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.
Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction genre
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.
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.
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.
Me Gusta
A stunning bilingual picture book that celebrates Latinx families by highlighting moments of connection and delight and feelings of safety and home, even through challenges and difficult times.
A Head Full Of Birds
“School is a lonely place for Nanette until she meets Noah, who understands how her unusual ideas make the world more beautiful”–
When The Storks Came Home (Volume 2) (Nature’s Wisdom, 2)
When The Storks Came Home is a charming, fictionalised retelling of the successful reintroduction of the white stork at the Knepp Estate, a UK native bird which has been brought back from extinction.
Abuela Y El Covid / Grandma And Covid (English And Spanish Edition)
A young boy enjoys time with his grandmother who lives far away, using cell phones and other devices, but one day she stops calling and sending photos and videos of her dogs. He finds out that she needs an oxygen mask to speak and breathe and worries about her the next time they talk.