Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

The Kite Festival

One Sunday morning, Fernando Flórez, his parents, grandparents, and sister head to a random destination for an outing — San Vicente. When they arrive in the center of town, they see many people preparing for a kite festival. The Flórez family waste no time joining in the fun. Unfortunately, all the stores are closed, so buying a kite’s out. But by using their ingenuity — along with found objects — they successfully put one together. Although they encounter some challenges along the way, they can always find a solution with a little thinking. A surprise comes at the end of the day, with the mayor of San Vicente on hand to deliver it.A warm family story set at a festival much like one Leyla Torres attended as a child in her native country of Colombia.

Feathers Like a Rainbow: An Amazon Indian Tale

The birds in the forests surrounding the Amazon River all have dark feathers until they decide to steal some colors from the Hummingbird.

My Mama’s Little Ranch on the Pampas

This story about ranch life on the Argentinean pampas is told in the voice of young Maria Cristina, who describes the activities as the seasons change. Mama buys the ranch during a hot and steamy January. The children go back to school in March, and during the cold and rainy July winter vacations, most of the calves are born. Finally, on a very hot Christmas Eve, a special gift arrives. The story, based on the author’s childhood, challenges stereotypes of this culture by depicting a woman as the buyer and owner of the ranch.

Aria

Aria is different from the other children in her village because she cannot speak. But Aria loves being with the birds around her jungle home — with them, she is free to be herself. When the village men begin to catch the birds to sell in their market-place, Aria moves out of the village to protect her friends. But then the villagers try to catch Aria. She flies away to freedom with the birds.

The Boy Who Ran with the Gazelles

A desert nomad woman has no milk, so brings her pet gazelle for her son to nurse. One day the boy and the gazelle wander off, and the pet gazelle finds a herd of her own kind. She protects the boy and he learns to run and feed himself. Hunters discover and capture him. He is terrified and does not eat. Finally, he escapes to rejoin his herd.

Mazes around the World

Puzzling and mysterious, mazes and labyrinths have fascinated people around the world for centuries. From England to Egypt, Greece to South Africa and beyond, travel on an exciting journey as you discover the secrets of these patterns.

The Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa

In this witty book based on an African folk tale, Thulani prefers sitting in the sun to doing his chores. Tired of milking the cow, he trades her in for a goat. When the goat gets into the corn seed, he trades it for a sheep. Sick of shearing, he buys some geese, which then get exchanged for some sunflower seeds. With each trade, his hard-working wife gets more and more exasperated.

Black Stars In A White Night Sky

Black Stars in a White Night Sky, Lawson’s second book of poetry for children, includes fractonyms, concretes, as well as short lyrics and poems that don’t rhyme. Lawson stretches the boundaries of what is normally thought of as children’s poetry, but not at the expense of the books entertainment value or clarity. The poems are written within hearing of both children and adults; philosophy and tomfoolery are equally at home in this exemplary new tome.

The Best Beak In Boonaroo Bay

The birds of Australia’s Boonaroo Bay hold a contest to determine which of them has the best beak.