Opin, his brother Emjay, and their mother live in a car and are trying to get to Los Angeles where they hope an uncle and a new life are waiting, but even after finding a stray dog, Opin’s longing for a stable home intensifies as his brother’s reckless ways hit a new high.
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
Yellow Butterfly: A Story From Ukraine
A wordless picture book portrayal of war seen through the eyes of a young girl who finds hope in the symbolism of yellow butterflies against the background of a pure blue sky. Using the colors of his national flag, Oleksandr Shatokhin has created a deeply emotional response to the conflict in Ukraine and provided a narrative full of powerful visual metaphors for readers to consider as they travel from the devastating effects of war to a place of hope for peace and the future.
Yellow Butterfly is featured in WOW Review Volume XVII, Issue 3.
Lasting Echoes
Discusses the history of Native Americans, with a sampling of excerpts from their own accounts of their experiences.
Mascot
Six eighth graders outside Washington, DC, navigate through conflict and division focused on their school district’s Native American mascot.
The White Deer And Other Stories Told By The Lenape
This rich compendium combines Lenape (Delaware) history, an introduction to several storytellers, and storytelling beliefs with a diverse collection of tales. The tales presented here are twentieth-century renderings from many locations, demonstrating the durability of the storytelling traditions.
César Chávez
A simple biography of the man who worked to win fairer treatment of the migrant farm workers in California in the 1960s and to establish the United Farm Workers union.
Alice Yazzie’s Year
Twelve free verse poems chronicle the events and feelings of a Navajo girl’s eleventh year.
Makoons (Birchbark House)
In this award-winning sequel to Chickadee, acclaimed author Louise Erdrich continues her celebrated Birchbark House series with the story of an Ojibwe family in nineteenth-century America.Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory. There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges—challenges that his family may not be able to overcome.Based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history, this fifth book in the series features black-and-white interior illustrations, a note from the author about her research, and a map and glossary of Ojibwe terms.
Chickadee
In 1866, Omakayas’s son Chickadee is kidnapped by two ne’er-do-well brothers from his own tribe and must make a daring escape, forge unlikely friendships, and set out on an exciting and dangerous journey to get back home. Sequel to The Porcupine Year and continuation of the Birchbark House series.
Barefoot Dreams Of Petra Luna
Based on a true story, the tale of one girl’s perilous journey to cross the U.S. border and lead her family to safety during the Mexican Revolution.