history of Pinochet’s catastrophic takeover of Chile, and based on many true events, this multicultural ode to the power of revolution, words, and love is both indelibly brave and heartwrenchingly graceful.
The Island on Bird Street
by Uri Orlev and Hillel HalkinThe Second World War is raging. Times are very bad in Poland, especially for Jews, and Alex is one of them. Alone, Alex is forced to take refuge in an abandoned building at 78 Bird Street.
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honor Book
Juana And Lucas
by Juana MedinaWinner of the 2017 Pura Belpre Author Award
Fans of Judy Moody and Clarice Bean will love Juana, the spunky young Colombian girl who stars in this playful, abundantly illustrated new series. Juana loves many things — drawing, eating Brussels sprouts, living in Bogota, Colombia, and especially her dog, Lucas, the best amigo ever. She does not love wearing her itchy school uniform, solving math problems, or going to dance class. And she especially does not love learning the English. Why is it so important to learn a language that makes so little sense? But when Juana’s abuelos tell her about a special trip they are planning—one that Juana will need to speak English to go on—Juana begins to wonder whether learning the English might be a good use of her time after all. Hilarious, energetic, and utterly relatable, Juana will win over los corazones — the hearts — of readers everywhere in her first adventure, presented by namesake Juana Medina.
Julián Is a Mermaid
by Jessica LoveIn an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a periwinkle curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
Just a Girl
by Lia LeviIn this award-winning memoir translated from Italian to English, a Jewish girl grows up during a difficult time of racial discrimination and war, and discovers light in unexpected places. This classic, powerful story from Lia Levi is adapted for young readers, with beautiful black-and-white illustrations, a family photo album, and a powerful author’s note to readers. 1938, Italy. Six-year-old Lia loves to build sandcastles at the beach and her biggest problem is her shyness and quiet, birdlike voice—until prime minister Mussolini joins forces with Hitler in World War II, and everything changes.Now there are laws saying Jewish children can’t go to school, Jews can’t work, or go on vacation. It’s difficult for Lia to understand why this is happening to her family. When her father loses his job, they must give up their home and move from city to city.As war comes closer, it becomes too dangerous to stay together, and Lia and her sisters are sent to hide at a convent. Will she ever be “just a girl” again?The memoir is full of poignant moments of friendship and loss, dreaded tests at school, told in Lia's captivating voice, as she grows into a young teen. Just a Girl is an important addition to the WWII Jewish canon.
The Last Cuentista
by Donna Barba HigueraWinner of the John Newbery MedalWinner of the Pura Belpré AwardTIME's Best Books of the YearWall Street Journal's Best of the YearMinneapolis Star Tribune's Best of the YearBoston Globe's Best of the YearBookPage's Best of the YearPublishers Weekly's Best of the YearSchool Library Journal's Best of the YearKirkus Reviews' Best of the YearBank Street's Best of the YearChicago Public Library's Best of the BestNew York Public Library Best of the YearA Junior Library Guild SelectionCybils Award FinalistFrom Pura Belpré Award winner and Newbery Medalist, Donna Barba Higuera—a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human."Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes – truly a beautiful cuento."—New York Times"Clever and compelling … wonderfully subversive."—The Wall Street Journal★ "This tale packs a wallop. Exquisite."—Kirkus Reviews (starred)★ "Gripping, euphonious, and full of storytelling magic."—Publishers Weekly (starred)★ "A strong, heroic character, fighting incredible odds to survive and protect others."—School Library Journal (starred)Había una vez . . . There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet – and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether.Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?
Little & Lion
by Brandy ColbertA stunning novel on love, loss, identity, and redemption, from Publishers Weekly Flying Start author Brandy Colbert. When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.
Winner of the 2018 Stonewall Book Award
Lucky Broken Girl
by Ruth BeharIn this unforgettable multicultural coming-of-age narrative—based on the author’s childhood in the 1960s—a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed.
Ruthie’s plight will intrigue readers, and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light, and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time.
Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English—and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood’s hopscotch queen—a horrific car accident leaves her in a body cast and confined her to her bed for a long recovery.
As Ruthie’s world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger and she comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings, and how friends, neighbors, and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.
Winner of the 2018 Belpre Award
The Man from the Other Side
by Hillel Halkin and Uri OrlevA Pole, 14-year-old Marek helps his stepfather smuggle goods into the Jewish ghetto, enduring trips through the foul sewers not from altruism but in order to reap lucrative profits. When Marek decides to help another Jew, his actions lead him into the ghetto during the peak of the uprising. "The author's refusal to exaggerate gives the story unimpeachable impact".--Publishers Weekly.
Martin de Porres
by Gary D. Schmidt and David DiazAs the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave, Martin de Porres was born into extreme poverty. Even so, his mother begged the church fathers to allow him into the priesthood. Instead, Martin was accepted as a servant boy. But soon, the young man was performing miracles. Rumors began to fly around the city of a strange mulatto boy with healing hands, who gave first to the people of the barrios. Martin continued to serve in the church, until he was finally received by the Dominican Order, no longer called the worthless son of a slave, but rather a saint and the rose in the desert.
Melissa
by Alex GinoBE WHO YOU ARE.
When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.
With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte—but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.
Moribito
by Nahoko UehashiYou've never read a fantasy novel like this one! The deep well of Japanese myth merges with the Western fantasy tradition for a novel that's as rich in place and culture as it is hard to put down.Balsa was a wanderer and warrior for hire. Then she rescued a boy flung into a raging river -- and at that moment, her destiny changed. Now Balsa must protect the boy -- the Prince Chagum -- on his quest to deliver the great egg of the water spirit to its source in the sea. As they travel across the land of Yogo and discover the truth about the spirit, they find themselves hunted by two deadly enemies: the egg-eating monster Rarunga . . . and the prince's own father.
The Murderer's Ape
by Jakob WegeliusA captivating story about dark truths and heinous crimes as well as unexpected friendships, with detailed black-and-white illustrations throughout. Perfect for fans of mystery and detective stories.
Sally Jones is not only a loyal friend, she’s an extraordinary individual. In overalls or in a maharaja’s turban, this unique gorilla moves among humans without speaking but understanding everything. She and the Chief are devoted comrades who operate a cargo boat. A job they are offered pays big bucks, but the deal ends badly, and the Chief is falsely convicted of murder. For Sally Jones this is the start of a harrowing quest for survival and to clear the Chief's name. Powerful forces are working against her, and they will do anything to protect their secrets.
*Winner of the 2018 Batchelder Award
My Family for the War
by Anne C. VoorhoeveWinner of the Mildred L. Batchelder medal for most oustanding children's book in translation. Escaping Nazi Germany on the kindertransport changes one girl's life forever At the start of World War II, ten-year-old Franziska Mangold is torn from her family when she boards the kindertransport in Berlin, the train that secretly took nearly 10,000 children out of Nazi territory to safety in England. Taken in by strangers who soon become more like family than her real parents, Frances (as she is now known) courageously pieces together a new life for herself because she doesn't know when or if she'll see her true family again. Against the backdrop of war-torn London, Frances struggles with questions of identity, family, and love, and these experiences shape her into a dauntless, charming young woman. Originally published in Germany, Anne Voorhoeve's award-winning novel is filled with humor, danger, and romance.
The Pull of the Ocean
by Jean-Claude Mourlevat and Y. MaudetLoosely based on Charles Perrault's "Tom Thumb" seven brothers in modern-day France flee their poor parents' farm, led by the youngest who, although mute and unusually small, is exceptionally wise.
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
Rose Blanche
by Christophe GallazA young girl named Rose Blanche watches as the streets of her town fill with German soldiers and tanks. Then, one day, she follows a truck into the woods, where she discovers a terrible secret.
This acclaimed book, illustrated by Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Roberto Innocenti, contrasts the innocence of childhood with the horrors of war.
Run, Boy, Run
by Uri Orlev"'Srulik, there's no time. I want you to remember what I'm going to tell you. You have to stay alive. You have to! Get someone to teach you how to act like a Christian, how to cross yourself and pray. . . . The most important thing, Srulik,' he said, talking fast, 'is to forget your name. Wipe it from your memory. . . . But even if you forget everything-even if you forget me and Mama-never forget that you're a Jew.'"And so, at only eight years old, Srulik Frydman says goodbye to his father for the last time and becomes Jurek Staniak, an orphan on the run in the Polish countryside at the height of the Holocaust. With the danger of capture by German soldiers ever-present, Jurek must fight against starvation, the punishing Polish winters, and widespread anti-Semitism as he desperately searches for refuge. Told with the unflinching honesty and unique perspective of such a young child, Run, Boy, Run is the extraordinary account of one boy's struggle to stay alive in the face of almost insurmountable odds-a story all the more incredible because it is true.
Samir and Yonatan
by Daniella Carmi and Yael LotanSamir, a Palestinian boy, worries about entering a Jewish hospital in Israel for a knee operation because Jewish soldiers are the enemy who killed his older brother. His healing is more than physical. On the children's ward, Yonatan becomes Samir's friend and offers him new ways of thinking.
The Shadows of Ghadames
by Joelle StolzIN THE LIBYAN CITY of Ghadames, Malika watches her merchant father depart on one of his caravan expeditions. She too yearns to travel to distant cities, and longs to learn to read like her younger brother. But nearly 12 years old, and soon to be of marriagable age, Malika knows that--like all Muslim women--she must be content with a more secluded, more limited life. Then one night a stranger enters her home . . . someone who disrupts the traditional order of things--and who affects Malika in unexpected ways."I was enchanted by this story of a brave Berber girl who dares to dream and its filigree of details about harem life, ancient trade routes, goddesses and healers. The real beauty of The Shadows of Ghadames is that it transcends the exotic to explore universal truths about the condition of being human."--Suzanne Fisher Staples, author of Newbery Honor Book,Shabanu: Daughter of the WindFrom the Hardcover edition.
Sitting Bull
by S. D. NelsonSitting Bull (c. 1831-1890) was one of the greatest Lakota/Sioux warriors and chiefs who ever lived. From Sitting Bull's childhood--killing his first buffalo at age 10--to being named war chief to leading his people against the U. S. Army, Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People brings the story of the great chief to light. Sitting Bull was instrumental in the war against the invasive wasichus (white men) and was at the forefront of the combat, including the Battles of Killdeer Mountain and the Little Bighorn. He and Crazy Horse were the last Lakota/Sioux to surrender their people to the U. S. government and resort to living on a reservation. The book includes an extensive author's note and timeline, historical photographs, a map, a bibliography, endnotes, and an index.
Tales For Very Picky Eaters
by Josh Schneider2012 Winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award! James is a very picky eater. His dad has to get creative--very creative--in order to get James to eat foods he thinks he doesn't like. He presents James with a series of outlandish scenarios packed with fanciful and gross kid-friendly details--like pre-chewed gum as an alternative to broccoli and lumpy oatmeal that grows so big it eats the dog--in an effort to get James to eat. But it is eventually James himself who discovers that some foods are not so bad, after all, if you're willing to give them a try. This irreverently hilarious early reader, it explores a universal point of contention between parent and child in a playful, satisfying way.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal
Temple Alley Summer
by Sachiko Kashiwaba and Avery Fischer Udagawa and Miho SatakeWinner of a 2022 SCBWI Crystal Kite AwardFrom renowned Japanese children’s author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure filled with the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko featuring beautiful illustrations from Miho Satake. Kazu knows something odd is going on when he sees a girl in a white kimono sneak out of his house in the middle of the night―was he dreaming? Did he see a ghost? Things get even stranger when he shows up to school the next day to see the very same figure sitting in his classroom. No one else thinks it’s weird, and, even though Kazu doesn’t remember ever seeing her before, they all seem convinced that the ghost-girl Akari has been their friend for years! When Kazu’s summer project to learn about Kimyo Temple draws the meddling attention of his mysterious neighbor Ms. Minakami and his secretive new classmate Akari, Kazu soon learns that not everything is as it seems in his hometown. Kazu discovers that Kimyo Temple is linked to a long forgotten legend about bringing the dead to life, which could explain Akari’s sudden appearance―is she a zombie or a ghost? Kazu and Akari join forces to find and protect the source of the temple's power. An unfinished story in a magazine from Akari’s youth might just hold the key to keeping Akari in the world of the living, and it’s up to them to find the story’s ending and solve the mystery as the adults around them conspire to stop them from finding the truth.