Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Iqbal And His Ingenious Idea

It’s monsoon season in Bangladesh, which means Iqbal’s mother must cook the family’s meals indoors, over an open fire. The smoke from the fire makes breathing difficult for his mother and baby sister, and it’s even making them sick. Hearing them coughing at night worries Iqbal. So when he learns that his school’s upcoming science fair has the theme of sustainability, Iqbal comes up with the perfect idea for his entry: he’ll design a stove that doesn’t produce smoke! With help from his teacher, Iqbal learns all about solar energy cooking, which uses heat from the sun to cook.

Old Misery

Poor Old Misery. She and her old cat, Rutterkin, “ain’t got two pennies to rub together”. And the one thing of value she does have —a tree, filled with good eating apples — is regularly ransacked by humans and animals of all kinds who make off with armloads of apples! So, one day, when a surprise visitor grants her a wish, Old Misery tells him, “There’s but one wish for me, mister, and it’s this here: whoever I catch stealing apples off my tree will get stuck to it until I decide to let them go!” At first, it seems like her wish was a terrific idea, as she catches all the apple thieves and sends them on their way for good. But then Old Misery decides to use her new power on another surprise visitor. And she learns what may be the most miserable lesson of all: be careful what you wish for!

The Old Man

Day breaks over the town. Get up, everybody! It’s time to go to school. For the old man too, it’s time to wake up. The night was icy and he’s hungry. His name? He doesn’t know . . . This is the story of a person with no job, no family, no home, a nobody, who can’t even remember what he was once named. But his day changes when he is noticed by a child. Drawn in soft, watercolor pencil, this is an important story for our times. This gentle, compelling book will appeal to a child’s sense of justice and to every reader’s compassion.

Wolfy

This masterful picture book about a rabbit and a wolf who want to be best friends has sold over a million copies worldwide and is now available in the U.S. Once upon a time there was a rabbit who had never seen a wolf, and a young wolf who had never seen a rabbit. The pair meet and become firm friends. Tom the rabbit teaches Wolfy to play marbles, read, count, and fish. Wolfy teaches Tom to run very, very fast. But eventually their friendship is tested by the classic game.

Bertolt

This book is about the imagination and the wonderful ways in which we nurture ourselves in the process of becoming who we are, and because Bertolt dies in a winter’s storm, it is also a book about finitude and loss, sorrow and acceptance.

Bruno

Bruno, the cat in the checkered cap, takes life as it comes. When it’s too rainy to go outside, he rustles up an inside picnic with his friends. When he meets a fish swimming in the air, he follows it. Why not! When the canary forgets how to sing and can only speak gibberish, Bruno helps out.

Days With Dad

A young girl and her wheelchair-bound father share many special moments because she treasures all they can do together, although he apologizes for not being able to do more.

Chicken In the Kitchen

What would you do if you woke up one night to find the shadow of a giant chicken passing your bedroom door? Go and investigate, of course! When Anyaugo follows a giant chicken into her kitchen one warm night in Nigeria, she embarks on a fun-filled adventure where nothing is quite as it seems. Is the mischievous giant chicken a friend or a foe? More importantly, will Anyaugo be able to save the food for the New Yam Festival the next day?