Age

Catalog sorted by age group

The Dead And The Gone

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event–an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex’s parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.>With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

Adios, Oscar!: A Butterfly Fable

OscarWhen Oscar the caterpillar discovers that he will one day become a butterfly, he’s overjoyed. And his friend Edna the bookworm encourages his hopes of flying to Mexico with the other Monarch butterflies. To prepare, Oscar learns Spanish and dreams of flying through the purple Sierra Madre Mountains. But when Oscar emerges from his cocoon with stubby little wings, a craving for the taste of designer sweaters — and the urge to take a spin around the bathroom light bulb– his dreams are dashed. There will be no trip to Mexico for Oscar — or will there? Yes there will! How Oscar ignores the limitations of being a moth and learns how to dream like a butterfly is both inspirational, liberating — and hilariously funny.

Baseball In April And Other Stories

baseballIn this unique collection of short stories, the small events of daily life reveal big themes—love and friendship, youth and growing up, success and failure. Calling on his own experiences of growing up in California’s Central Valley, poet Gary Soto brings to life the joys and pains of young people everywhere. The smart, tough, vulnerable kids in these stories are Latino, but their dreams and desires belong to all of us.

Brothers Torres, The

brothersFrankie Towers has always looked up to his older brother, Steve, and with good reason. Steve is a popular senior who always gets what he wants: girls, a soccer scholarship, and–lately–street cred. Frankie, on the other hand, spends his time shooting off fireworks with his best friend Zach, working at his parents’ restaurant, and obsessing about his longtime crush, Rebecca Sanchez.

Frankie has reservations about Steve’s crusade to win the respect of the local cholos. He doesn’t think about them, though, until he gets into a fist fight John Dalton – the richest, preppiest kid in his New Mexican high school, and longtime nemesis of Steve. After the fight, Steve takes Frankie under his wing – and Frankie’s social currency begins to rise. The cholos who used to ignore him start to recognize him; he even lands a date to Homecoming with Rebecca.

The situation with Dalton continues to simmer, and after another incident Steve is bent on retaliating. Frankie starts to think that his brother is taking this respect thing too far. He may have to choose between respecting his brother and respecting himself.

In an honest and humorous debut novel, Coert Voorhees uses a coming of age story to look at where loyalty ends and the self begins.

Voices From The Fields: Children Of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories

Interviews with nine children of Hispanic migrant farm workers reveal some of their struggles, such as the long hours in the fields and the language barriers at school, and their aspirations for a better life.

Swing

A lantern, a mixing bowl, everything they ever borrowed from the neighbors, even their dog Leopoldo — Josey’s absentminded parents lose EVERYTHING. Sometimes they even lose track of time when they promise to do something fun with Josey. But then, with a big, rusty CLANK, a missing lantern falls out of the backyard tree, and suddenly Josey sees a way to solve her family’s problems. It’s going to take a lot of help, a little magic and a turbo-powered swing, but Josey might just have a shot at bringing the neighborhood — and her family — back together again.

Sophie’s Trophy

Sophie’s brother has a mantel full of awards for his cute warts— verrugas—and shiny skin, but Sophie isn’t nearly as good looking and doesn’t have any trophies at all. One day, while Sophie is singing about her sorrows, the Toadettes are impressed and ask her to join their group. They convince her to do a solo at the fair when the rest of the group gets sick from eating bad flies. You can guess who finally gets a trophy of her own that night. Susan Elya’s seamless verse that includes Spanish vocabulary and Viviana Garofoli’s vivid, lively illustrations makes Sophie’s story one all kids will relate to while they search for their special talents.

My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi Mundo

Little Maya longs to find brilliant, beautiful, inspiring color in her world.…but Maya’s world, the Mojave Desert, seems to be filled with nothing but sand. With the help of a feathered friend, she searches everywhere to discover color in her world. In the brilliant purple of her mother\’s flowers, the cool green of a cactus, the hot pink sunset, and the shiny black of Papi\’s hair, Maya finally finds what she was looking for. The book’s appealing narrative and bold illustrations encourage early readers to observe and explore, and to discover the colors in their own

Botas Negras

botasThis story takes place in Mexico in the summer of 1830, during the fight for independence. Neto and his family seek refuge in the countryside, away from the bloody conflict. During this time of anxiety and confusion, Neto finds a friend in a goat named Black Boots. (Spanish version.)