Material appropriate for primary age groups
Reluctant to let the surf crash over him, Joe runs down the beach and has an adventure with an old boat. All of sudden with the dunes rising like big waves around him; he realizes he is lost and all alone. With the help of a lifeguard who comes to his rescue, all ends well.
Hassan is newly arrived in America and he misses his home in Somalia. Hassan has learned just a few words of English, and his first day at school is very different from back home and lonely. Hassan discovers a way to communicate through art. Hassan tells his story. His teacher invites an interpreter to the classroom so that he can share the story of his past.
Sarah loves the magic shell her grandpa gave her. All Sarah can hear are everyday noises. It’s only when Sarah closes her eyes and really listens that the magic inside is unlocked.
Jamela and her family go to shoe store for her birthday gift. Jamela loves what the store clerk shows, but Jamela’s mama picks the practical & comfortable shoes for her. Although Jamela gets disappointed, she decorates her new shoes with beads and sparkly bits. When Jamela shows her special shoes, her mother doesn’t show support for Jamela. Lily, Jamela’s neighbor, liked Jamela’s decorated shoes and they make decorated shoes together. Lily names them Jamela’s shoes. In the market, their shoes sold like hotcakes. Jamela got her share from Lily. On Jamela’s birthday, Jamela gets very special gift from her mother as a consequence of the ‘Jamela’s shoes’.
A child dealing with loss while trying to find her place in a new home. An author’s note provides context for the plight of the many children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
Mexican folktales tell how flowers were named, how an old man outsmarted a tribe of chocolate-stealing warriors, and how a drink made from the aloe plant led to the marriage of a king and princess.
An ant meets an astronaut one day as he is landing back on earth, and the astronaut tells him of his space travels and some stories about the other side of the world.
A temple cat in ancient Egypt grows tired of being worshipped and cared for in a reverent fashion and travels to the seaside, where she finds genuine affection with a fisherman and his children.
In a poor Mexican village, Erandi surprises her mother by offering to sell her long, beautiful hair in order to raise enough money to buy a new fishing net.
Borka, a goose with no feathers, has a hard life until a kindly dog and a sailor take her to Kew Gardens in London, where she finds a home and acceptance.