The Night Bus Hero

“Getting in trouble is what Hector does best. He knows that not much is expected of him. In fact, he gets some of his most brilliant prank ideas while sitting in detention. But how far is too far? When Hector plays a prank on a homeless man and is seen and shamed by a schoolmate, he reaches a turning point. He wants to be viewed differently and decides to do something that will change his fate for the better. But will anyone take him seriously?”–Dust jacket.

The Silent Unseen: A Novel Of World War Ii

In July 1944, as the Red Army drives the Nazis out of Poland, sixteen-year-old Maria Kamińska must work with a captured Ukrainian nationalist to find her brother, who is a special operations agent and leader of a Polish Resistance squad, when he disappears while on a mission.

Lifeling

Twelve-year-old Lonny Quicke and his younger brother finally leave their hidden forest home and venture into the nearby town of Farstoke, where Lonny discovers that, at first glance, the people of Farstoke are not cruel and selfish, but as he debates revealing his secret ability, he wonders whether his new friends are really as kind as they seem.

Notebook Keeper

After traveling to Tijuana, Mexico, Noemi and her mother are denied entry at the border and must find the refugee in charge of the notebook, an unofficial ledger of those waiting to cross into the United States. Includes author’s note.

The Notebook Keeper was featured in the WOW Currents The Power of Home: Promise or Uncertainty? Part II.

Rainbow Hands

When a young boy paints his nails with his mom’s nail polish, he discovers the most important thing of all: the magic of being his true self.

As the long late summer day stretches ahead of them, a young boy eagerly looks forward to his favorite time—painting-your-nails time. He know that when he dips into those magical bottles of nail polish, he will discover a color to express his every mood and feeling. Purple is the color of magic and mystery. White is the color of endless possibilities. At times, his papa frowns and says, “What have you done to your nails?” At other times, he says, “Why don’t you paint on paper instead?” But the little boy knows that painting his nails makes his hands look beautiful.

This color-filled story celebrates the joy of finding out who you are and embracing the courage to be yourself.

Travelers Along The Way

In this reimagination of the legend of Robin Hood, Rahma al-Hud and her older sister Zeena travel to Jerusalem for a final mission, and on their way they assemble a ragtag band of misfits and get swept up Holy Land politics.

The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story

Kanzi’s family has moved from Egypt to America, and on her first day in a new school, what she wants more than anything is to fit in. In this story based on the author’s own childhood experience, Kanzi’s most treasured reminder of her old home provides a pathway for acceptance in her new one.

Omar Rising

Seventh-grader Omar must contend with being treated like a second-class citizen when he gets a scholarship to an elite boarding schoo in Pakistan.