Skip to main content
  • Tags: change
The smart cookie
John, Jory//Oswald, Pete
Learn how to become a smart cookie when given a chance to be creative and make something unique just like you. When the day came to share something original at school, smart cookie read her poem out loud and everybody clapped and cheered. Smart cookie learned that you can be smart in many different ways and there is always more to learn!



My name is sangoel
Williams, Karen Lynn//Mohammed, Khadra
Sangoel feels homesick after leaving his Sudanese homeland where his father died in the war. With his mother and sister, Sangoel arrives to the United States to start a new life where they learn so many things about technology, escalators, cooking stoves, and televisions. With a clever use of writing in his new school classroom, Sangoel helps his teacher and classmates learn how to pronounce his name. He will always be a Sangoel just like "his father and grandfather and his father" before him in Africa.

Back of the bus
Reynolds, Aaron
From the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a young boy plays with his marble while sitting next to his mother. His mother tells the boy to stop the rolling marble and to tuck his marble inside and be quiet. This is the day that Rosa Parks sits in the front of the bus instead of the back of the bus with the boy and his mother. The boy knows his marble with its brown and golden shine in the sunlight is a symbol of change. No need to hide it no more.

New old shoes
Blessing, Charlotte
A brand-new pair of shoes begin on the playful feet of an American boy then his shoes are donated and worn on the feet of African children. The shoes are worn and used in many different ways for play and work.

The case for loving: The fight for interracial marriage
Alko, Selina
Mildred and Richard Loving wanted to love each other with freedom without having to be legally limited by where they lived as husband and wife based on the color of their skin. Marriages between people of different races were against the law in 17 states. In those states, interracial marriage was illegal. So Mildred and Richard got married in Washington DC then moved to Virginia where their marriage certificate hung on the wall of their home. The police did not honor the certificate so the Lovings were taken away and locked up in jail. They moved away from their families back to Washington DC where they had three children. The Lovings took their case all the way to the Supreme Court and won on June 12, 1967. Richard had his courageous message read aloud in court. The message was: "Tell the court I love my wife and it is just unfair that I can't live with her in Virginia". From that day, it was unconstitutional to make marriage a crime because of race.

Mary wears what she wants
Negley, Keith
One day, a young girl named Mary decided to wear pants instead of dresses at a time when girls always wore dresses. Mary took her very daring idea into town where she was challenged by people for wearing boys clothes. Mary reminded them that "Im wearing MY clothes".

The notebook keeper: A story of kindness from the border
Briseno, Stephen
Families seeking asylum into the U.S. at the Tijuana, Mexico border have to wait for a long time to enter the United States after being denied entry. During the wait at the border, a girl and her mother look for a refugee who keeps a list of people waiting to cross into the United States. This act of kindness from the border, initiated by a notebook keeper, gives families hope as they wait.

Ida B. Wells, voice of truth
Duster, Michelle
Ira B. Wells was an educator, feminist, and anti-lynching civil rights leader who founded many important clubs for African Americans. Even when faced with threats and criticisms, Ida B. Wells still kept writing, speaking, and traveling to challenge the racist and sexist norms of her time and leading the fight for justice and equality as a leader who made a difference for us all.

Gaston
DiPucchio, Kelly
Mrs. Poodle takes Gaston and his three siblings to the park where they meet Mrs. Bulldog and her family. Suddenly, they realize that Gaston looks more like Mrs. Bulldog’s child and Gaston goes to live with her family. However, Gaston realizes that he likes his old family and returns to live with Mrs. Poodle, making sure to play with Mrs. Bulldog’s children when they are at the park.

Sweet justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery bus boycott
Rockliff, Mara
Georgia Gilmore heard about Mrs. Rosa Parks who had been arrested when she wouldn't give up her seat to a black man on a city bus in 1955. But something was also cooking in Montgomery, Alabama about the same time -- a woman who cooked to feed and fund the people willing to participate in the Montgomery fun boycott. Georgia knew there was no justice under segregation so she boycotted the arrest of Mrs. Parks by staying off the city buses for one day. In order to get others to stay off the buses for one day, Georgia cooked and sold her crispy chicken, sandwiches, cakes, and pies to pay off the fines that people got when participating in the boycott. After testifying in court, Dr. Martin Luther King encouraged Georgia to keep cooking. On December 20, 1956, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that segregated buses were unconstitutional.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Unplugged
Antony, Steve
Blip accidentally becomes unplugged and spends the day outside, traveling through the forest and sailing through a river. Blip starts to make friends with the animals and realizes they love to spend time outdoors, away from the screen. Finally, Blip returns home and leaves soon after to join their friends again.

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!

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!

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.

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.

Anna's heaven
Hole, Stian
Anna's mother dies. She and her father have many questions for God about where Anna's mom went and what heaven is like. Anna's dad follows Anna through her imagination and the two find peace through the many great things and ideas that Anna imagines of her mother's new world.

Flags
Trottier, Maxine
A young child enjoys a neighbors garden when spending time at his grandparents house. Mr. Hinoshi's garden allows the children to learn until one day Mr. Hinoshi is taken away. The child cares for Mr Hinoshi's garden in his absence until new neighbors move in. The child plants her own garden in honor of Mr. Hiroshi. The flags are symbolically named for Japanese irises.

The have a good day cafe
Park, Frances; Park, Ginger
Mikes grandma lives with him. She is homesick and misses Korea. She cooks and reminisces about food and her homeland. Mike's mom and dad lose money by selling American food until Grandma involves the family in making Korean food. The new food is popular, and Mike and his family receive more customers.

Vanilla ice cream
Graham, Bob
A young curious sparrow escapes from the truck stop and makes his way through an eventful journey to find food. The adventure leads him to Edie Irvine and his grandparents, including the moment of Edie's first taste of vanilla ice cream!

Crickwing
Cannon, Janell
Crickwing is different from all the other cockroaches. He likes to create sculptures and has a twisted wing. Crickwing is tired of being bullied by the bigger animals in the forest and mistakenly takes his anger out on the leaf-cutter ants, learning a valuable lesson in return.

The greedy triangle
Burns, Marilyn
A triangle gets bored doing the same old thing every day. He decides to take up a different shape, so he visits the shapeshifter to add on a few more angles. After a life of being a quadrilateral, pentagon and hexagon, the shape returns to its old self of being a triangle.

Ruby's wish
Bridges, Shirin Yim
Ruby is known for wearing red and being an exceptionally bright student. Even during a time in China when ...most girls were never taught to read and write. However, Ruby's grandfather hires a teacher to come to the house, making it possible for any grandchild living in the house to learn. This initiates a desire in Ruby to attend university, a place that women in China were not encouraged to go.\r\n*Based on a true story of the author's grandmother.

Aunt Claire's yellow beehive hair
Blumenthal, Deborah
Annie, Grandma Marilyn, and Great Aunt Ruth search through family memorabilia as they put together an album to show to their family. While scrapbooking the many memories, Grandma Marilyn and Great Aunt Ruth share stories about makeup, clothing, jewelery, hairdos, and food. Annie learns all about the relatives she never met.

Sister Anne's hands
Lorbiecki, Mary Beth
Anna begins her second year of school in the early '60's. Her new teacher, Sister Anne, is different from other teachers because she has a different skin color. She inspires students all around her and overcomes challenges. Students learn what respect and tolerance are, and everyone learns from one another.

Mathematickles
Franco, Betsy
Explore the magic of each season through mathematical equations. Discover things in nature that have mathematical qualities.

Bad dog school
Joosse, Barbara M.
Harris and his dog Zippy are the best of friends and enjoy spending time together. They dig for treasures, sleep in the same bed, and play on the couch. When Zippy's behaviors seem to be out of control, obedience school seems to be the perfect answer. However, the results are not what the family expected. Harris and his family decided Bad Dog school is the perfect solution.

Flood fish
Eversole, Robyn
Every year the fish come with the flood waters. Every spring a young boy in Australia enjoys exploring the mystery the waters bring to the once-dry banks of the river.

The old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle
MacDonald, Margaret Read
An old woman complains about living in a vinegar bottle. A fairy friend helps her to grant her wish. But the little old lady is still unhappy and wants more wishes granted by her fairy friend.

Home
Baker, Jeannie
From the day of her birth until the times of her adulthood, Tracy moves outside and inside her house experiencing important milestones. Through the same window scene, her neighborhood develops and matures with plants and animals. (A wordless book).

One small place in a tree
Brenner, Barbara
A bear scratches the bark of a tree; beetles form small openings; a woodpecker eats the beetles; bacteria takes over the tree and a small hole is formed. Although the tree is dying, this small hole is still a home for many animals. Both living and dying trees are important as shelter and home to living organisms.

Ella's big chance:  A jazz-age Cinderella
Hughes, Shirley
This version of the Cinderella story takes place in a dressmakers shop. Mr. Cinders and his daughter Ella run the shop. Ellaďľ’s father remarries a wicked woman, and she and her daughters take over the household. A ball is announced and Ella desperately wants to go. Her fairy godmother sends her in a beautiful gown and the duke falls in love with her. Ella, however, denies the Duke and admits her love for Buttons, who has helped her and her father in the shop.

The little brute family
Hoban, Russell
It isn't until Baby Brute finds a lost good feeling in a field of daisies that the family becomes happy and friendly. In the springtime, they flew thier kites together. In summer, they swam together. In fall, they gathered nuts and acorns. And in winter, they sang songs together. When spring came again, the little Brute family changed their name to nice.

Goose's story
Best, Cari
A young girl and her dog care for an injured goose with one leg. They encourage her to learn to walk, swim, and fly. When they goose leaves for winter, they search for her everyday. A year later the goose returns with a mate and with seven baby geese.

Lights for Gita
Gilmore, Rachna
Today is a new day. What a glow! Gita is excited about Divali. The festival of lights and time to celebrate with family. There are things to prepare for the fathering of friends. And time passes just like day and night. Gita wonders no more with laughter.

My name was hussein
Kyuchukov, Hristo
Hussein is a young boy who lives in Bulgaria. He and his family are Muslim and are forced to give up their identities when soldiers come. Hussein is renamed Harry but he holds onto his real name and faith traditions. A pictorial view of this is depicted throughout the story as Hussein tries to understand what is happening around him.

Disasters in nature: Hurricanes
Chambers, Catherine
This informational text takes you inside a hurricane with questions of what? where? why? and when? to explain hurricane zones around the earth. Explains rain, wind, and air pressure of hurricanes. Global warming, storm tracking, and prediction problems are discussed for hurricanes and tornadoes. Learn how technology and the natural world alert us about upcoming storms.

Ugh

Ugh

Yorkins, Arthur
Many, many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was a boy named Ugh who was looked down on and treated like a slave by his siblings. Ugh tells them he will be famous one day. After seeing a wheel, he invents the bicycle, and because of this becomes the boy king.

Why rabbit doesn't lie
Mashiri, Pascal
While every animal of the forest is planning for next year's harvest, Rabbit decides to grow money. He lies to the chief and keeps the money for himself. Eventually the chief grows angry with Rabbit and demands the money Rabbit was supposed to grow. Rabbit deceives everyone in order to get out of his lie and he vows to never lie again.

Monster looks for a house
Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann
A friendly purple monster comes to a new city to look for a new place to live. Since this monster is different from others in the city, he must hunt for a house that fits him. After looking at many houses, he finally finds one that he can live in comfortably.

Grey mouse
de Vries, Anke
Grey Mouse is feeling lonely, so she decides to change her color in order to feel better about herself. However, all of the other animals laugh at her each time she does this. She finally realizes that she is happiest with her natural grey color when she finds other mice friends that look like her.

Amelia to zora
Chin-Lee, Cynthia
Explore in an alphabet formula, biographies that examine different successes and triumphs of famous women in history from Amelia Earhart to Zora Neale.

Lights for gita
Gilmore, Rachna
Gita is very excited about celebrating her favorite Hindu holiday, Divali, a festival of lights. But this year things are different and she must celebrate this special holiday in her new home. This transition is hard for Gita and made even more difficult by the seasonal rain. With the help from her parents, Gita must learn how to carry her beliefs and memories into her new home and make this year's Divali, a holiday to remember.

Hosni the dreamer: An arabian tale
Ben-Ezer, Ehud
Hosni is a shepherd who spends his days telling stories to his sheep and his nights dreaming about the city. When he finally has the opportunity to travel to the city, his life changes. He hears some special words of wisdom from a wise old man.

Old home day
Hall, Donald
From the time when only plants and animals lived there, to the modern bicentennial celebration, the people who called the fictional village of Blackwater home remember its history.