DEAR PRIMO: A LETTER TO MY COUSIN
Two young cousins correspond comparing
and contrasting their lives in rural Mexico and the urban United States.
Written and Illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
WHO WILL I BE, LORD?
Thinking about what adults she knows do for a living, a young African American girl ponders her own future with the repeated refrain, “What will I
be, Lord? What will I be?” Many types of work and many kinds of
choices are treated with respect and dignity in this lively narrative
Written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Illustrated by Sean Qualls
FLABBERSMASHED ABOUT YOU
An inter-racial friendship is threatened by a “betrayal” and a
rollercoaster of emotions plays out.
Written by Rachel Vail and illustrated by Yumi Heo
H. O. R. S. E
The amazingly talented son of Walter Dean Myers is both author and illustrator in this
imaginative exploration of the traditional hoops challenge
between two African-American boys.
Written and illustrated by Christopher Myers
BACK TO FRONT AND UPSIDE DOWN
Stan is excited about making a birthday card for his principal, Mr. Slippers, until he discovers that he has to write a message. For him, letters come out back to front and
upside down. Stan learns that asking for help, a little coaching, and a lot of practice make for success.
Written and illustrated by Claire Alexander
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN
A silverback gorilla changes the way we think of animals and ourselves as he serves as our unusual narrator for this story of his evolution.
2013 Winner of the Newberry Award.
Written by Catherine Applegate
BAIT
After Diego lands himself on probation for fighting, he doesn’t trust his
probation officer, Mr. Vidas. But as he begins to open up, Diego realizes that he needs Mr. Vidas’s help to get his
anger under control. To do that, Diego will need to face the nightmares from
his past head-on and confront the memories he’s been avoiding.
Written by Alex Sanchez
CHAVELA AND THE MAGIC BUBBLE
A young Mexican-American girl, loves chewing chicle (gum), and is exceptionally
good at blowing bubbles with it. She discovers a new kind of gum that once it is chewed, allows her to float. The gum glides her all the way to Mexico where she meets
chicleros (gum collectors), who are extracting chicle from sapodilla trees, and a
girl, who mysteriously reminds her of her grandmother.
Written by Monica Brown andIllustrated by Magaly Morales
CORA COOKS PANCIT
Cora loves being in the kitchen, but she always gets stuck doing
the kid jobs like licking the spoon. One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora
finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef in
celebrating their Filipino heritage.
Written by Dorina K. Lazlo Gilmore and Illustrated by Kristi Valiant
ONE CRAZY SUMMER
Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this
vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements
affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn,
universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent’s love.
By Rita Williams-Garcia
HE FORGOT TO SAY GOODBYE
Two unlikely protagonists, one Anglo and one Mexican-American, one rich and one poor, share a similarity that
binds them together: fathers who walked out on them.
Written by Benjamin Alire Saenz
EACH KINDNESS
A young African-American girl is left
feeling regret for kindnesses undone, but her life is surely change.
Written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON
On a cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson
crosses paths with. . .Will Grayson. Two teens with the same name, running in two
different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and
unexpected directions.
Written by John Green and David Levithan
SALTYPIE: A CHOCTAW JOURNEY FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT
The old and contemporary are explored through
generations of a Choctaw family who moves from the
Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma to Pasadena, TX.
Written by Tim Tingle and Illustrated by Karen Clarkson
LOCKDOWN
Myers takes readers inside of a juvenile
detention center in this gritty novel about a 14 year old attempting to turn his life around.
By Walter Dean Myers
RENE HAS TWO LAST NAMES/RENE TIENE DOS APELLIDOS
Rene sets out to teach his classmates about the Latino
cultural tradition of using both parents’ names rather than just one, in response to his
teacher shortening his name to label his desk.
Written by Rene Colato Lainez and Illustrated by Fabiola Graullera Ramirez
ME AND MOMMA AND BIG JOHN
A young African-American boy learns to see the “artistry” in his
mother’s job as a stonecutter.
Written by Mara Rockliff and Illustrated by William Low
DANTE AND ARISTOTLE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE
A universal story told from an incredibly specific cultural viewpoint, this tale of two
Mexican-American boys on the threshold of manhood is
exhilarating as it embraces geography, cultural identity and
sexuality.
Written by Benjamin Alire Sae’nz
MY ABUELITA
The strong and loving bond between this flamboyant and robust grandmother
and her grandchild is lovingly explored through
their daily routines.
Written by Tony Johnston and Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
TEACAKES FOR TOSH
The loving relationship between African-American Tosh and his aging grandma provides both a reassuring snapshot of a family
dealing with a common concern of aging, as well an enduring family
history traveling through the generations.
Written by Kelly Starling Lyons and Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
MUCHACHO
Eddie Corazon, a New Mexico teen, is labeled a
delinquent but shows incredible insight into his life
and surroundings in this story of a teen’s struggles at home,
in school and with friends.
Written by Louanne Johnson
MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD
17 year old, Marcelo’s (on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum) summer takes a drastic shift away from his original plans caring for the ponies at his private school for students with disabilities, when his father forces him to take a job in the mailroom of his law
office. His father wants him to be prepared for “the real world.”
Written by Francisco X Stork
CONFETTI GIRL
Sixth grader, Lina Flores, deals with a host of
problems and challenges in this light-hearted gem grounded in traditional
Mexican-American culture.
Written by Diana Lopez
BRAIDS/TRENCITAS
Isabela’s abuelita weaves colorful stories as she weaves
her hair, encouraging her to write stories of her own. Using the
traditional Mexican bingo game la loteria, she teachs her beloved
illiterate grandmother to read.
Written by Kathleen Contreras and Illustrated by Margaret Lindmark
RETURN TO SENDER
The relationship between two friends: one, a VT farm kid and another, a
young Mexican girl, transforms both of their
lives.
Written by Julia Alvarez
AUNTIE YANG’S SOYBEAN PICNIC
A young Chinese American girl remembers the
discovery of soybeans by her Auntie Yang’s home in Northern Illinois and the
family tradition that resulted.
Written by Ginnie Lo and illustrated by Beth Lo
GRINGOLANDIA
The young protagonist’s family flees Chile for
Wisconsin in 1980, leaving their father behind. Through a girlfriend, Daniel begins to
learn about Chile and his father’s past
Written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
STARS IN THE FOREST
Zitally, meaning star in the Nahuatl language,
deals with the deportation of her father back to
Mexico by nursing a dog back to health.
Written by Laura Resau
HOW TIA LOLA LEARNED TO TEACH
The second in a wonderful series, Dominican Tia Lola becomes an integral part of a school’s community as a temporary Spanish
teacher
Written by Julia Alvarez
GRANDMA’S GIFT
Based on the artist/author’s life, a young boy and his grandmother share the
paintings of Juan de Pareja in the Metropolitan Museum
of Art.
Written and Illustrated by Eric Velasquez
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH/DEL NORTE AL SUR
A young boy travels with his father from San Diego
to Tijuana to visit his mother, recently deported
to Mexico.
Written by Rene Colato Lainez and Illustrated by Joe Cepeda
BIG RED LOLLIPOP
An immigrant Muslim family that doesn’t celebrate
birthdays confronts a cultural practice of including younger
siblings in invitations to birthday parties to one
daughter’s embarrassment.
Written by Ruckshana Khan and Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
UNDER THE MESQUITE
Growing up in a bicultural community in Texas, 14-year old Lupita deals with her mother’s terminal illness surrounded by her seven siblings embracing and discarding their Mexican
roots in varying degrees.
Written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
MAXIMILIAN AND THE MYSTERY OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL: A BILINGUAL LUCA LIBRE THRILLER
An 11 year old Mexican American boy discovers that
his favorite Luca Libre wrestler is coming to town and might have a strange
connection to his own family.
Written by Xavier Garza
THESE HANDS
An African American grandfather tells his grandson about his own accomplishments and struggles
while teaching the boy new things in an engaging picture book that gracefully traverses
personal and social history
Written by Margaret H. Mason andIllustrated by Floyd Cooper
MARISOL MCDONALD DOESN’T MATCH/MARISOL MCDONALD NO COMBINA
Bright and vivacious Marisol, a Peruvian-Scottish-American girl
loves peanut butter and jelly burritos and speaks both English and Spanish. Unfortunately her teacher and classmates don’t
especially appreciate her mashing of cultures
Written by Monica and illustrated by Sara Palacios
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