Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

The Remembering Stone

A surprising journey of self-discover. In early fall, the blackbirds creak like rusty wheels behind our apartment. “One day I will return like you,” my mother tells the birds. “But for now, you go. Que les vaya bien. Safe journey.” Ana doesn’t understand the pull of this faraway place until one night she puts her favorite thing, a stone spit from the volcanoes of Costa Rica, underneath her pillow. She imagines herself a blackbird flying to this country her mother longs to see again. This evocative picture book with its striking, bold art celebrates the importance of hope, dreams, and cultural roots, and will have special resonance for all thos who find themselves at the crossroads of two cultures.

Isabel’s House of Butterflies

Outside her home in Michoacan, Mexico, grows eight-year-old Isabel’s greatest treasure: an oyamel tree. Every autumn, a miracle happens because Isabel’s tree is the wintering place for thousands upon thousands of monarch butterflies that migrate from the north. When they flutter down to roost, they transform Isabel’s tree into La casa de las mariposas–The House of Butterflies. But this wonder is in danger of disappearing forever. Isabel’s family is poor, and it has been a cruel, dry year for Papa’s meager crop of corn and beans. Soon, chopping down the tree to sell its wood may be the family’s only hope for survival. What will happen to the butterflies then?

The Tangerine Tree

When Ida finds out that Papa must leave Jamaica to work in America, she’s heartbroken. But there is some consolation in knowing that Papa needs her to care of the tangerine tree while he’s away, and his parting gift of a book comes with a promise: he’ll be home again by the time she’s able to read it.

Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa

When Granny asks Pretty Salma to go to the market one day, she warns her not to talk to strangers. But cunning Mr. Dog tricks Salma, and before she knows it, he’s wearing her stripy ntama, her pretty white beads, and her yellow sandals. And he’s on his way to Granny’s house! African culture and flavor infuse this inventive retelling of a favorite fairy tale, and the vibrant lively illustrations bring it to life. The result is a story that combines new and old and spans cultures as successfully as it has spanned the centuries.

The Year Of The Ranch (Viking Kestrel Picture Books)

In 1919, Alice McLerran’s grandfather and his family spent a year on a homestead outside of Yuma, Arizona, trying to turn a desert mesa into farmland–and a shack into a home. Funny, moving and filled with fascinating period detail, this is an affectionate account of that year. Full color.

Beto and the Bone Dance

A fantastic encounter on the Day of the Dead. Today is Beto’s favorite holiday — the Day of the Dead. First, he and his father craft an altar at home in honor of Beto’s recently departed grandmother, filled with the things she loved in life. Later, it’s off to the cemetery, where at midnight all the dead souls will come to visit the living. It’s a celebratory occasion, but Beto is distraught because he isn’t able to find a perfect gift for Abuela’s altar. The answer to his dilemma is found in a wild dream, in which Beto joins a conga line of dance-mad skeletons. Through her effulgent paintings and rhythmic text, the author conveys all the excitement of this unique Mexican fiesta, as well as a comforting message for children who have lost a loved one.

Ancient Egypt: A First Look at People of the Nile

The civilization of ancient Egypt disappeared two thousand years ago, yet we still marvel at the wonders it left behind. This engaging primer for young readers introduces the land, people, and culture of Egypt, including the pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and mummification. In his signature style of creating three-dimensional illustrations, Bruce Strachan brings to life the monuments and everyday customs of an enthralling society for children just beginning their discovery of ancient Egypt.