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Camels
Jango-Cohen, Judith
The word camel comes from the arabic word jamil, meaning beauty. Learn more about this animal through reading about its diet, birth and growth, and even camels on a racetrack! A glossary and index give you more information for other texts and websites.

Alia's mission
Stamaty, Mark A.
Alia is the librarian of the Central Library in Basra, Iraq. When the war in Iraq begins to move closer and closer to Basra, Alia makes an important decision and takes huge risks to preserve the historical literaure of her country, as well as many other books in the library. The war progresses and Alia enlists the help of friends to do all they can to move and protect the contents of the library.

Leaping lizards
Murphy, J. Stuart
Through rhyme and rhythm, this story focuses on counting skills by 5s and 10s. The lizards are set for a show to begin. However, snake cannot find all of the lizards! One by one, five by five, and ten by ten, the reptiles begin to arrive by air, sea, car and bicycle. The finale includes a fifty leaping lizards show!

Imagine a house
Gustafson, Angela
Take a walk through 15 countries around the world and learn about different types of dwellings. A brief geographical tour is taken when you traverse the pages of real-life photographs and maps.

Erika's story
Vander Zee, Ruth
After being thrown from a train as a baby during the Holocaust, Erika finds safety, love, and peace in the family that saves her.

Almost gone
Jenkins, Steve
All living things are related in some way. The reality of human destruction, and its impact on the survival of animals are key components to the extinction of many animals in our environment. As each species disappears, the world as we know it, forever is changed. Will the little bird who visits your morning windowsill be next?

Hands down counting by fives
Dahl, Michael
Learn to count by fives through artistic handprints made by children. Students use handprints to create leaves, butterflies, and turkeys, as well as other objects. Count along with the fingers from five to fifty. Dominoes at the bottom of each page show another way to count.

Baby sea otter
Tatham, Betty
A baby sea otter and her mother spend their days searching for food and playing. They spend time in a raft with a group of otters and escaping predators. Soon the baby grows up and ventures out on her own. All of the life lessons she learned will be used when she becomes a mother herself.

Biggest frog in australia
Roth, Susan L.
The biggest frog in Australia just woke up, and he is very thirsty!After he drinks all the water in the ground and the sky, there isn't any left for the other animals. The other animals now have to come up with a plan to get the water out of the frog!

Tarzan
San Souci, Robert
Family is defined differently when Tarzan is raised by a group of apes. Tarzan grows into a curious being. Confused by what he knows and what he is finding out, his confusion builds to power as he rules the apes. Can he forget his past to pursue his future?

Something beautiful
Wyeth, Sharon Dennis
A little girl looks out her window only to see broken glass and trash in the court yard. She remembers her mother once told her everyone should have something beautiful. She sets out to look for something beautiful in her neighborhood.

So far from the sea
Bunting, Eve
Laura and her family are moving, so they are coming to visit the Manzanar War Relocation Center one last time. Years ago, this center was used to house anyone living in the United States that were of Japanese descent. These people were forced to leave their homes and come to the center because Japan bombed the United States. The center is bare now except for all of the memories and the cemetary, including her grandfather's grave.

Taking diabetes to school
Gosselin, Kim
Jayson explains how having diabetes effects his day, but doesn't stop him from doing what other kids do. Like most kids, Jayson loves to play at recess and take part in gym class.

Prairie storms
Pattison, Darcy
Cozy up for this great rainy day read! Prairie Storms gives you a front row seat to learn about a year of ever-changing prairie weather, and how the animals living in these grasslands adapt and survive in this harsh climate. Each month, read about a new animal, and learn about everything from prairie chicken can survive the January snows to how an earless lizard escapes the harsh, unrelenting drought of August. Told in lyrical prose, this story is a celebration of the great American prairies.

Emma and the silk train
Lawson, Julie
The silk trains that constantly cross the tracks near Emma's house fascinate her and spark her imagination of having silk clothing of her own. Her whole town is set into a frenzy when one of the trains derails, and in her attempt to snag a beautiful swatch of red silk in the river, she is swept away. Her rescue is dramatic and exciting.

Oh, no, toto!
Tchana, Katrin Hyman//Pami, Louise Tchana
Toto and Big Mami go to market for a day of shopping. Oh, no, Toto! the villagers cry when Toto Gourmond, the lovable, terrible two year old, sees food. Everything he sees he wants to eat!

The littlest matryoshka
Bliss, Corinne Denias
Nikolai shipped his last carved matryoshka from Russia to a toy store in America. While on display, one of the six dolls gets bumped from the shelf and begins a great adventure away from her sisters. She survived the snow, the stream, a bird, and a cat before being found by the very girl who had bought her sisters, and they were all together once again.

Jamie's turn
DeWitt, Jamie
Eleven year old Jamie helps his stepfather, Butch, pick corn one autumn day. When the corn picker becomes plugged up, Butch attempts to climb off the tractor but gets caught and is seriously injured. Jamie saves Butch's life by turning the corn picker off and running for help. Jamie keeps the farm running while Butch recovers from the accident.

What a truly cool world
Lester, Julius//Cepeda, Joe
God created the world with water, trees, land, animals, and people, and thought he had done a great job. God's angel Shaniqua told God that the world looked too boring. God then set out to make the world more interesting. First he made grass but that did not help much so God started singing and making beautiful music. When the flowers complained about being lonely, God called on Shaniqua to sing. Her voice was so pretty that the planets and starts started crying. The people on earth were very happy with their world and so was God.

The tale of Willie Monroe
Schroeder, Alan
Willie isn't a smart man, but he sure is strong. He decides to enter a contest to prove it. However, Delilah and her granny have to get him in shape first. Now Willie's reputation and Delilah's love depend on his winning the contest. Do you think he can do it?

The house I'll build for the wrens
Neitzel, Shirley
A young boy plans to build a house for the wrens in the yard. He starts with a diagram showing what the house will look like. He gets out a toolbox which holds wooden boards, a ruler, hammer, sandpaper, nails, a level, paintbrush, paint, and a scredriver. While he is constructing the birdhouse, his mother comes home. The boy and his mother hang the birdhouse from a tree in the backyard and admire his accomplishment.

Cherry pies and lullabies
Reiser, Lynn
A young girl does four different things with three generations of her family. With her great grandmother, grandmother, and mother, she makes cherry pies, flower wreaths, and quilts. They also sing a lullaby. Each person does the same thing, but each of their products are different.

Gotta go!Gotta go!
Swope, Sam
A bug crawls all the way out of her skin! She sleeps then she blossoms into a beautiful butterfly. On her journey, she repeats her chant, Gotta Go! Gotta Go To Mexico! to all the insects and animals along her way. When her destination is reached, she flutters and dances around in the warm sky with her companion. A bug returns, lays her eggs, and the cycle of life is repeated again and again.

Henry hikes to fitchburg
Johnson, D.B.
Henry decides to take a trip to Fitchburg on foot and his friend decides to go by train. Henry partakes in numerous adventures on his journey into town, while his friend works odd jobs to earn the fare. Who will arrive in Fitchburg first?The journey to Fitchburg will prove to be an exploration of time and interests.

Jack, skinny bones, and the golden pancakes
Helldorfer, M.C.
An orphan boy befriends Skinny Bones, the dog of a hot-tempered old lady named Granny Trick. Together the boy and the dog must not only out smart Granny, but even the devil himself!

Gold fever
Kay, Verla
In a rhyming story a farmer joins a group of miners to look for gold. They travel through praries, deserts, and mountains panning for gold but never find much. The farmer, after finding no gold, leaves the miners to go back home to his farm and family.

Mailing may
Tunnell, Michael
May is determined to visit her grandmother who lives far away. Since her family cannot afford to send her by train, May's dad gets the brilliant idea to mail her. After an adventurous ride in the mail car, May arrives at Grandma's house safe and sound.

Molly bannaky
McGill, Alice
After spilling a bucket of milk and being brought before the court, Molly Walsh is sent from England to America as an indentured servant. After seven long years she gains her freedom, a farm of her own, and an African slave who becomes her husband.

I love my hair!
Tarpley, Natasha Anatasia
Although she is often teased by her classmates about her Afro hair, Kenyana learns her hair makes her unique. Both her mother and teacher help show Kenyana why her hair is so special. Kenyana learns that it only matters what she thinks, not others.

Be bop-a-do walk
Hamanaka, Sheila
Emi and Martha go on a very long walk with Emi's dad. After many stops they reach Central Park, where Emi's dad makes them paper sail boats and hats. They are too tired to walk home so they take the bus. Emi's dad makes paper cranes for everyone.

Satchmo's blues
Schroeder, Alan
Louis Armstrong loves to watch the musicians play jazz music. He dreams of playing the cornet someday just like Bunk Johnson who plays in the Eagle Band. One day, Louis spots a cornet in a pawn shop and discovers that it costs five dollars. Louis works very hard for two weeks earning money any way that he can. Once the cornet is his, Louie begins living out his dream of becoming a musician.

A picnic in october
Bunting, Eve
Tony and his extended family celebrate the birthday of the Statue of Liberty every October. They travel out to Libery Island to have a picnic and show their appreciation to the meaning the statue brings. Tony is embarrassed by his family's dedication, but in the end realizes the meaning of the statue.

Rip van winkle
Moses, Will
Could you sleep 20 years of your life away?Well, Rip Van Winkle didn't think he could. One day he was walking around his old familiar town, talking with his old familiar friends, and hunting with his old familar dog. The next day (or so Rip thinks) his old familiar town, friends, and dog are no longer famliar. Come find out what happens when Rip sleeps for 20 years.

A name on the quilt: A story of remembrance
Atkins, Jeannine
A family remembers an uncle that died of AIDS by constructing a quilt. Each panel reminds the family of a memory shared with Uncle Ron.

Taking food allergies to school
Weiner, Ellen
Jeffrey shows his friends that his food allergies do not keep him from being a normal kid. Jeffrey demonstrates how to keep his allergies under control by understanding his limitations and making sure what ingredients are found in foods.

The calypso alphabet
Agard, J.
This ABC book shares Caribbean vocabulary in a rhyming fashion. Each page is rich with foods such as okra, roti, sugarcane and yams.

The folks in the valley
Aylesworth, Jim
Using the Pennsylvania Dutch culture as a backdrop, this book uses a rhyme to teach the alphabet. For example, the letter E is represented by the rhyme Eggs are found under the fat red hens.

An edible alphabet
Christensen, Bonnie
Each letter of the alphabet is described using a type of food or plant. The pictures of this book are clear and vivid.

The never-ending greenness
Waldman, Neil
A young boy plants trees to cope with the separation and loss he feels from his father who is at war. In doing this he single handedly turns a gloomy countryside destroyed by war back into the beautiful, alive place it once was. He also starts a holiday known today as Tu b'Shvat.

Grandpa takes me to the moon
Gaffney, Timothy R.
A young boy's grandfather sparks his imagination by telling him bedtime stories about what it is like to be an astronaut and travel to the moon.

This land is your land
Guthrie, Woody
The traditional lyrics of the popular song, This Land Is Your Land, are combined with painted illustrations that represent the words and meaning of the song. America and her countryside are portrayed in a positive light through the text and illustrations.

Raising yoder's barn
Yolen, Jane
A boy and his family lose their barn to a fire but their Amish community works together to raise the barn again.

River friendly river wild
Kurtz, Jane
A little girl remembers how her family survived a flood. The once friendly river that she loved turned wild and drove the community to evacuation. The little girl thought she would only be gone a couple of days. Days turned into weeks. When she returns, her family starts over, but where is the cat, Kiwi, that she left behind?

A symphony of whales
Schuch, Steve
A young girl named Glashka has the gift of hearing whale songs in her dreams. Upon discovering thousands of trapped blue whales in a freezing channel, it is up to Glashka and her small community to save them.

Tortillas and lullabies: Tortillas y cancioncitas
Reiser, Lynn
The relationship between mother and daughter is seen in one girl's family. Each generation of women in the family makes tortillas, picks flowers, washes clothes, and sings lullabies. The little girl does these same things for her doll. This story is told in both English and Spanish.

Across the wide dark sea: The mayflower journey
Van Leeuwen, Jean
A young boy and his family leave England with many other people to search for a new life in a new land. They dream of finding a place where they can worship God in their own way. During their journey, everyone endures many hardships, but they find what they are looking for.

Latkes and applesauce
Manushkin, Fran
A snowstorm limits the supply of apples and potatoes during Hanukkah. A family gives shelter to a hungry kitten and a puppy, which deepens the meaning of the holiday.

When i feel angry
Spelman, Cornelia Maude
A little rabbit names situations that makes her angry. Depending on the situation, she chooses different activities to help reduce her anger. She attempts to work through her anger in a positive way.

Heart of a tiger
Arnold, Marsha D.
One week before Naming Day, the character does on a search for Bengal. The parrots and monkeys were not kind to him in the forest and even teased him. Even in the face of danger and violence, this character shows how to have the heart of a tiger.

Eating fractions
McMillan, Bruce
Using foods like muffins and pizza, two children divide up and share food in three quantities (one-half, one-third and one-fourth).