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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!

Lin's uncommon life
Shackelford, Scott//Castle, Emily
Elinor Ostrom, also known as Lin, worked "little by little, bit by bit, family by family" in order that the world could become a better place. Lin wanted to study the way that people could share resources because she believed that "so much good can be done on so many levels". Lin was discouraged from going to graduate school but she did and studied hard until she earned her PhD degree in political science. She wanted to create a research center where people could work together and ask hard questions. With her husband, they established the Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at the University of Indiana. With their groundbreaking research, Elinor taught people how to share common resources around the world. She also earned the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences - the first woman to do so.

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.

The talk
Williams, Alicia D.
Jay has many favorite things he likes to do with his friends and family. His mom measures him as he grows inch-by-inch which means he can do more and more as he gets older and older. Although his feet don't reach the gas pedal of his Daddy's car, he can skateboard up and down the street and and do flips with many friends. Jay's grandpa tells his grandchildren not to crowd in groups of four or more - which is only one of many unfortunate realities of African American families and parents when they have to say, "Jay, its time we had a talk" about racism.

From the tops of the trees
Yang, Kao Kalia
Four year old Kalia wants to know what is beyond the fences of the Ban Sinai Refugee Camp where many Hmong families are held in Thailand after fleeing the Secret War in Laos. Kalia and her cousins play together by racing with chickens and riding a pet dog. One day, Kalia's father picks her up to hold her in his arms as he climbs a tall tree in the camp. This gives Kalia a chance to see a new and different world.

Where wonder grows
Gonzalez, Xelena
When Grandma goes to her garden, her grandchildren follow so they can gather magic rocks and relics from nature. They use the rocks to learn more about the world and earth. And the rocks are used to send songs and prayers through the air to their ancestors. Down into the water, they dive to see the rocks. Grandma reminds her granddaughters that "water names and breaks even the biggest rocks, very slowly, over time. So when life feels too hard, just remember to go with the flow".

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.

All my stripes: A story for children with autism
Rudolph, Shaina & Royer, Danielle
Zane worries that his "autism stripes" makes him stand out from his peers. Zane's mom helps him understand the different ways that he unique from other kids his age. Whether it is art, math, or science class, Zane learns to do his best. And his mom reminds him to use his pilot stripe, caring stripe, honesty stripe, and curiosity stripe to be himself at school.

Crown: An ode to the fresh cut
Barnes, Derrick
A boy goes to the barbershop to get a haircut. As he sits there, he notices everyone around him, gaining confidence with each unique style. Once his haircut is complete, the boy feels ready to accomplish anything with a newfound conviction and trust in himself.

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.

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.

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.

Clarice Bean: That's me
Child, Lauren
A girl named Clarice is part of a typical modern family. She really wants peace and quiet but she has a peculiar sister who wears make-up and reads about boys and she has two brothers who hate and love being with her. Eventually, Clarice gets in big trouble and is sent to her room. At last! Peace and quiet.

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).

The greatest potatoes
Stowell, Penelope
Cornelius Vanderbilt sets out on a mission to find the best potato dish ever. He travels around and finds none that are good enough. Vanderbilt goes to Cary Moon's Restaurant, where George Crum is the head chef. Crum makes many dishes that Vanderbilt does not like. Crum decides to make the potatoes so crispy and salty, so he will not like them. Vanderbilt loves them and that is how the potato chip is invented.

The table where rich people sit
Baylor, Byrd
A young girl feels that her family is so poor that rich people wouldn't even sit at her family's table. She holds a meeting with her family to discuss the money her family has. During the meeting she discovers how rich her family really is. She also learns the important things in life such as, family is more valuable than money itself.

The frog who wanted to see the sea
Billout, Gary
One day, a little frog named Alice asks a passing seagull about life beyond her pond. The seagull tells Alice about everything there is to see between her pond and the great sea. Feeling courageous, Alice take up her lilly pad and embarks on a wondrous adventure to the sea and back.

The gruffalo
Donaldson, Julia
A cunning mouse is able to deceive a fox, owl, and a snake into thinking he has a gruffalo as a friend. Things look bad for the mouse when the gruffalo actually appears and wants him for a meal. Using his wits, the mouse is able to convince the gruffalo that he, the mouse, is the scariest creature in the woods.

Zoom
Banyai, Istvan
These artistic scenes aren't what you might think. Each is really a picture within a picture. Images zoom in and out from different perspectives and scenes from land, sea, and air in this wordless book.

Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem
Barnett, Mac
When Billy Twitters doesn't brush his teeth or finish his peas, his mother says we are going to buy you a whale. This does not worry Billy, because he knows how large blue whales are and he couldn't possibly have one delivered. To his surprise, one morning there is a blue whale sitting outside his house, and it is his responsibility. The whale causes problems at school because Billy's classmates pick him at gym. And it just gets worse: his parents give him the owner's manual for the whale. While feeding him, Billy realizes that when he's inside the whale, nobody's laughing and nobody's telling him what to do...so he decides to make himself at home!

Can you find it, too?
Cressy, Judith
Come enjoy history through a collection of famous paintings. Each has its own personality and story. Search through each painting for objects and colors. Get imaginative and create your own stories or interpretations about the paintings.

Maxie
Kantrowitz, Mildred
Maxie wakes up each day and goes through the same routine. One day Maxie feels unloved and lonely, so she decides to stay in bed. Maxie doesn't realize how much others depend on her until her living room is full of worried neighbors. Maxie realizes how many people need and rely on her daily routine.

Arrowville
Boedoe, Geefwee
In the town of Arrowville disagreement and frenzy is a way of life, but a young girl named Barb wants to agree and get along. She gets in trouble for this and runs away. At the same time the Targets make a wrong turn and end up in Arrowville. The Arrows think they are invaders. It is Barb who helps the Arrows and Targets come together and understand each other.

Hot air
Priceman, Marjorie
On September 19, 1783, the first flight of a hot air balloon was recorded. People gathered in Versailles to watch the first passengers: a duck, a sheep and a rooster take off. The balloon almost crashes into a steeple; duck fills the basket with water; and a bird pops a hole in the balloon before they land in the woods.

Whales passing
Bunting, Eve
A father and his son go to the beach to whale watch through binoculars. The father teaches his son about the lives of an orca whale and how they communicate. They talk about what they see in vibrant words, colors, and pictures.

Dinosaur!
Sis, Peter
This bathtime turns a toy dinosaur into a prehistoric experience. As bathwater fills the tub, many species of dinosaurs emerge through the surface to surprise a young bather. (A Wordless Book).

Fledgling
Blake, Robert
A fledgling spreads his wings and flies from a skyscraper for the first time. His flight leads him to an amusement park and subway. He gets lost and becomes scared. Will he ever find his way home?

What is beyond the hill?
Ekker, Ernest
This book takes the reader on a journey beyond a hill, beyond a mountain, and beyond the stars.

Re-zoom
Banyai, Istvan
Re-zoom represents a series of scenes, each from farther away. For example, an Indian is on a wrist watch worn by a man, who is painting a wall. Re-zoom illustrates different perspectives of the same scenes. (A Wordless Book).

The tale i told sasha
Willard, Nancy
Follow along in an adventure as a yellow ball rolls out of sight and into a place where all lost things are found. Discover a quiet, small, and plain house where its rooms run far and wide and adventure lurks in the shadows.

If...
Perry, Sarah
This imaginative book takes you through different If... scenerios that will help you think and learn about new situations.

Little miss spider
Kirk, David
Families are different. Miss Spider knows best -- when finding her mother, love is the truest test.

Hey, little ant
Hoose, Phillip//Hoose, Hannah
While playing with his friends one day, a little boy spies an ant. As he prepares to squash the tiny insect, the boy listens to the ant's plea not to step on him.

Nothing ever happens on 90th street
Schotter, Roni
Eva sits on her building's steps to write about things she knows. She knows that nothing ever happens on 90th street, but her neighbors help her to write a wonderful story.

Miss spider's tea party
Kirk, David
Miss Spider is planning to have eight for tea. But what is she to do when the bugs are too scared to eat her cake?Ask Miss Spider how she makes friends with every moth, tick, and flea -- just by having cake and tea.

Ring!Yo?
Raschka, Chris
Two boys are talking on the telephone. They get into an argument about their other peers. By the end, both sides of the conversation are known.

We are moving
Biale, Rachel
Make a scrapbook on how do you feel before we move. Draw several pictures of how you feel. What does your house look like now?What will our new house look like?What is special to you before we move?

The dream stair
James, Betsy
A young girl lives with her grandmother. When she goes to sleep at night, she dreams about going up and down the stairs of life.

What does it look like?
Webber, I.E.
Three mice live on different sides of a barn. They explain what the animals look like from their point of view. Then they all see a cat and discover the concept of perspective.

Herbert hated being small
Kuskin, Karla
Herbert hates being small, and Philomel hates being tall. They meet and see that they are the same height. They then understand that size is based on perspectives such as who you are standing next to.

What do you see?
Domanska, Janina
Different animals discover that the world is not just wet, dry, green, and dark. A bird flying overhead sees that the environment is different for everyone.

Poppy's puppet
Gauch, Patricia Lee
Poppy is an amazing puppeteer who has the magical ability to listen to wood and carve beautiful marionettes. When he comes across the unique teakwood, Clarinda, he makes the mistake of not listening to what she wants to be. He wants her to be a ballerina, but that is not her passion. Will Poppy help this special marionette achieve her dream and allow her to blossom?

A hole is to dig
Krauss, Ruth
Look at definitions and observations from a child's perspective. Learn childlike explanations for what different things are.

Open house for butterflies
Krauss, Ruth
An easy to read children's how-to-book. Random definitions and observations from a child's perspective. This story promotes respect for the little everyday things and language development.

School bus
Crews, Donald
School buses line up to take children to school then bring them home again. How many school buses are there on the last page?

Willy's pictures
Browne, Anthony
Follow along as Willy includes himself in fun remakes of classic paintings. Then challenge yourself to match Willy's art to the original masterpiece.

Window
Baker, Jeannie
A wordless book that depicts changes occurring outside a window throughout one boy's life.

Little elephant and big mouse
Cantieni, Benita
Little Elephant explains to Big Mouse how things are different in size and how things are seen differently because of their size.

The cinder-eyed cats
Rohmann, Eric
A boy makes a journey to an island in the middle of the ocean by way of a flying boat. When night falls on the island, cinder-eyed cats come out to play. The creatures of the sea come out of the water to dance and interact with the boy and the cats until the night is over. When it is morning, the creatures all leave and the boy goes home too, until it is night again.

Snow bear
George, Jean Craighead
Bessie finds a new friend while exploring an ice ship-- a baby polar bear. She and Snow Bear play together like best pals. Bessie's brother and Snow Bear's mother watch carefully because they are both concerned and worried about their friendship. Will Bessie and Snow Bear's happiness be enough to keep them together?