Category: The Kids Are All Right

In this picture book, a young girl is the only one who pays any attention to the homeless woman who lives on the corner except for those who want her to leave. But the little girl imagines her as a queen who protects their street. When the queen raises the alarm when a fire threatens to destroy a building, the girl reminds everyone that she deserves thanks…and a home.

In this middle grade novel, ten year old Anthony is finally old enough to compete in the Spades tournament the men in his family have dominated at for years. When he loses his partner, Anthony thinks his chances of proving himself to his dad have gone up in smoke. A new potential partner arrives in Shirley, but Anthony’s dad probably won’t like him playing with a girl. Anthony keeps their partnership a secret, not realizing that his dad has his own secrets that could tear the Joplin family apart.

In this rollicking middle grade adventure, bank robber Scarlett encounters Albert, the sole survivor of a horrible incident. Together the two are thrust into an adventure, avoiding determined pursuers who chase them across the fractured Britain setting.

The Tristan Strong trilogy concludes with Tristan’s final confrontation with King Cotton. Traveling up the Mississippi toward his hometown of Chicago, Tristan will need all of his friends and all of his strength to take on the haints trying to stop their progress and finally stop King Cotton for good.

In this historical graphic novel, Sandy Saito and his family adore the Vancouver Asahi team, the pride of their Japanese-Canadian community. When Sandy and his family are forced into an internment camp, joined by some of the Asahi players themselves, Sandy finds a way to cope through baseball.

This wordless picture book is so sweet and beautiful and adorable. It tells the story of a friendship between a girl and a dog. At first they are tentative around each other, but as trust builds they get closer and closer. When a ferocious rainstorm sweeps the area, will they be able to find their way to each other?

As someone who has adopted a rabbit in the past, I really relate to this fun chapter book by Debbi Michiko Florence. When eight-year-old Kaita and her family foster a rabbit, Kaita is over the moon! But Roo is a little different from the other animals she’s fostered in the past, and she can’t be sure if Roo is happy or not. Roo doesn’t lick her face or run in circles when Kaita comes home from school. Will Kaita find a way to make friends with this new foster friend?

Bella loves her family, but the McBrides find her a nuisance, especially when Mrs. McBride becomes pregnant. She is abandoned at the pound after an unfortunate accident with the Christmas tree, and Bella is left wondering what she did wrong. When a new couple adopts her, Bella is thrilled. But then she starts worrying again – will her new family keep her forever, or will she end up in the pound again? This sweet, adorable book is sure to win your heart.

I love every book that Barbara O’Connor writes, but Wish might be one of my favorites. When Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her one and only wish will ever come true. But then she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves to be surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all. 

Oh how I adore this book! It is one of my absolute favorites. Ben Coffin is a former foster kid and has never really made a real, true friend. But when he rescues an abandoned mutt from the alley next-door to the Coney Island Library, Flip the dog leads Ben to befriend a fellow book-lover named Halley. Ben and Halley are friends until the unthinkable happens. Ben knows that Flip pointed him toward friendship, but can Flip also point him toward home?

This biographical picture book retells the story of musical legend Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymond. It traces her musical childhood and her rise to performing as Nina Simone and how she used her incredible voice to speak out during the Civil Rights Movement.

This lyrical picture book uses the principles of Kwanzaa to retell the history of African descendants in America. It begins in Africa, where people were taken from their homes and forced onto ships that crossed the sea, and ends in the modern world where they combine old traditions with new to thrive in a new place.

The popular Rebel Girls franchise expands yet again in this collection of biographies that feature the work of female and nonbinary writers and artists to retell the stories of Black women like Kamala Harris, Naomi Osaka, Toni Morrison and Meghan Markle.

In this touching graphic novel/memoir, Damian is new in school and determined to avoid the bullying that he endured at his last school. But it’s like his new classmate can tell something’s different about him. He plays with Barbies and is being raised by his grandparents after his mom’s murder, and as Damian begins to develop a crush on another boy, seventh grade only gets harder.

With witches banned for years, Milly just ignores the tingle of magic she feels in her palms sometimes, focusing instead on the many responsibilities she has at the orphanage where she lives. But when Milly’s friend Cilla is thought to have magic and is kidnapped by an exiled witch, Milly has to embrace her magic and bring her back.

This is such a sweet chapter book filled with charming illustrations on each page. It’s about a young girl named Sona who is used to having lots of people around: Amma, Appa, Thatha, Paatti, and so many others. When Amma tells Sona that she will be a big sister, Sona isn’t so sure about having to share all the special people in her life with a new baby. Can Sona learn how to be a good big sister?

When the student council announces that their next fundraiser will involve a school dance, Jada isn’t so excited. She has no idea how to dance! Can Jada figure out how to not embarrass herself at the dance while also raising awareness for the fundraiser and making a difference in her community?

This delightful book is perfect for early elementary readers who are trying to figure out a confusing a complicated world. Audrey enters second grade with lots of optimism, but then second grade doesn’t turn out to be as great as she thought it was going to be. To make matters worse, a new student enters the class and Audrey isn’t Audrey anymore. She’s Audrey L, because the new student is also named Audrey! Is Audrey doomed to be second best at everything?

The second book in the Blackberry Farm series is as sweet as the first one. Becket Branch’s birthday wish is a dog and his twin brother Nicholas’s birthday wish is for a cat. They head to the shelter, but the dog Becket chooses isn’t the outgoing and friendly like he wanted. The dog turns out to be scared and shy. And while Nicholas wants a cat that is quiet and loves to be indoors like him, the cat he takes home ends up being outgoing and loves being the farm greeter. Was getting these pets a mistake?

Fans of Dory Fantasmagory will love Bad Nana! Filled with quirky illustrations with pops of neon pink, this book is funny, goofy, and silly. Seven year old Jeanie had two grandmothers. One is sort of normal, but the other one is bad. And Jeanie quite likes Bad Nana even though Bad Nana sometimes gets them into bad scrapes! This is such a fun book!

This inspiring and lyrical picture book is the much-hyped, highly-anticipated work of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman. This is a magical call to action that reminds kids that they have the power to make change in the world.

In this spooky picture book, Naya sets off to find a Jumbie. Though her mom says they only exist in stories, Naya’s sure they’re real and is determined to see one for herself.

When his grandma moves from India to the island of Mariposa with his family, Muki is miserable. He has to share his room with her, tolerate her snoring and her early morning yoga. But when Mariposa’s president begins dividing the citizens into Butterflies, who have lived there for several generations, and Moths, who have recently emigrated, Muki’s grandmother is captured and taken to a camp for Moths. And Muki begins plotting her escape.

When Amira and her brother Hamza stumble upon the Box of the Moon, they accidentally set off a chain reaction that risks destroying the world. Visited by two jinn, Amira and Hamza learn of their role in an ancient prophecy and travel to the world of Qaf to stop a great evil that threatens to set loose terrifying creatures onto earth.

When Hector has to move to a new town, he quickly becomes unhappy at his new school where he’s targeted by both a school security officer and a relentless bully. But one day Hector discovers a room behind the door of a janitor’s closet, open whenever he needs it, that leads to new friends from other parts of the country.

I’ve shared this book a couple of times before, but I really thought it so embodied the theme of journey that I had to incorporate it in today’s newsletter. The book begins with a child setting out on a boat, traveling through both calm and rocky waters in hopes of arriving to his destination safely. Set in the waters of the Mekong Delta, this book brims with beauty on every page spread.

This beautiful picture book is a wonderful read aloud to deepen understanding of African American history and how it relates to our lives and the social justice movements today. The book begins with the journey of African descendants in America by connecting their history to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. While they spoke different languages and had different customs, when they were stolen from their homes they had to learn one common language and create a culture that combined their memories of home with new traditions that enabled them to thrive in a new land. 

I love this book because it interweaves two stories: the life of a young girl who is unhappy with having to do without, and that of her grandmother who journeyed through Laos and ended up in the United States as a Hmong refugee. Together they discover what true beauty is and how sometimes it’s found in the most unexpected places.

I really love the illustration style of this fable-like book where a young boy explores the age old question: What is love? When his grandmother can’t give him an answer, he sets out as a young boy asking the people he meets along the way. The gouache paintings evoked in me a feeling of nostalgia and paired so beautifully with the story.

Just the title of this book and the illustration on the cover makes me smile. This is not your typical journey book. For one, Gladys the chicken is the one doing the traveling, and not by choice. Seen as a lucky chicken who grants people’s deepest wishes, she gets passed from person to person. But is she really magic? Let the reader decide!

In this picture book biography of Japanese-American chef Niki Nakayama, her story is told using the structure of a traditional kaiseki meal.

In this vibrant picture book, Zubi is looking forward to her first day in school until she sees her mom looking at herself in the mirror and worrying about being “too big”. Then Zubi also begins to wonder if there’s something wrong with her body too.

In this graphic novel, Charise’s usual good behavior begins to go downhill when her baby brother Daniel is born. In fact, despite being so good at other things, Charise is a bad sister. On purpose. And when she goes too far, she has to figure out if she can redeem herself or if she can even be forgiven for it.

When money troubles force Joy and her family to move to a tiny apartment, she finds refuge in a secret spot known as the Hideout. And she begins exchanging mystery letters with another kid in the building. But when her partner stops writing back, Joy’s determined to figure out who they are and what’s happened to them.

Addy’s parents were killed in a fire, and she was left to be raised by her grandmother. When she’s sent to a summer wilderness camp, Addy learns numerous survival skills, and then there’s a massive forest fire.

What I love about Prairie Lotus is the setting. It’s 1880, and Hanna, a half-Chinese, half-White girl is living in America’s heartland. Determined to fit into her new town, she has to face discrimination towards Chinese people while also working as a dressmaker in her father’s shop. This beautifully told tale is a must read especially for those looking for more literature set in the prairie during the 1880s.

Sometimes I forget that 9/11 is twenty years past. I still remember that day so clearly. I had just gotten off the subway and was walking across 4th Street on my way to work when I got to the intersection of 5th Avenue and everyone was staring at the fire that had just started in the first World Trade Center Tower. Moments later, I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I was a mile away from Ground Zero. Towers Falling, set fifteen years after the 9/11 attacks in a classroom of students who cannot remember the event, is a book that students who weren’t alive during 9/11 can read to understand the impact of that terrible day.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard that R.J. Palacio was writing a book outside of the Wonder world (R.J. Palacio’s books have sold 17 million copies, by the way), and when the galley for Pony came in I dived in immediately. Although much different from Wonder, this one demonstrated the breadth of Palacio’s beautiful writing. Set in the American Midwest, twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the middle of the night to find three strangers outside his door, looking for his dad. What follows is an epic quest to find his father and bring him home.

This incredible book is set in 1932, and twelve-year-old Cal Black and his father have been riding the rails for years after losing their farm in the Great Depression. When Pop has to go to Washington, D.C., he tells Cal that they are actually Creek Indian, and Pop has just enrolled Cal in a government boarding school for Native Americans in Oklahoma called the Challagi School. At school, the other Creek boys quickly take Cal under their wings. Even in the harsh, miserable conditions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, he begins to learn about his people’s history and heritage. He learns their language and customs. And most of all, he learns how to find strength in a group of friends who have nothing beyond each other.

After the Depression, Ellie’s family is forced to leave town and move to Echo Mountain. While Ellie’s mom and sister hate their new rugged and wild life, Ellie embraces it and discovers a love of the natural world. When Ellie’s father is seriously injured, though, Ellie is blamed for it and suddenly life becomes much more fragile. As their home falls apart, Ellie sets out to find the one person on the mountain that can help.

This uplifting and meditative picture book features affirmations and yoga poses for little readers.

In this bright, busy picture book Auntie Nina and her nephew head out for lunch at a club that serves jazz for lunch. The party ends up at Auntie Nina’s house where together they cook up incredible music.

In this graphic novel, a mother and son embark on a road trip that’s quickly derailed when, as they reach the American/Canadian border, they’re asked their nationality. They can only answer Canadian or American, but they are Blackfoot.

In this timely middle grade book, Pakistani American Yusuf is hopeful about his sixth grade year. But that’s before he meets a bully whose father is part of a white nationalist group fighting the construction of a mosque in their town in Texas. And as the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Yusuf discovers his uncle’s journal from that period and realizes that the Islamaphobia his family and other Muslims suffered at that time hasn’t changed much.

This fun adventure story is packed full of Hmong mythology, following sixth-grader Pahua as she embarks on a quest to save her brother after he’s trapped in the spirit realm.

This delightfully illustrated picture book follows Zhao Di and her friends as they go out each night with their paper lanterns to celebrate Chinese New Year. Their brightly colored lanterns glow with lit candles inside. They do this every night until the fifteenth day of New Year, then tradition calls them to smash the lanterns!

On May 27, 1937, over four hundred children sailed for Morelia, Mexico, fleeing the violence of the Spanish Civil War. While home in Spain was no longer safe, Mexico was offering asylum to refugees by the thousands. Each child packed a suitcase and boarded the Mexique, expecting to return home in a few months. When the war finally ended, a dictator—the Fascist Francisco Franco—ruled Spain and home was even more dangerous. Many stayed away for many more decades, growing up without family in a foreign country far from home.

When his mother was expecting a baby, his mom knew she would name him Enrique. But their family friend, the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, took to calling him Policarpo. The name stuck and today Enrique Délano, also a noted Chilean writer, is still known as Poli. This delightful book recalls the period when he saw the fun-loving, eccentric Nerudas nearly every day. He learned a wide array of things from the man he called Tío Pablo — how to swim, what fate is, how to eat grasshoppers, how to talk to the spider-woman at the fair, and how to stand up to Nazis and bullies. This tender book demonstrates the impact of one man on a young boy’s life.

This gorgeously lyrical book set in China follows Sunflower, an only child whose father is sent to the rural Cadre School. While her father is an established artist from the city, he finds his new life of physical labor and endless meetings exhausting. As an only child, Sunflower has to accompany him to Cadre School but when tragedy strikes Sunflower is taken in by the poorest family in the village, a family with a son named Bronze. Bronze and Sunflower become inseparable, understanding each other as only the closest friends can.

Best friends Trille and Lena are forever inventing adventure that often ends in trouble. Whether it’s coaxing a cow onto a boat or sledding down the steepest and iciest hill with a chicken, there is always a thrill—and sometimes an injury—to be had. Trille loves to share everything with Lena, even Auntie Granny’s waffles. But when Lena has to move away and Auntie Granny leaves the world, it sometimes seems like nothing will ever be right again. This sweet book captures both the transitions and heartbreaks of growing up.