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An American story
Alexander, Kwame
An African American story is an American story of slavery, brutal conditions, struggle, and oppression. Remember the American story of hard work, pride, and strength in the fight for liberty as Black people stand up and speak out while "holding history in one hand and clenching hope in the other".

The dream quilt
Ryan, Celeste
Michael has bad dreams with many animals flooding his thoughts. A special quilt from the cedar chest is pulled out to play a game with his mother each night. A square from the quilt is chosen for sending a letter into dreamland. Michael's mother kisses him good night, and Michael has a wonderful dream. After Granny Rose comes to visit, Michael starts to dream in rainbows.


Only passing through: The story of Sojourner Truth
Rockwell, Anne
A young woman named Isabella leads a strong and courageous life after being sold three times as a slave girl in the northeastern United States. After she is given a freedom day by a couple living nearby who knew of the 1827 New York law to set adults free, Isabella felt the "power of a nation" in court to win back her son who was unlawfully sold out of state. Isabella later heard God calling her to be a sojourner and spread her message about the value of freedom and what it had been like to be a slave. She would ask people "Is this any way to treat a human being"? Sojourner told her truth so well that she took the name Sojourner Truth and carried a white silk banner with the words "Proclaim Liberty" wherever she went.

A different pond
Phi, Bao
A young boy accompanies his dad to catch fish for food before the sunrises and before other family members awake. The dad tells the bait man at the all-night store that he is starting a second job. The boy meets a Hmong man and a black man who are also fishing -- but this time, it is just the boy and his dad under the starlit sky. The boy learns to make a fire and to bait his hook and to honor the stories of his Dad as he explains how life was in Vietnam when he was a boy. When they return home, the dad and mom head to work while the boy looks after his brothers and sisters.

No one else like you
Goeminne, Siska
There are seven billion people living in this world. Each person is different and uniquely original. See all the ways that people can move, act, do and be. People come in different colors, shapes, and sizes, and they wear a variety of clothing and feel a variety of emotions. People believe in different things. Not one of them is just like you.

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.

Blue
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro
A boy and his dog go through their lives together and experience different things associated with the color blue. Whether they are playing with blue butterflies or picking blue blueberries together, they love spending time with each other. One day, the boy’s dog passes away and, with time, he gets a new puppy to share his life with.

I'm going to sing: Black American spirituals volume two
Bryan, Ashley
Black American Spirituals are a representation of the resilience and bravery of enslaved Blacks. Although these songs represent suffering and sadness, they also demonstrate creativity, heritage, and expression. Ultimately, spirituals connect people to each other, their culture, and their goals.

The phone booth in Mr. Hirota's garden
Smith, Heather
Makio and his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, loved looking out at the ocean every morning while watching Makio’s father and Mr. Hirota’s daughter working. One day, a tsunami came and killed their family members, prompting Mr. Hirota to build a telephone booth as a way to cope with his grief. Soon after,  Makio and Mr. Hirota began speaking into a disconnected telephone while communicating with the loved ones they lost.

Escargot
Slater, Dashka
Escargot the snail is on its way to eating a beautiful salad while trying to convince others to say that snails are their favorite animal. Escargot is sad because, most of the time, people do not pick snails as their favorite. Even though snails leave a slimy trail, snails can be fast, they can be fierce, and they can be beautiful.

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.

Walk together children: Black American spirituals volume one
Bryan, Ashley
Black American Spirituals are a representation of the resilience and bravery of enslaved Blacks. Although these songs represent suffering and sadness, they also demonstrate creativity, heritage, and expression. Ultimately, Spirituals connect people to each other, their culture, and their goals.

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.

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.

Good-bye: 382 shin dang dong
Park, Frances; Park, Ginger
Jangmi is sad because she is moving from her home in Korea to America. She is sad because she is leaving her best friend and all of the things she loves in Korea. Jangmi says goodbye to her Korean home and is skeptical about America. Jangmi meets a new friend, slowly accepting and appreciating her new life in America.

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.

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.

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.

Silent movie
Avi,
This black and white picture book vividly portrays a historical time when immigrants set sail for America. They hope for better lives and dream of prosperity. This journey comes from the immigrant's perspective, in the form of a movie, where language is a not a barrier.

Daisy comes home
Brett, Jan
Daisy is one of six hens and is the outcast. After being pushed out of the henhouse, she takes a ride along the river. She meets various animals and instinctively uses her coping skills to survive. She returns home and uses those newly found skills and is no longer bullied by the rest of the hens.

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.

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.

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.

Monster has a party
Blance, Ellen & Cook, Ann
Monster and his friend plan and prepare for Monster's birthday party. Monster becomes sad when no one shows up because of the parents' fears of Monster. His sadness disappears after Monster saves people from a burning buildin, the parents' fears fade and the children come to his party.

Halmoni and the picnic
Choi, Sook Nyul
Yunmi wants her grandmother, Halmoni to feel at home in New York City. However, Halmoni is having trouble adjusting to the American customs that differ so much from the customs of her native Korea. Yunmi's friends suggest that Halmoni chaperone the annual class picnic to Central Park. It may be an opportunity to open-up and feel comfortable in her new home.

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.

Badger's bad mood
Oram, Hiawyn
Badger is in a bad mood and this is very unusual. His forest friends don't know what to do about his terrible demeanor. They need him and try different ways to cheer him up. After several failed attempts at cheering badger up, mole realized all he needed was to feel appreciated.

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.

My big brother
Cohen, Miriam
A little boy idolizes his big brother and wants to be exactly like him. They do everything together. When his family cannot pay for college, the older child joins the army. His little brother then takes his place being big brother to their youngest sibling.

Oh, no! Where are my pants?
Hopkins, Lee Bennett
Fourteen poems about everyday life tell about friends moving away, forgetting your pants and the death of a class pet. Other poems include Winter Rabbit, Play Ball, Nightmare, and My Friend Is Gone.

One candle
Bunting, Eve
A Jewish family spends Hanukkah that same way every year. Traditions are passed from generation to generation. After a family meal, grandma and great-aunt Rose tell their story. One very special candle is lit in honor of their memories.

Molly's family
Garden, Nancy
When Molly draws a picture of her family, some students in her class say that her family is weird. They tell her she can't have two mommies. After talking to her teacher and her family, she realizes all families are different and that she is lucky to have two mommies.

Where is the green sheep?
Fox, Mem
Sheep of many sizes, shapes and colors are busy doing many things. They are playing, sleeping, working, eating, bathing and reading just to name a few. But there is a problem to be solved. Where is the green sheep?

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.

Widget
McFarland, Lyn
A stray dog names Widget tries to find a home which happens to have six cats. To stay in the house, Widgey acts like a cat until he saves his owner and his true self is revealed.

Homemade love
Hooks, Bell
Young Girlpie lives with her parents. Girlpie's world is magical where all hurt can be healed, wrongs forgiven and peace found in the world. The comfort that is provided by her home eases her fears and helps her to lead a happy life.

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.

How Willy got his wheels
Mohler, Diana & Turner, Deborah
As a homeless and handicapped dog, Willy never finds true happiness until he is rescued from the animal hospital and given a home and family. However, Willy lacks the ability to walk on his own and his owner Deborah tries several attempts to help Willy. Finally, Willy is given a wheel chair which enables him to finally be free and live his life to its fullest.

Hunter bunny saves Easter
Weaver, Alexis Rae
Hunter Bunny, made fun of because of his limp leg, meets Clark, the duck who has trouble seeing and the two become best friends. The night before Easter, the two find the Easter bunny lying on the ground and it is now up to them to deliver the baskets around town. After successfully saving Easter, the return to the forest to find all the animals praising and cheering for them.

Hunter bunny learns to ski
Weaver, Alexis Rae
Hunter Bunny is eagerly awaiting for winter to arrive and is determined to take part in all the activities that come along with it. He visits his fellow animal friends who teach him to ski, skate and snowboard, but with Hunter Bunny's shorter leg, he is unable to be successful. With the help of his best friend Clark, the two find a way for Hunter to be able to ski in the animal ski race. Determined to win, Hunter Bunny practices day and night for the big competition and it pays off in the end when he brings home the first place ribbon.

Who wants to be a poodle I don't
Child, Lauren
Trixie Twinkle toes, a poodle, lives a very pampered life with Mademoiselle Verity Brulee. She has a maid, a cook, and a butler! No one understands that Trixie Twinkle Toes doesn't like any of the pampering and special treatment; she wanted to be like other dogs. She decides to act out, but every time she does Mademoiselle Brulee calls the vet, the pet psychic, or the pooch psychiatrist. no one can understand Trixie, until finally one rainy day, Trixie sees a dog drowning in a puddle and jumps in to save her. When Mademoiselle saw how daring her poodle was, she let her run with the other dogs. Trixie was finally happy, except for one small thing...

Hill of fire
Lewis, P. Thomas
Bored of his day-to-day lifestyle, a farmer complains to his wife and son how nothing ever hannpens. One day while plowing, the farmer comes across an explosion coming from his field. It turns out to be a volcano erupting and the farmer's field becomes a place in history.

Danny and the dinosaur
Hoff, Syd
Danny visits a museum one day and comes across a dinosaur who begins to speak with Danny. The two spend the day together playing and having fun. By the end of the day it is time for the dinosaur to go back and Danny, although sad, admits he had a wonderful day.

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.

Let's talk about needing attention
Berry, Joy
A girl names Casey tries all the wrong ways to get attention from her Mom and Dad. Eventually she finds solutions for achieving attention the right way and learns how to help others as well.

I can't stop! A story about tourette syndrome
Niner, Holly L.
A young boy goes through the tribulations of finding out he has Tourette Syndrome. He has to learn to deal with his tics. As he becomes more accepting of his disorder, he helps others understand why he has the tics and movements. Others become more understanding.

Hotel deep
Cyrus, Kurt
A lone sardine attempting to find its school leads an exploration of the sea and its many inhabitants. Use of poetry captures the attention and imagination on the sardine's journey.

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.