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.
Immersed in tales of knights and dragons and sorcerers and damsels in distress, Senor Quexada proclaims himself a knight and sets out on his first adventure against some nearby windmills that he thinks are giants.
The author relates how he and his Moscow family rescued Martha, a crow with a broken wing, and how she joined their household.
After being separated from her grandfather in the forest, a young African girl sees elephant poaching firsthand when she rescues a baby elephant whose mother has been killed by hunters.
Lizette tries to figure out what to do with the one green sock that she finds while out walking one day.
This book describes the way birthdays have been celebrated in the past and the customs used to mark these special occasions in such countries as Finland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand and others.
A little girl spends a lot of time listening to the stories her grandmother tells, and one day, she decides to look for the duendes, magical creatures who like to play tricks on people.