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March on! The day my brother Martin changed the world

Farris, Christine

Christine King Farris, the sister of Martin Luther King Jr., watched her brother during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. She describes her brother’s journey from writing his “I Have a Dream” speech to joining the crowds in their demand for freedom. She was moved by her brother’s persistence and success in persuading millions to believe in and fight for a better tomorrow in which all men are created equal.

Over the shop

Lawson, Jon Arno

A little girl and her grandparent show the apartment over their store to a couple looking for a fixer-upper place to stay. Little by little the place and the neighborhood take on a fresh new life and love (A Wordless Book).

Tags

acceptance, cleanliness, community, cooking, love, multicultural, neighbors, numbers, party, plants, preparation, shopping, signs, sleep

Ain't nobody a stranger to me

Grifalconi, Ann

As a girl and her grandfather walk to the family’s apple orchard, grandfather shares his experiences as a slave to explain how the apple orchard came to be. Her grandfather traveled north in pursuit of freedom and encountered members of the Underground Railroad who helped their family by providing food, shelter, and transportation. This allowed her grandfather, grandmother, and mother to cross the Ohio River and gain freedom, working until they had enough money to buy land and start their own apple orchard.

Tags

ambition, bodies of water, challenges, courage, family, freedom, future, grandparents, growth, happiness, hard work, helping, kindness, memories, neighbors, plants, progress, protection, river, shelter, slavery, tree, underground railroad

We all play

Flett, Julie

Just as humans do, animals play and sleep too! Rabbits love to hide and hop while bears love to wiggle and wobble. As a result, all living things are connected and everyone maintains the responsibility to look out for each other.

Tags

activities, alliteration, animals, baby, bat, bear, birds, buffalo, colors, fox, goose, language, multicultural, native american, rabbit, seal, snake, turtle, wolf

Silent days, silent dreams

Say, Allen

Bob shares the life story of his Uncle Jim, a deaf artist with immense talent and determination to find ways to communicate. During his childhood, Uncle Jim’s parents were unsupportive of his passion for art and they sent him to the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind with his sister. Bob never learned to speak, read, write, or use sign language. Ultimately, Bob went to art school where he shared his Uncle Jim’s work which was displayed in a gallery and sold to the public.

Tags

accomplishment, alphabet, art, author's note, beauty, biography, books, communication, coping, correspondence, deafness, dedication, determination, disability, farm, history, library, literacy, photograph, running away, school, siblings, signs, symbols

Two grooms on a cake: The story of America's first gay wedding

Sanders, Rob

Michael and Jack met and fell in love, growing closer over time. Even though no one had done it before, Michael and Jack wanted to get married, and although it was difficult, they were the first same-sex couple to marry in America legally. Today, they are still married and work to ensure that other same-sex couples can also get married.

Tags

affection, celebration, discrimination, emotions, equality, friendship, government, happiness, history, homosexuality, justice, law, marriage, patience, politics, recipe, relationship, sequence, sexuality, time, wedding

What happens next

Hughes, Susan

Bully B. makes a student feel uncomfortable at school by making fun of him and calling him mean names. This student goes home and acts like he is fine, but his mother is able to tell that this is not true and she suggests that her son talks to the bully. With this advice, he talks to Bully B. and expresses how her behavior makes him feel and explains how similar they actually are, ending their negative relationship.

Away

Sher, Emil

Even though they do not get to spend a lot of time together, a mom and her daughter write to communicate with each other using sticky notes left around their house. Right now, the girl does not want to go to sleepaway camp and she is trying to find every reason not to go. Whether it’s her cat, Lester, needing her too much or her short haircut, she really does not want to go camping. In the end, she finally does, and she loves it!

Tags

animals, argument, bug, calendar, camping, cat, communication, correspondence, Days of The Week, homework, insects, mosque, numbers, technology, television, time, trust, working mother, writing

The sea maidens of Japan

Bell, Lili

Kiyomi's mother, Okaasan, is an ama diver who harvests shellfish from the deep ocean in Japan. As a young girl, Kiyomi practices with her mom to become an ama diver, but she is very afraid of the sea. Kiyomi gains the strength to overcome this fear and become a diver when she swims with the star turtle, an animal she helped to save when it was born.

Tags

author's note, beach, birds, bodies of water, careers, community, courage, diving, emotions, encouragement, fear, feelings, fishing, fog, identification, japan, night, ocean, parents, safety, sea, swimming, traditions, turtle

Imagine!

Colon, Raul

A young boy living in New York City rides his skateboard to the Museum of Modern Art where he meets figures in paintings. Soon after, these characters leave their paintings and spend the day with the boy, going to a hot dog stand and riding roller coasters together. Eventually, the characters must return to their paintings and, in order to remember them, the boy makes his own artwork and goes to bed dreaming of the day he had.

Tags

art, author's note, bedtime, bridge, community, imagination, monuments, museum, park, singing, skateboarding, sleep, subway, taxi

Walk together children: Black American spirituals volume one

Bryan, Ashley

Black American Spirituals are a representation of the resilience and bravery of enslaved Blacks. Although these songs represent suffering and sadness, they also demonstrate creativity, heritage, and expression. Ultimately, Spirituals connect people to each other, their culture, and their goals.

Tags

african american, art, drawing, feelings, happiness, history, hope, multicultural, music, publisher's note, sadness, singing, slavery, spiritual, walking

A house that once was

Fogliano, Julie

Two boys find a house that is abandoned and old. They wonder who might have lived there and where they had gone. Although it remains a mystery, the boys return to their home and enjoy a warm dinner with their family while leaving the abandoned house alone.

Tags

adventures, architecture, art, buildings, colors, courage, curiosity, dancing, disappearance, exploration, prediction, pretend, rhyme, singing, technology, time, transportation

Autism and me: Sibling stories

Shapiro, Ouisie

Publisher's Abstract: "If you see a kid with autism on the street, don't yell at her if she's doing something wrong. She can't help it. Autism is really challenging," explains Christian, who tells about life with his sister, Mary Gwen, a beautiful girl who loves to swim. In these moving photo essays, Christian and many other kids tell what it's like to live with siblings who have autism. Sometimes they can't talk much. Sometimes they have tantrums. It can be tough for a family, but there are happy surprises, too. "Autism has helped us to become a better family," adds Christian. "It teaches us patience and understanding."

Tags

autism, companion, differences, patience, photograph, play, respect, siblings

Overground railroad

Cline-Ransome, Lesa

One day, Ruth Ellen and her family leave North Carolina to travel North to New York City, looking for a better life and a brighter future in a society without segregation. During their travels, Ruth Ellen read a book about Frederick Douglass's journey and how his experiences compared to hers. Despite these differences, both traveled in pursuit of a common goal.

Tags

african american, bodies of water, body parts, family, farm, feelings, food, freedom, games, grandparents, history, moon, multicultural, neighbors, parents, reading, river, train, transportation, travel, walking, writing

Santa from Cincinnati: How a little boy named Santa grew up to become the real thing

Barrett, Judi

Calus was born on Christmas Day at Cincinnati General Hospital, and as he grew up, he developed a love for toys. As a young boy, Calus began building toys with his dad and delivering them to other kids in his neighborhood on Christmas Eve. Soon, everyone wanted toys from Calus, and after going to college and meeting Claus, they moved to the North Pole and began manufacturing toys year-round.

Tags

animals, birth, birthday, celebration, christmas, correspondence, growing up, holidays, new baby, parents, presents, reindeer, school, sledding, snow, technology, tools, toys, transportation, writing

All different now: Juneteenth, the first day of freedom

Johnson, Angela

A young girl wakes up on what she believes to be a normal day, working with her family to complete the daily tasks of her work as a slave. Then, everyone is told that slavery has been abolished and that now they are finally free people. The young girl celebrates with her family and community, excited by the prospects of what their future, independent life will bring.

Tags

author's note, bodies of water, celebration, community, depression, discrimination, farm, five senses, freedom, illustrator's note, ocean, picnic, prejudice, racism, slavery, storytelling, vocabulary

Going down home with daddy

Lyons, Kelly Starling

Alan looks forward to the annual family reunion at the farm where Daddy grew up, but everyone is suppose to share something special and Alan worries about arriving with empty hands.

Tags

car, celebration, family, feelings, geography, instruments, music, performance, reading, reunion, sharing, sleep, storytelling, tractor, travel, worry

Lizzie demands a seat! Elizabeth Jennings fights for streetcar rights

Anderson, Beth

One hundred years before Rosa Parks took her stand, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings tried to board a streetcar in New York City on her way to church. Though there were plenty of empty seats, she was denied entry, assaulted, and threatened all because of her race -- even though New York was a free state at that time. Lizzie decided to fight back. She told her story, took her case to court -- where future president Chester Arthur represented her -- and won! Her victory was the first recorded in the fight for equal rights on public transportation, and Lizzie's case set a precedent.

Tags

african american, author's note, beauty, clothing, conflict, conflict resolution, courage, decision making, history, law, nonverbal communication, persistence, politics, spiritual, transportation, verbal communication, writing

Stitch by stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS memorial quilt

Sanders, Rob

Cleve Jones was an advocate for gay rights and showed support for his community through volunteering, protesting, and creating artwork. As a part of his work, Cleve made the NAME Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to recognize and remember members of the LGBTQ+ community who lost their lives to this disease. This project shows the interconnectedness of a suffering community and the importance of staying together to fight for what is right.

Tags

aids, author's note, bully, change, community, courage, discrimination, diseases, emotions, glossary, government, health, history, homosexuality, law, love, memories, monuments, numbers, politics, sequence, sewing, sexuality, symbols, time

The key from Spain: Flory Jagoda and her music

Levy, Debbie

Just as her ancestors were forced to leave Spain during the Inquisition, Flory flees Europe for a new life in the United States, bringing with her a precious harmonica and a passion for Ladino music.

Tags

american, Bosnian, christians, Croatian, dancing, generations, gymnastics, history, instruments, Jewish, ladino, language, multicultural, music, muslim, neighbors, numbers, prayers, pretend, refugee, sewing, ship, singing, song, spain, storytelling, time, train, transportation, war

Love is

Adams, Diane

A little girl raises a duckling and loves it very much. One day, she realizes that it is time for her duckling to leave and join the other ducks outside. Even though she misses her pet, their love stays strong and she still gets to see her duck and its new family.

Tags

african american, animals, bath, birds, bodies of water, change, companion, courage, duck, feelings, health, hygiene, love, morning, multicultural, nature, pets, pond, sadness, sleep, swimming, teaching, trust

Escargot

Slater, Dashka

Escargot the snail is on its way to eating a beautiful salad while trying to convince others to say that snails are their favorite animal. Escargot is sad because, most of the time, people do not pick snails as their favorite. Even though snails leave a slimy trail, snails can be fast, they can be fierce, and they can be beautiful.

Tags

animals, behavior, body parts, caring, communication, conversation, courage, food, french, language, mollusks, recognition, relationship, sadness, shells, similarities, snail

Farmhouse

Blackall, Sophie

A farmhouse where twelve children grow up holds evidence of their stories long after they are gone.

Tags

animals, art, author's note, bedtime, books, chores, conflict, correspondence, cow, family, farm, food, home, instruments, music, photography, plants, playing, seasons, siblings, sleep, tree

A new green day

Portis, Antoinette

On one summer’s day, a girl is attentive to all the sights and sounds around her. Whether it’s the subtle noise of crickets at night or the loud boom of thunder during a storm, there are many things in the environment, big and small, that influence her experiences.

Tags

adventures, amphibians, animals, appreciation, awareness, colors, comparisons, cricket, day, earth, five senses, insects, lightning, mollusks, night, plants, play, rain, shadows, sight, snail, space, stars, stream, tadpole, walking, weather, worm

Hello lighthouse

Blackall, Sophie

A lighthouse keeper fills the lamp, trims the wick, and keeps a logbook while living in the lighthouse. The tender regularly brings him food and supplies from the mainland, even bringing the keeper's wife to join him. One day, the keeper is asked to leave the newly automated lighthouse because his work is no longer needed, but his family will always cherish their time there.

Tags

author's note, bodies of water, careers, correspondence, family, fishing, fog, loneliness, new baby, ocean, photograph, pregnancy, rescue, ship, sun, transportation, weather, wind, writing

Quinnie blue

Johnson, Dinah

Hattie wonders about the activities of her grandmother Quinnie Blue when she was little. Trips to Carolina, singing, eating, reciting poems, and braiding hair with her family come to mind.

Tags

african american, author's note, body parts, celebration, church, easter, family, food, games, generations, grandparents, identity, instruments, multicultural, music, nutrition, picnic, song, traditions, trees

I want my hat back

Klassen, Jon

A bear almost gives up his search for his missing hat until he remembers something important.

Tags

amphibians, animals, bear, clothing, concepts, deer, fox, frog, investigation, lost, manners, memory, rabbit, snake, surprises, turtle

The coquies still sing: A story of home, hope, and rebuilding

Gonzalez, Karina Nicole

After a terrible hurricane, the family garden is gone and there's no electricity or running water. The mango tree still stands brown and bare, and the native tree frogs stop singing their song. As the family starts the island clean up around their Puerto Rican home, the native coqui's song begins a slow resurgence months after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Tags

amphibians, animals, author's note, books, destruction, electricity, emergency, feelings, frog, garden, grandparents, hope, hurricane, illustrator's note, light, love, neighbors, plants, puerto rico, radio, rain, seed, song, stars, tree, weather

Lola loves stories

McQuinn, Anna

Lola and her dad go to the library on Saturdays to pick out books to read during the week. Every time Lola reads a book, she acts it out the next day. If she reads about building, she becomes a builder. If Lola reads a book about fairies, she becomes a fairy. What will Lola be next?

Tags

acting, african american, animals, baby, bedtime, books, buildings, clothing, companion, cow, creativity, Days of The Week, family, imagination, library, love, multicultural, parents, reading, relationship, routine, royalty, shoes, storytelling, tiger, tools, travel, wilderness

I am every good thing

Barnes, Derrick

Illustrations and easy-to-read text pay homage to the strength, character, and worth of a child.

Tags

activities, african american, baseball, basketball, body parts, companion, creativity, diving, family, honesty, identity, instruments, leadership, love, manners, multicultural, play, respect, rhythm, siblings, skateboarding, snow, swimming, technology

Seven spools of thread

Medearis, Angela

Whether working on their family farm or eating dinner, the seven Ashanti brothers always fight amongst themselves to the dismay of their father. However, when their father passed away, the seven Ashanti brothers were tasked with creating gold from seven different color spools of thread. After completing this seemingly impossible task by working together, the brothers taught their community the value of the lessons they learned.

Tags

african, argument, author's note, colors, communication, community, culture, fable, farm, ghana, language, peace, problem solving, siblings, success, support, teamwork, vocabulary, weaving

A home in the barn

Brown, Margaret Wise

In the winter, it is too cold for the animals to be outside but the barn is warm. All the horses, cattle, mice, birds, and cats stay there together to keep away from the cold. Even though there are a lot of animals in the barn, they all get along and help to keep each other warm.

Tags

african american, animals, author's note, baby, barn, birds, birth, bluejay, cardinal, cat, chicken, cold, community, cow, dog, farm, goat, horse, insects, mouse, multicultural, night, onomatopoeia, pig, pony, problem solving, rhyme, rhythm, sparrow, squirrel, time, wasp, winter

The phone booth in Mr. Hirota's garden

Smith, Heather

Makio and his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, loved looking out at the ocean every morning while watching Makio’s father and Mr. Hirota’s daughter working. One day, a tsunami came and killed their family members, prompting Mr. Hirota to build a telephone booth as a way to cope with his grief. Soon after, Makio and Mr. Hirota began speaking into a disconnected telephone while communicating with the loved ones they lost.

Tags

bodies of water, community, companion, construction, death, earthquake, feelings, games, grief, loss, ocean, onomatopoeia, respect, sadness, sea, storytelling, technology, telephone, wish

Boycott blues: How Rosa Parks inspired a nation

Pinkney, Andrea Davis

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus because of her race, sparking a social movement to end segregation enforced by the Jim Crow laws.Following the arrest of Rosa Park, her supporters refused to ride the community bus system during the Montgomery bus boycott. Despite the struggles of this protest, the Jim Crow laws were eventually overturned due to the spark that Rosa Parks ignited to motivate a generation to stay resolute in their pursuit of justice.

Tags

aggression, ambition, america, author's note, beliefs, boycott, bravery, challenges, change, conflict, courage, determination, discrimination, history, music, onomatopoeia, prejudice, protest, walking

We found a hat

Klassen, Jon

Two turtles find a hat that looks good on both of them, but with fairness in mind, they decide to leave it be - until night falls and one of the turtles changes its mind.

Tags

amphibians, animals, change, clothing, communication, comparisons, differences, dreams, friendship, missing, sleep, sun, teamwork, turtle

The museum of everything

Perkins, Lynne Rae

Through the eyes and thoughts of a child, an imagination opens up to wonderment and original dreams. Many things can be happening all at once and that can be overwhelming. Places for hiding and spaces for shadows makes this geographical experience an artistic escape depicting a museum of everything.

Tags

activities, art, awareness, bodies of water, books, concepts, construction, creativity, daydreaming, geography, imagination, investigation, island, museum, perspective, seasons, shadows, sizes, uniqueness

Fridge-opolis

Coffey, Melissa

Lots of recycling and composting ideas fill the pages of the microwave, dishwasher, and refrigerator storage. The mayo, meats, and cheeses spoil and the tofu was swimming in goo. So many foods are rancid and decaying. And just when things couldn't get any worse....a food fight erupts in Fridge-opolis! Enjoy the Food for Thought at the end of it all.

Tags

cleanliness, community, conservation, five senses, food, onomatopoeia, problem solving, recycling, safety, science, smell

I'm going to sing: Black American spirituals volume two

Bryan, Ashley

Black American Spirituals are a representation of the resilience and bravery of enslaved Blacks. Although these songs represent suffering and sadness, they also demonstrate creativity, heritage, and expression. Ultimately, spirituals connect people to each other, their culture, and their goals.

Tags

african american, art, drawing, feelings, happiness, history, hope, multicultural, music, sadness, singing, slavery, spiritual

Here we are: Notes for living on planet earth

Jeffers, Oliver

The Earth is a large planet made of land, water and the sky. Given its size, Earth is home to humans and animals alike. However, there is only one Earth and we all maintain a responsibility to care for the planet and each other.

Tags

animals, bodies of water, body parts, constellation, day, differences, diversity, earth, fish, learning, life, night, numbers, planet, relationship, sea, sky, space, speech, stars, time, transportation, wildlife

Nana, Nenek, & Nina

Ferneyhough, Liza

Nina enjoys her visits to her two grandmothers in Malaysia and in England. Nina compares the similarities and differences between the two and enjoys the special time with Nenek and Nana.

Tags

comparisons, england, family, grandparents, language, malaysia, travel

Fry bread: A Native American family story

Maillard, Kevin Noble

Children help a Native American grandmother make fry bread while learning about the history, social ways, food, art, and politics of America's 573 recognized Indian tribes.

Tags

america, art, author's note, baking, colors, diversity, family, five senses, food, friendship, geography, heritage, history, native american, nutrition, preparation, recipe, sounds, storytelling, variety

Action! How movies began

McCarthy, Meghan

Movies are an important part of our society today, but they have not always been what we see in theaters. From the Kinetoscope to black and white film, and from soundless productions to special effects, the movie industry has evolved over time to make what we see and enjoy today!

Tags

african american, author's note, careers, colors, emotions, five senses, generations, history, inventions, movies, multicultural, nonfiction, photograph, photography, sequence, shadows, sounds, technology, time, vision

Good night, knight

Lewin, Betsy

After a tantalizing dream about golden cookies, Knight and his horse embark on a quest for baked goods.

Tags

animals, dreams, food, horse, investigation, onomatopoeia, protection, sleep

Keeping the city going

Floca, Brian

During the COVID-19 pandemic, entire cities shut down and everyone stayed in their homes except for the workers that society needed the most. The people who deliver the mail, stock the grocery stores and care for the sick: they remained. Society celebrates these people because, without their sacrifice and dedication, society would not have been able to survive a global pandemic.

Tags

appreciation, bicycle, bus, careers, celebration, challenges, communication, crisis, dedication, diseases, doctor, food, health, helping, neighbors, observation, recognition, relationship, safety, sounds, support, taxi, teamwork, technology, train, transportation, truck, work

A library book for bear

Becker, Bonny

Although he sees no need for more books to read, Bear agrees to accompany Mouse to the library.

Tags

adventures, animals, bear, books, five senses, library, mouse, skating, sounds

I am utterly unique: Celebrating the strengths of children with Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism

Larson, Elaine Marie

Explore this alphabetical enumeration of individual traits that make children and others from the autism spectrum rich with unique features, talents, and abilities.

Tags

alphabet, animals, asperger syndrome, imagination, intelligence, jumping, learning, memory, neighbors, rules, uniqueness, vocabulary

All-of-a-kind family hanukkah

Jenkins, Emily

Gertie, the youngest of five children, wants to help her mother cook for their family dinner on the first night of Hanukkah in New York City’s Lower East Side. After many attempts of trying to help in the busy kitchen, Gertie is sent to her room by her mother and is eventually called down for dinner by her dad. In order to get her to come downstairs, Gertie’s father asks for her helping to light the candles of the menorah for the first time and Gertie happily accepts the offer.

Tags

author's note, body parts, books, celebration, cooking, family, fire, food, freedom, frustration, hanukkah, hebrew, helping, history, holidays, illustrator's note, Jewish, learning, numbers, nutrition, parents, preparation, siblings, singing, traditions

My father's shop

Ichikawa, Satomi

Mustafa's father sells beautiful carpets from all over the world in his shop. One day, a small hole was discovered in one of the carpets so Mustafa asks his father for that rug to play with. In order to get it, Mustafa has to learn different languages from his father so he can make successful sales with the customers. As different foreign customers walk by the colorful carpet over Mustafa's body outside the shop, he crows like a rooster in different languages. He is excited to run back to the shop to tell his father that he can speak rooster in five languages. And all the tourists follow right behind Mustafa into his father's shop!

Tags

careers, decision making, goal setting, language, market, money, multicultural, onomatopoeia, parents, problem solving, shopping

I am you: A book about ubuntu

Moahloli, Refiloe

Ubuntu is an ancient philosophy from many African cultures. The word promotes the idea that a person is known through other people - a concept of shared humanity, compassion, and oneness. Observe the many ways that we are all connected.

Tags

caring, community, dancing, differences, friendship, home, kindness, language, listening, love, lyrics, publisher's note, similarities, song, teasing, vision, walking

My parents won't stop talking

Hunsinger, Emma & Walden, Tillie

Waiting is hard, and every kid knows it's not fun. Molly wants to go the park but her parents have started talking with the neighbors for a very long time.

Tags

alphabet, body parts, chipmunk, community, conversation, counting, dancing, dentist, family, food, grandparents, imagination, instruments, music, neighbors, onomatopoeia, parents, patience, sequence, siblings, travel

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