A tasty celebration of family, food, culture, and Jamaican pattiesAt his home in Jamaica, August wakes up every morning to the delicious smell of patties. His parents’ patty stand used to be popular, but Jamaica is changing. August’s friends are leaving, and the patties aren’t selling like they used to. Soon, it’s his family’s turn to say goodbye. Off they fly to cold, snowy Toronto, where August’s father takes a job at a cookie factory and comes home too tired to make his beloved patties.One night, after everyone is asleep, August tiptoes into the kitchen and tries to recreate his Daddy’s recipe. His attempt inspires his father, and for the first time since they left Jamaica, August wakes up to the smell of fresh patties. Daddy’s patties take off, and soon August’s parents decide to open a new patty stand with a new name―“Patty Dreams”.Acclaimed author Nadia L. Hohn’s rhythmic writing pays homage to a quintessential Jamaican delicacy and explores the experiences of immigrants, as well as the traditions that connect us. Vibrantly illustrated and rich in sensory details, this picture book is a warm, comforting reminder of the meaning of home.

From Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Jack Wong, a story of a boy who discovers that the more he learns, the more there is to know!On their neighborhood walks together, a boy learns from his older sister all about the plants they see ― magnolias that smell like lemon cake, creeping weeds that used to be planted for decoration, and even how dandelion greens can be eaten with spaghetti! But what makes a plant a flower, vegetable or weed, anyway? How can his sister tell, and how does she know so much?The boy’s head spins as he realizes how vast the universe is and how much there is to learn … until he resolves to let his knowledge grow in its own way and time, just like the mysterious plants he has decided to nurture in the garden.Award-winning creator Jack Wong brings us a delightful, nuanced story about cultivating patience and letting knowledge grow.Key Text FeaturesdialogueillustrationsCorrelates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

A celebration of traditional ways of life and the power of sharing what we have.”Rez kid!“ The girl ignores the taunt as she hurries to the back of the school bus. She just wants to get home to the reservation, where she can feel safe. One by one, she tells her mom, nóhkom, moshum and aunty about what happened. And one by one they offer her advice on what to do. Each one has a different idea, but each idea is the same at heart: share something from the reservation with the other children. The girl listens, but decides to come up with her own idea. And, as with everything else about her life as a rez kid, her idea grows out of all she has been given by those who came before her.Andrea Landry has written a beautiful story that celebrates Indigenous ways of life and encourages readers to be proud of who they are. The traditions practiced on the girl’s reservation are showcased as she beads, harvests medicine, gardens and rides horseback with her elders. Isabella Fassler’s stunning art, with swirls of bold colors, evokes the majesty and splendor of nature. The message of showing kindness in response to aggression offers a powerful lesson for all readers. This book could augment social studies lessons on Indigenous cultures and character education conversations about courage, compassion and inclusiveness. An author’s note gives a brief history of reservations/reserves.

“Based on his own experiences as a first-generation Ghanaian American growing up in New York City, chef and author Adjepong’s debut picture book beautifully captures Kofi’s complicated feelings of in-betweenness, seeing himself as not quite American enough and not quite Ghanaian enough, even as he tries to connect to his family’s history. A recipe for jollof rice, the dish Kofi proudly shares with his class, is included at the end.” —BCCB, starred reviewInspired by acclaimed chef Eric Adjepong’s own childhood, Sankofa is the powerful story of a young boy’s culinary journey 400 years into the past to reconnect with his African roots and find his own place in America. This thoughtful picture book also includes a recipe for jollof rice.”Adjepong has crafted a delectable story that blends food history and Ghanaian culture. A celebration of food and culture that reminds youngsters to look back as they move forward.” —Kirkus ReviewsWhat if home was a place you’ve never been? For Kofi, a first-generation Ghanaian American boy, home is a country called Ghana. But it’s a place he’s never been. When tasked to bring a dish that best represents his family’s culture to school for a potluck lunch, Kofi is torn. With the help of his Nanabarima (grandfather), Kofi learns the hardship and resilience his family has endured—and how food has always been an integral part their story and culture. Sankofa is a reminder that food can transport you to a place called home—even if you’ve never been.

When Manny Wolf sees an ad in the paper announcing “Wolf Wanted” he responds right away, only to realize the company is looking for a real wolf. Luckily for Manny, so many wolves respond to the ad that he is hired to answer all the letters. As Manny reads between the lines of the wolves’ letters, with their glowing descriptions of themselves, he realizes that all the applicants are famous fictional wolves! Finding no suitable candidates, Manny finally rewrites the ad, clarifying that a real wolf is needed so that a documentary can be made to show people what real wolves are like and how different they are from their big, bad fictional counterparts. Mixing fantasy and reality with zany illustrations, this hilarious story highlights the very serious risk of the extinction of wolves worldwide.

A girl discovers a connection between her home in the Philippines and her new home in the U.S. through a special garden in this middle grade novel that celebrates nourishment and growth.Twelve-year-old Isabel is the new kid in her San Francisco middle school. It’s the first time in many years that she’ll be living with her mother again. Mama’s job in the US allowed Isabel and her grandparents to live more comfortably in the Philippines, but now Isabel doesn’t really know her own mother anymore.Making new friends in a new city, a new country, is hard, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school means Isabel will begin to find her way, and maybe she too, will begin to bloom.In this beautifully rendered novel-in-verse, Mae Respicio explores how growth can take many forms, offering both the challenges and joy of new beginnings.

A gentle, probing picture book from award-winning author Kyo Maclear and celebrated illustrator Katty Maurey about the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandson, and the many traces, memories, and even ghosts with which we liveThere’s a ghost in Grandpa’s garden. It leaves tracks by the path where there was once a cool, dark stream. It makes mischief by knocking over flowerpots. And sometimes, it leaves behind a gift perfect for a curious boy in the form of little treasures from times gone by.The boy who is the narrator of this picture book loves spending time with his grandpa in the garden, enjoying the natural world, listening to memories of how things used to be, and making up stories about the friendly ghost. With Grandpa as his loving guide, the boy learns to look closely at the garden and marvel at its mysteries, to uncover the layers of history that make up this special place, and also to fashion new things from all that he has found.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionFrom critically acclaimed artist Elizabeth Zunon, a picture book about one boy on a journey to deliver salt across the desert-a journey that will reveal the precious rock’s true value.In the Sahara, salt is worth its weight in gold. When Malik is finally old enough to join his father’s caravan, transporting salt across the long trade route to Timbuktu, he can’t wait to prove himself worthy of this big responsibility.Over the long and difficult route, the boy will discover that salt does far more than just preserve and flavor food. With its essential roles in trade, ritual, civilizations, and even our bodies, salt sustains life. Most important of all, Malik discovers his own self-confidence as he grows from a novice to a future leader of his salt caravan.This gorgeous, awe-inspiring picture book celebrates the remarkable journey that salt takes, the connections forges, and its power to nourish us.

2023 Best Books for Kids & Teens starred selection, The Canadian Children’s Book CentreSantiago finds a way to connect to his classmates―through dinosaurios!Santiago is new to the United States, and he doesn’t speak English. On his first day of school, how will he connect with his peers? Santiago learns that even when you don’t speak the same language, some interests―like dinosaurs―are universal.