A Star Shines Through

Amidst the upheaval of war, a young girl and her family leave their homeland and face the challenges of adapting to a new life in a foreign land, but find comfort in a star-shaped cardboard lamp reminiscent of the one they cherished back home.

Salsa Magic

Thirteen year old Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon has vivid recurring dreams where she hears the ocean calling her. Mami’s side of the family is known as Los Locos, so maybe she actually is going crazy. But no time for that; the family business is where it’s at. Whenever Maya, her sister Salma, and her three cousins, Ini, Mini, and Mo, aren’t at school, you can usually find three generations of Calderones at Café Taza, serving up sandwiches de pernil, mofongo, and the best cafés con leche in all of Brooklyn. One day, an unexpected visit from the estranged Titi Yaya from Puerto Rico changes everything. Because Yaya practices santeria, Abuela tells Maya and the other Calderon children to stay away from her. But if la viejita is indeed estranged from the family, why does Maya feel so connected to this woman she has never met before? And who is this orisha named Yemaya? On top of figuring all this out, Maya has a budding soccer career to consider, while fending off the local bully, and dealing with nascent feelings toward her teammate. But through it all, there’s that alluring connection to a forbidden ancient practice filled with a pantheon of Yoruban gods and goddesses that keeps tugging at her, offering her a new perspective in life, tying her past to her present and future. Which path will Maya choose to fulfill her destiny?

Jo Jo Makoons: Rule School (Jo Jo, 4)

It is good to follow the rules. But there are just so many! In this fourth book in the beloved Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series, Jo Jo’s talents may not quite include following her substitute teacher’s rules.

The Rez Doctor

Young Ryan Fox gets good grades, but he’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. It isn’t until he meets a Blackfoot doctor during a school assembly that he starts to dream big. However, becoming a doctor isn’t easy. University takes Ryan away from his family and the Siksikaitsitapi community, and without their support, he begins to struggle. Faced with more stress than he’s ever experienced, he turns to partying. Distracted from his responsibilities, his grades start to slip. His bills pile up. Getting into med school feels impossible. And now his beloved uncle is in jail. Can Ryan regain his footing to walk the path he saw so clearly as a boy?

Finding Papa

Follows young Mai and her mother’s perilous journey from Vietnam to America to find Papa–who left ahead of them to start a better life for their family.

Buffalo Dreamer

When twelve year old Summer visits her family on a reservation in Alberta, Canada, she begins experiencing vivid dreams of running away from a residential school like the one her grandfather attended as a child and learns about unmarked children’s graves, prompting her to seek answers about her community’s painful past.

Behind My Doors: The Story Of The World’s Oldest Library

Come learn about the oldest operating library in existence that was originally founded by a Muslim woman in 859!Merhaba! Welcome! Meet Al-Qarawiyyin Library–the oldest library in the world. Do you want to see what magical treasures are behind its doors? You’ll find special reading rooms where young and old gathered to discuss, debate, and discover the world. And, most important, the collection of books that hold knowledge more valuable than any jewels! Open its doors, unlock its story, and discover an adventure that only a library can share. Told from the unique perspective of the library, award-winning author Hena Khan, along with luminous illustrations by Nabila Adani, bring to readers Behind My Doors, a charming ode to the magical wonders of each and every library.

Chinese Menu

“The origin stories of each Chinese dish told using the framework of Chinese cuisine-oftentimes based in folklore, both ancient and contemporary”–