Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Yoon and the Jade Bracelet

YoonJadeYoon wants a jump rope for her birthday so she can play with the other girls in the school yard. Instead, Yoon’s mother gives her a Korean storybook about a silly girl who is tricked by a tiger. Yoon also receives a jade bracelet that once belonged to her grandmother. The next day at school, a girl offers to teach Yoon how to jump rope, but for a price — she wants to borrow the jade bracelet. When Yoon tries to get her bracelet back, the girl swears it belongs to her. Yoon must use the lessons learned in her storybook and her “Shining Wisdom” to retrieve the precious keepsake.

In this third book featuring Yoon, lush impressionistic dreamscapes evoke a simple and timeless message: it is possible to trick a tiger.

Take a closer look at Yoon and the Jade Bracelet as examined in WOW Review.

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal

glassslipperOnce upon a time, in Mexico… in Ireland… in Zimbabwe… there lived a girl who worked all day in the rice fields… then spent the night by the hearth, sleeping among the cinders.

Her name is Ashpet, Sootface, Cendrillon… Cinderella. Her story has been passed down the centuries and across continents. In this anthology, Paul Fleischman crafts its many versions into one hymn to the rich variety and the enduring constants of our cultures.

Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 3.

Ruby’s Wish

ruby'swishRuby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family. Based upon the inspirational story of the author’s grandmother and accompanied by richly detailed illustrations, this is an engaging portrait of a young girl who strives for more and a family who rewards her hard work and courage.

Zulema and the Witch Owl/Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza

zulemaWhen Grandma Sabina comes to live with the family, the first thing Zulema says to her is, ”You sure look old and ugly.” Grandma Sabina warns her granddaughter about the Witch Owl who prowls the night looking for mean children, but Zulema laughs defiantly at such a preposterous tale. In this story about the consequences of being mean to others, Zulema learns something about herself and possibly her grandmother too.

Juan y el Chupacabras/Juan and the Chupacabras

JuanandtheChupacabrasYoung Juan and his cousin Luz savor Abuelo’s hair-raising stories. He tells the children of defeating terrifying fiends like the Chupacabras and La Llorona. The children cling to every word as he describes his brave stand-off with the Chupacabras, a terrifying beast with wings, claws and sharp fangs. But yet they wonder if there’s more to his strange story than meets the eye. Plucky Luz hatches a plan to either disprove Abuelo’s tale or hunt down the menacing monster and put an end to it once and for all. Armed with a bag of marbles dipped in holy water and a sling shot, the children venture into a cornfield one moonless night in search of the truth.

Lucha Libre: A Bilingual Cuento: the Man in the Silver Mask

LuchaLibreCarlitos attends his first lucha libre match in Mexico City. At ringside, Carlitos sees the famous luchador — the Man in the Silver Mask, a man whose eyes look terribly familiar. He is mesmerized as the Man in the Silver Mask is pitted against the terrible forces of evil — los rudos, the bad guys of lucha libre. They make the audience boo and hiss! In the end, though, the Man in the Silver Mask triumphs and, in the process, gains a lifelong fan.

Awards:
2005 América’s Award Honor Book

Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid

CharroClausSanta’s newest helper is his cousin Pancho, a farmer in South Texas. Back in the day, Pancho was a mariachi singer with a whole lot of style and a fancy sombrero, but as the years passed, Pancho got a little older and a little wider. Then one night his primo Santa Claus showed up looking for help along the US/Mexico border. All Christmas Eve, Pancho delivers toys to the boys and girls on the border.

Wanda’s Freckles

Wanda has freckles. Lots and lots of freckles. They make her feel special, until the day in the park when a group of boys point, laugh, and tease her for having spots. All of a sudden, the freckles she’d liked become a problem. Wanda decides to make her freckles disappear altogether! At a time when there’s pressure to conform to someone else’s idea of perfection, this playful story has an important message: individuality and self-acceptance are to be celebrated. The ever-resourceful Wanda puts her imagination to work to try to come to peace with those troublesome freckles once and for all. The critically acclaimed author/illustrator team of Barbara Azore and Georgia Graham bring another Wanda adventure to life with humor and wisdom.

Jack Pine

Even though it is a short, gnarled tree, the Jack Pine still stands tall in the forest world.  It thrives in bad soil and is hardy enough to withstand wind and fire. Moreover, its scrubby branches shelter other trees, allowing them to grow. Jack Pine celebrates this tenacious tree through beautifully crafted text that’s as hard and knotty as the tree itself. In telling Jack Pine’s story, the book shows how the great pine forests contributed to America’s growth as a nation. Cybele Young’s exquisite 3-D collages depict the trees, farmers, and animals that lived in the 19th-century forest.