This picture book about a young boy on the autism spectrum highlights the way he functions differently than his classmates. His way of being in the world has both its challenges and its strengths.
Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction genre
Madani’s Best Game
A neighborhood soccer star has a secret plan for his team’s big game–a plan even more impressive than his bicycle kicks.
My Neighborhood
Every morning, Ms. Marta goes out to check that the world is how it should be: her friends sitting on a terrace playing cards, the beach where it always is, children playing in the playground. There’s nothing particularly special about Ms. Marta’s neighborhood except that it’s the only one like it in the world: it’s hers.
A Dream Of Birds
Sara has a thing for birds. They remind her of her grandfather, who loved birds, and the wonderful show the creatures would put on in his yard each day—like a cloud of colorful flowers carried by the wind.
As Sara walks to school in her island town, she longs for the freedom of those birds. Then she spots a new birdhouse full of parakeets in someone’s yard. Sara feels drawn to them and unable to forget them. So what happens the next time, when she finds the door to the birdhouse unlocked?
With poetic language and beautiful art, this story set on the African island of Mauritius brings to life a little girl’s deep love of nature, her brash but well-meaning choice, and ultimately, her redemption and dream for a better world.
The Ugly Place
A child makes their way along the Arctic shoreline on a dark day. Everything around them seems as ugly as their mood, from the weather to the fish and mud. This is the place they come to whenever they feel ugly.
But as the child closes their eyes and listens, the sound of the waves reminds them to breathe. The tiny krill flick their tails, and the brightly coloured sea stars seem to glow. What they once saw as an ugly landscape is now wonderful and vibrant, and alive with music and beauty.
Building on concepts of social-emotional awareness, this book helps young readers see that they have the ability to control their own emotions.
Una Huna?: Ukpik Learns To Sew (Una Huna, 2)
Ukpik’s mother is eager to teach Ukpik how to prepare caribou skin, dry it, and use it to sew a pair of simple, useful mitts. But Ukpik can’t stop thinking about the beautiful new beads her mother traded the Captain for on his last visit. They are so bright and beautiful! Anaana knows it is more important for Ukpik to learn the skills she will need to make her own clothing in the cold Arctic climate, so she insists that Ukpik sit with her and learn the basics, while having a bit of fun, too. Though Anaana won’t let Ukpik sew with the new beads just yet, she does have a surprise for Ukpik that will let her enjoy the new-found treasures while also learning the skills she will need to provide for herself and her family.
I Hope
This beautifully illustrated picture book, written by award-winning Indigenous author Monique Gray Smith, explores all the hopes adults have for the children in their lives.
Finding Moose
A little boy goes for a walk in the forest with his grandfather, searching for a moose. The grandfather teaches him to the identify the traces left behind by the moose. He also teaches him about other animals and plants found in the forest including the Ojibwemowin names for them. After accepting that their expedition will not be successful that day, the boy and his grandfather return home, only to find the moose grazing behind their house.
It’s Diwali!
In this take-off of the counting rhyme One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, the wonders of Diwali are described.
The Longest, Strongest Thread
“A little girl is moving far away and worries her grandmother won’t be able to find her- but her grandmother explains that they are united by a strong thread of love”–Provided by publisher.