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How do you spell unfair? MacNolia Cox and the national spelling bee
Weatherford, Carole Boston
In 1936, an eighth grader becomes the first African American to win the spelling bee in Akron, Ohio. MacNolia gets a military band send off to the National Spelling Bee in Washington DC with her mother. MacNolia learns about racism and discrimination when she crosses into Maryland and arrives in Washington. She and another black girl are seated away from the other spellers and their families. MacNolia spells word after word with a calm and focused performance. The judges throw a curveball to stump her and MacNolia is determined out. Her triumph is that folks now learn that African American students are as smart as anyone.

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.

One little bag: An amazing journey
Cole, Henry
Beginning as a tree in the forest, a paper bag is made and given to a little boy as he shops in the market. Over time, the boy reuses this bag, meets his wife, and has a baby. One day, the baby's grandfather passes away, and instead of carrying the bag around, they plant a tree in it to honor the family member they lost.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Franklin has a sleepover
Bourgeois, Paulette
Franklin and Bear are excited for their first sleepover at Franklin's house. It's fun to play games, have a campfire, and campout in the livingroom with your friend. However, when it's time to go to bed, Bear and Franklin realize how scary sleepovers can be.

Loudmouth George and the sixth-grade bully
Carlson, Nancy
George's first day of school is ruined by Big Mike, who bullies George and steals his lunch. All week, George does everything he can to keep Big Mike happy. However, George can't live in fear forever! George and his friend Harriet spend the weekend devising a plan to stop Big Mike and his evil ways.

On Noah's ark
Brett, Jan
In preparation of the rains, Noah's granddaughter helps her family read the Ark and animals. Two-by-two the beautiful animals crowd into the Ark and she keeps herself busy making the animals comfortable hoping for the rains to stop.

Monster on the bus
Blance, Ellen // Cook, Ann
Join Monster and a little boy as they take a ride on a bus. While Monster and the little boy are enjoying looking at the sights, the bus suddenly stops. The people on the bus are scared, but soon realize a dog is in the way and refuses to move. The people, bus driver, and policeman try to push and chase the dog away, but he does not want to get out of the way. Luckily, Monster steps in and scares the dog away, so everyone cheers, gets on the bus, and goes to their important destinations.

I like me!
Carlson, Nancy
A very fine pig lists all the good qualities she sees in herself, along with what helps her cope when she's feeling low. She points out that nothing is better than being yourself. She paints, rides her bike, reads good books, and takes care of herself.

I have an olive tree
Bunting, Eve
On Sophia's seventh birthday, her grandfather gave her an olive tree. Sophia is a little disappointed by the gift and doesn't understand why her grandfather would give her an olive tree that she can't even see. After all, it is Greece and she lives in California! It isn't until her grandfather passes away that Sophia truly understands the importance and meaning of the gift when she and her mother visit the olive tree in Greece.

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.


The chocolate-covered-cookie tantrum
Blumenthal, Deborah
As Sophie walks home from the park with her mother, she sees another little girl eating a chocolate-covered-cookie. Sophie's mother does not have any cookies to give her and will not allow Sophie to eat cookies so close to supper time. Sophie is outraged and throws a temper tantrum! Sophie learns that not eating a cookie before supper isn't so bad after all.

What are you so grumpy about?
Lichtenheld, Tom
A little boy has the most horrible life that makes him grumpy. He gets weird food to eat, boring presents to open, and too many chores to do. He gets up on the wrong side of his bed, has to pick up his room, and go to somebody's house and listen to grown-up boring junk. His grumpy mood eventually is forgotten.

Saying goodbye to Lulu
Demas, Corinne
A young girl copes with the death of her childhood dog. She loves the dog very much. She remembers when the dog was younger. She overcomes the loss of her dog and remembers him, even shares her memories with her new puppy.

Alicia has a bad day
Jahn-Clough, Lisa
Since Alicia is typically a very happy little girl that likes to be silly, she does not like the miserable feeling she experiences one morning. Alicia first handles her emotions by sitting and moping. Later she goes outside to write about her dark and dreary feelings in her notebook, only to be interrupted by a storm. After some alone time under her bed and a lick from her dog, Alizie realizes the world is not so lugubrious and goes outside to play.

I hate to be sick!
Bermiss, Aamir Lee
A young boy wakes up feeling ill with a sore throat, cough, fever, and aching body. He soon realizes that he will not be able to attend school that day and experiences feelings of disappointment, since he will miss his friends and school activities. However, after eating soup and reading a bood with his father, the boy realizes that although he hates to be sick, he can get well again and return to school by eating well and resting.

A bad case of stripes
Shannon, David
Camilla Cream absolutely enjoys eating lima beans. She is afraid though that her friends will make fun of her for eating them. After getting dressed one morning, she looks in the mirror to find herself covered in stripes! If she thought eating lima beans was embarassing, what will her peers think of her stripes?

Kaddish for grandpa in Jesus' name amen
Howe, James
A young girl finds her own spirituality while observing the differing social customs of her Jewish and Christian relatives following her grandfather's sudden death. She interacts with her family to remember her grandfather in special ways at home, at church, and before bed.

Brave little monster
Baker, Ken
Little monster is unable to fall asleep, fearing little girls and boys hiding in his room. Overcoming his fears, little monster scares the girls and boys away and eventually goes to sleep peacefully.

God bless the child
Holiday, Billie & Herzog, Arthur Jr.
Each day is a work day for which to be thankful and grateful. There's a lot of work to be done on this land. It's time to go and experience the city life up north where things are different. Dream on, my child!

Coming on home soon
Woodson, Jacqueline
A girl says goodbye to her mother who is heading to find work in the city. The girl waits everyday for her mother's letter that says she will be coming home. All the while, the girl remembers her mother loves her more than snow or rain.

The goat lady
Bregoli, Jane
Two young children new to Lucy Little Road, help us reveal the simple yet important life of the goat lady; a life that many people in the town despise. Through the children's time spent helping the goat lady, they learn of her vast life experiences. It isn't until after the children's mother takes portraits of the goat lady, that the rest of the town see waht a truly wonderful person the goat lady is.

How the amazon queen fought the prince of Egypt
Bower, Tamara
The land of Khor was a peaceful place free of men, in which woman could live side by side in harmony. One day, Pedikhous, of Egpyt decides to test the strength of the women through various attacks. To his surprise the women are stronger and more determined than he ever imagined. Instead of fighting against them, de decides to live in peace and love beside them.

Robot dog
Oliver, Mark
A robot dog named Scrap wants to have an owner like all the other robot dogs. He ends up in the junk yard because he has a dent on him. Scrap becomes sad because he doesn't have an owner like his other fiends. Scrap decides to make an owner so he has someone to play with and love him.

Mr. COOL
Wilson, Jacqueline
Mr. Cool gives a fresh perspective on friendship and accepting people for who they are. There is a focus on emotional and social health which is brought to light in a positive manner. Kids will gain a better view of acceptance of their peers and helping with self esteem. Mr. Cool's band develops health skills, friendship, and confidence as they perform.

A pebble for your pocket
Hanh, Thich Nhat
Enjoy the stories of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist. Learn how to transform negative feelings into positive feelings so you can live more at peace with yourself and in harmony with your environment.

Oh, brother!
Grimes, Nikki
Xavier feels sad, angry, and jealous towards his new step brother, Chris. Xavier soon realizes that Chris is coping with loneliness and resentment too. The pain over losing a parent to divorce forms a special band between Xavier and Chris so they promise each other, that no one will ever leave. Through short vignettes, the story ends with Our family is a song we sing, and we can add new notes anytime we like.

The way I feel
Cain, Janan
Learn how this child feels and what those feelings are like.

The piano man
Chocolate, Debbie
A young girl listens to her grandfather share his deep love for music and the piano. Grandfather shares the history of silent movies, Vaudeville, Ragtime, and Broadway. He never lets his passion for music end and continues to share it with his grandaughter.

Be quiet, Marina!
DeBear, Kristen
Marina and Moira are very much alike, and yet very different. They like to play with one another, but often have conflicts. They learn to work through their differences and become the best of friends.

Mystery bottle
Balouch, Kristen
A little boy receives a package in the mail. In the package he finds a great bottle that, when opened, blows out a great wind that casts him all the way to Iran and into his Baba Bozorg's arms where he learns a great lesson about love and family.

Amelia bedelia and the surprise shower
Parish, Peggy
Amelia Bedelia always seems to take everything literally. This only leads to chaos as well as laughter as Amelia Bedelia helps prepare for a surprise bridal shower. From pruning the hedges by placing prunes on the hedges, to icing the fish by covering them in chocolate icing, well-intentioned Amelia causes quite a commotion. After hosing down the guest of honor as part of the shower, Amelia turns the entire party into a disaster, but at least all of the guests leave in laughter.

The red book
Lehman, Barbara
A friendship forms when two boys from different parts of the world find a magical red book. The boy from the urban city decides to use balloons to fly to the island where his new friend lives, but he accidentally drops the red book along the way. The boy on the island is disappointed when he can no longer view his city companion in the pages of the book, but is relieved when he lands on the beach instead! Back in the city, the red book is discovered by a man riding his bike on the street (A wordless book).

Be boy buzz
hooks, bell
bell hooks poetically describes the pleasures of being a boy. Boys are beautiful. Sometimes, they are all boy. Sometimes, they like to laugh and talk, and sometimes they like the quietness of being alone. Boys have many moods, actions, and emotions.

The magic rocks
Herbert, Barbara N.
An African woman struggles to find firewood so that she can cook for her family. While cooking porridge, an old weak man came along asking for food. Because she felt sorry for him, she gave him the porridge. In return, he gave her some magic rocks that would turn to gold. However, the woman couldnメt get them to change. When her family came home to realize they had nothing to eat, her husband was angry and threw the rocks in the fading fire. The family fell asleep hungry and cold. In the morning, they woke to a burning fire and porridge cooking. The family found more rocks and called them coal.

A sweet smell of roses
Johnson, Angela
One morning, after a night of rain, Minnie and her sister sneak out of the house to join many men and women to march for freedom and equality. When they arrive at the beginning of the march, the girls walk with many others keeping their eyes straight ahead and their feet steady. Despite the criticism and yells from people standing by, the girls continue to march. As the day passes, more people join the march to where Dr. Martin Luther King gives his famous speech about peace, love, and equality for all.

Sometimes my mommy gets angry
Campbell, Bebe Moore
When Annie wakes up in the morning, she is relieved to find her euphoric mother in the kitchen. They share a healthy breakfast, then her mother helps her get ready for school. After a fun day at school, Annie comes home to an angry and yelling mother. Annie copes by calling her grandmother to talk about her feelings. She takes care of herself and maintains a positive attitude with happy thoughts. She uses effective strategies to accept her motherメs bipolar disorder.

Sumi's first day of school ever
Pak, Soyung
On Sumiメs first day of school, she experiences loneliness because she doesnメt know anyone and doesnメt understand the language of the other children. She also thinks school is a scary and mean place because the other children are loud and one boy even sticks his tongue out at her! Eventually, Sumiメs nice teacher makes her feel comfortable in her new environment. After meeting a new friend at recess, Sumi recognizes that school is not as lonely, scary, or mean as she originally thought.

Going north
Harrington, Janice N
Goodbye, Alabama, hello, Lincoln, Nebraska! This family moves from the South to the North so that the papa can find a better job. During their trip up North the family endures a couple struggles, such as the children not wanting to leave their home, the baby crying, and getting restless, and lastly, almost running out of gas! They make it to Nebraska and realize they are together and need to be brave and pioneering.

Michael Rosen's sad book
Rosen, Michael
Michael Rosen discusses sadness. He describes his sadness about the death of his son. Sometimes being sad makes him feel angry. Sometimes, he likes to talk about it. Other times, he wants to keep his sadness to himself. Rosen writes about his personal sadness and the various ways he tries to cope with this feeling.

Sun mother wakes the world: An Australian creation story
Wolkstein, Diane
The indigenous people of Australia believe their ancestors created the world through the sun shining on all living things to wake them up, bringing them to life. Sun Mother then creates the Morning Sun and the Moon to watch over ther children living on Earth in this spiritual, emotional, and multicultural story of creation.

The monster behind the wall
Herbert, Barbara N.
Danny moves to a new house and discovers a monster on the other side of their garden wall. The monster throws Dannyメs soccer ball back to him, talks, plays, and eats candy with Danny. At school the next day, Danny plays soccer and gets tripped. Both boys yell nasty names at each other. Then, Danny goes home to talk to the monster, Fred, but he wasnメt there. Later, a huge thunderstorm tears down the wall, and Danny sees that モFredヤ is the child that tripped him during soccer. They become fast friends, tear the wall down, and play soccer together

The balloon sailors
Swanson, Diana
When bickering princes take the throne, the kingdom is split in two by a wall so that each brother rules half. The kingdom is divided and it is illegal for people to cross the wall. Since Tamala and Abalon are forbidden to see their grandmother and cousin on the other side of the wall, they decide to float over it in a hot air balloon. They work with their parents to collect materials, build the balloon, and wait for the perfect weather conditions. The family departs during the night, escapes military fire from soldiers, and surprises their relatives in the morning. This adventure is loosely based on the true story of two East German families sailing over the Berlin Wall in their own hot air balloon in 1979.

Where's Jamela?
Daly, Niki
A young girl named Jamela is upset when hearing the news from her mother that they will be moving to a new house. When itメs time to leave, everyone wonders where Jamela is and begin to search for her everywhere. Suddenly, she jumps out of a box from the back of the truck and agrees to go with her mother. On reaching her new house, she starts to like it and settles down in her room.