Skip to main content
  • Tags: family
Two homes
Masurel, Claire
Alex has two homes because his parents are divorced. Alex has everything he needs at both houses. Although some things are different with each parent, Alex loves his mommy and daddy. He knows they love him too, no matter where they are, together or apart.

One million men and me
Lyons, Kelly Starling
A young high school girl goes with her father to a march on the United States capitol during a civil rights gathering. She is surrounded by "one million men" and she experiences pride as she and her father witness history in Washington, D.C.

Tashi and the Tibetan flower cure
Rose, Naomi C.
Tashi's Papola becomes ill and is bedridden. Tashi remembers a cure from her family's homeland in Tibet. Tashi works hard to resemble the Tibetan flower cure and surround her Papola with many flowers and caring people. Although Papola argues that the cure wont work in America, neighbors work together to bring flowers to Papola and make him better.

Sophie's squash
Miller, Pat, Zietlow
Sophie buys a squash at the farmer's market. The squash's name is Bernice, and she is Sophie's best friend. Bernice starts look unhealthy, so Sophie plants her in the ground. The next year, Bernice makes two new squash for Sophie to befriend.

Henry's first-moon birthday
Look, Lenore
Jenny is in charge of helping her grandmother prepare for the one-month birthday party of her baby brother, Henry. Henry's party is a Chinese celebration! Food and decorations are made to bring good luck, health, and happiness to Jenny's mother and brother. Each member of the family attends in celebration of Henry's first month of life.

Who will I be, Lord?
Nelson, Vaunda Michaeaux
A young girls outlines the careers and callings of her family members. She questions the Lord on what she will become. As she realizes that her family dreams of being more than anything they are now, she then understands that she can be anything she wants to be, because it is up to her.

Beatrice's goat
McBrier, Page
Beatrice lives in Uganda and helps her mother care for her younger siblings. Money is scarce until Mugisa, a goat arrives. Mugisa provides milk, and the family is nourished by it. Mugisa's milk and babies provide enough money so Beatrice and her family can live a better life. Beatrice can afford her dream of attending school. This story has an afterwords by Hillary Rodhman Clinton.

How I learned geography
Shulevitz, Uri
A war occurs and a boy and his family must flee from their homeland. Food is scarce and there is no entertainment. One day, Father brings home a map. The little boy studies the map. He learns geography and allows his imagination to take him to faraway places. He forgets about his hunger and his sadness.

Spaghetti Eddie
SanAngelo, Ryan
Eddie, who loves spaghetti and takes it everywhere with him, is sent to buy frosting for his father's birthday cake. His neighbors have various struggles, but Eddie uses his noodles to solve their problems. The neighbors consider his solutions to be "silly" until Eddie stops a robber by throwing a meatball at him. There is a surprise birthday party for Eddie's father that also celebrates Eddie's unique, heroic actions in the neighborhood.

Summer Jackson: Grown up
Harris, Teresa, E.
Summer Jackson is seven years old, but she wants to be a grown-up. Her parents leave her with all the chores and duties of an adult. Summer realizes being an adult is hard work. She decides she can do some grown up things but she also wants to be a kid and play.

My heart will not sit down
Rookliff, Mara
In school, Kedi learns about the Great Depression happening in America. She feels so badly for the starving children there (including her teacher's family) that she finds a way to make a difference.

The listening walk
Showers, Paul
A young girl and her dad love to take silent walks with each other and their old dog. The girl enjoys the silence and is constantly listening to all of the sounds she hears.

The seven gods of luck
Kudler, David
Saohiko, Kenji, and their mother take a trip into town, to the market to sell their crafts and goods. They come across the famous Shrine of the Seven Gods of Luck.

Time to pray
Addasi, Maha
Yasmin visits her grandma for an unexpected visit that was very special. Yasmin learns about the traditional Muslim prayers. Yasmin receives a special gift that will help her remember the visit forever.

The third gift
Park, Linda Sue
A young boy learns his father's trade by observing the use and importance of resin from certain trees. One day becomes an important day for the family - and especially for the young boy - when they exchange tears with three merchants who are off to see an important baby.

Home for Navidad
Cohen, Santiago
Rosa has not seen her mother in three years. Rosa's mother works to save money in America until she is finally able to come home for Navidad. The whole family can now celebrate the Christmas holiday in the small town in Mexico.

Papa's pastries
Toscano, Charles
Miguel and his father set out to sell their homemade pastries in the near by villages. Since money was scarce, Miguel's father decided that kindness was more important than money and was later repaid.

Sunday week
Johnson, Dinah
A community describes each day of their weekly routine. The community is constantly looking forward to their Sunday traditions. Sunday is rich with family time, the Lord, and storytelling.

Harvest
Waldherr, Kris
A young girl anxiously awaits the harvest. She prepares for the harvest by painting and gardening. She stores the food in a variety of ways. She and her mom cook, bake, and preserve the food. A harvest moon completes the day.

Jake goes peanuts
Wright, Michael
Jake refuses to eat anything his parents makes, except for things with peanut butter in it. He ate so much peanut butter in it. He ate so much peanut butter that he finally gets sick of it.

Saturday Sancocho
Torres, Leyla
Chicken Sancocho is a traditional family meal for Maria Lili and her grandmother. When there is a shortage of ingredients, Maria Lili is determined to complete the meal.

Pastry school in Paris: An adventure in capacity
Neuschwander, Cindy
A family and their children travel to Paris and visit a pastry academy. The kids work with others to practice baking. When a situation arises, the kids are called to save the day by making brownies for the competition.

The ugly vegetables
Lin, Grace
A young Chinese girl helps her mom plant Chinese vegetables. She initially compares her mom's "ugly" garden to those of her neighbor's garden. The two use lots of gardening tools to plant the seeds for vegetables. Her mom then cooks the vegetables and invites the other neighbors in to share the nutritious meal.

You and me and home sweet home
Lyon, George Ella
A young girl helps her family build a new home. The family celebrates the new milestone by sharing a meal together. The family then adjusts to the new house together.

Happy like soccer
Boelts, Maribeth
Nothing makes Sierra happier than soccer does. Sierra eats meals with her aunt after soccer games. Sierra's big game is cancelled one day. Sierra plans a makeup soccer game so that her aunt can see her play. What a great day to play at home in her own neighborhood!

My great big mama
Ka, Olivier
A little boy adores his mother for being large. After speculation from others, the mother decides to go on a diet. The son does the same. The two come to a conclusion to no longer diet and to enjoy food once again.

Oliver's fruit salad
French, Vivian
Oliver wants to make fruit salad. He gets canned fruit from his grandpas and also from a market. Oliver helps his grandpa cut the fruit to make great food to enjoy!

What will you be, Sara Mee?
Avraham, Kate Aver
Cho, a young boy, wonders what his little sister Sara Mee will be? They celebrate Sara Mee's first birthday with a feast and music from Korea. Cho continues to try to figure out what his sister will be when she grows up.

Sweet tooth
Palatini, Margie
Stewart has a sweet tooth that repeatedly gets him into trouble. Stewart tells his sweet tooth that it is time for him to be healthy. Stewart eats healthy and practices oral hygiene. Stewart then pulls out the "sweet tooth" and the tooth fairy visits.

Different: Just like me
Mitchell, Lori
The visit to Grammie's house is a week away, and April can't wait! She comes across different people who look differently, sense differences, and move differently. Regardless of their differences, April can find ways she is like these other people. Finally, it is time to visit Grammie. Grammie's flowers from her garden are all different, and April is not allowed to pick her favorite flower. April realizes this is like all things and people. She learns to appreciate the differences in all things and people.

Mama Panya's pancakes: A village tale from Kenya
Chamberlin, Mary and Rich
A young child from Kenya makes pancakes with her mother. The two gather supplies from local resources to make the pancakes together. Then they invite others over to enjoy the feast.

Anna's corn
Santucci, Barbara
Anna visits Grandpa's cornfield. She can hear the corn making beautiful music as the wind blows. Grandpa gets Anna corn kernels to plant next autumn, and the two agree that Anna will grow corn on her own. That winter, Grandpa dies. Anna wants to hold onto the seeds to remember Grandpa. She decides to plant them instead so she can hear the corn make music again. By next fall, the corn grows, Anna hears the music, and she collects kernels to plant corn for next year.

Vegetable dreams
Jeffers, Dawn
Erin dreams about having a garden. Her parents allow her to share a garden with her neighbor, Mr. Martinez. Erin cares for her garden everyday and enjoys eating and canning the fresh food with her family. She learns that she loves learning and the friendship developed with Mr. Martinez more than the vegetables themselves.

Our Gracie aunt
Woodson, Jaqueline
A brother and sister are taken into foster care with their Aunt Gracie. Aunt Gracie welcomes the kids with delicious treats and teaches them how to cook. The kids go to visit their mother and then they return to their Aunt Gracie.

Easy as pie
Best, Carl
Chef Jacob is known for his happy peach pie. Read the ingredients of his pie recipe and the baking rules that he learns from Chef Monty on television. Lots of sounds comes out of Chef Jacob's kitchen. By the end, Chef Jacob says: "P is for Pie and P is for Peach, and, of course, P is for Parents! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad". Have fun celebrating this event with the whole family.

The hard-times jar
Smothers, Ethel Footman
Emma is a book-loving girl whose parents are poor migrant workers. She decides to pick apples to add money to the hard-times jar. But this year, she attends school which happens to have a whole library of books. Emma's mom reminds her of something important when she eventually follows the rules.

A trip to the dentist
Smith, Penny
Sarah and Josh go to see Dr. Richards, their local dentist, for routine checkups. Josh is examined first and, after the dentist checks his mouth for evidence of cavities, Dr. Richards shows Josh how he can do a better job of brushing teeth in the back of his mouth in order to prevent the buildup of plaque. Next, Dr. Richards examines Sarah's mouth and finds a cavity which he fixes by adding a filling to her infected tooth. After explaining how to maintain a healthy smile by avoiding sugary foods and beverages, Sarah and Josh are done with their appointments and ready to keep taking good care of their teeth!

Dentist
Unknown Author
Children go in and out of this dentist's office for checkups! First, a little boy gets his teeth examined by the dentist, and he finds out that they are a little dirty. Then, the dentist teaches the boy about how teeth develop over time and what he should do to take care of his teeth properly. Next, a little girl visits the dentist, and they find out that she has a hole in her tooth or a cavity. Finally, the little girl gets a filling, and her mouth is good as new!

Loose tooth
Schaefer, Lola
A young boy wakes up and realizes he has a loose tooth. He wiggles the tooth and shows his mom, dad, sister, brother, and dog, but it won't fall out. He tries to eat hard food or have his brother yank it out with a wrench, but the tooth finally comes out all on its own!

My wiggly smile
Woodruff, Amira
Olive wakes up one day and finds that she has a loose tooth! She runs downstairs to tell her parents and keeps wiggling it all day, but it won't come out! At school, Olive talks to a girl named Jordan who tells her about the "My Wiggly Smile" which says to keep track of the teeth she's lost. When Olive gets home, her dad surprises her with a "My Wiggly Smile" book of her own, and they leave for the dentist where Olive's tooth is finally pulled by the dentist. That night, while she is fast asleep, the Tooth Fairy comes to visit Olive, and she wakes up with a gift under her pillow!

Ready, set, brush! A pop-up book
American Dental Association
Elmo and his gang teach you how to brush your teeth. First, Elmo teaches you about how much toothpaste to use, and Marvin Monster helps you learn about where you should brush. Then Zoe reminds you to brush your tongue, and you learn about rinsing from the Cookie Monster. Next, Martha Monster visits the dentist for a checkup, and he tells her that she, and all of her friends, do a great job of taking care of their mouth by brushing and rinsing twice a day!

The Berenstain bears visit the dentist
Berenstain, Stan & Berenstain, Jan
Sister Bear wakes up to find that she has a loose tooth, and she tries to wiggle it out all day, but it won't budge! That afternoon, Brother Bear goes to see Dr. Bearson, the family dentist. After watching his checkup, Dr. Bearson gently pulls Sister Bear's tooth out, and she is no longer scared of the dentist.

Toothful tales
Courtad, Jeanette
Incisa tells the story of how she and her friends, Cuspi, Mola, and Tongo, are attacked by a "sticky sweet" given to them by Grandma. After being covered in sugar, germs begin to attack as they make acid and dissolve holes in Incisa and her tooth friends. Then, Incisa, Cuspi, Mola, and Tongo get a pleasant surprise when Grandma brings other things to make the teeth happy; an electric toothbrush and floss! Finally, after a good cleaning, Incisa, and her friends, Cuspi, Mola, and Tongo, are once again, all shiny and bright just in time for lunch!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.