Realistic Fiction genre
In her Bangladesh village, ten-year-old Naimi excels at painting designs called alpanas, but to help her impoverished family financially she would have to be a boy or disguise herself as one. Bangladesh is a country in South Asia surrounded by India.
Shortie’s parents are very busy. Every time Shortie asks if they can go outside to play together, her mother always replies, ” Wait until I’ve finished my work…” Just then Shortie’s mother stops her work and go outside with Shortie. Shortie and her mom spend very nice afternoon.
When his older sister is reported missing, teenager Adam travels from England to Tokyo, Japan, to look for her.
Akimbo goes to the rescue of zoologist who is injured on his father’s game preserve.
Reluctant to let the surf crash over him, Joe runs down the beach and has an adventure with an old boat. All of sudden with the dunes rising like big waves around him; he realizes he is lost and all alone. With the help of a lifeguard who comes to his rescue, all ends well.
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.
Little Toto loves to eat, and when he goes with his grandmother to the marketplace he eats everything in sight, leaving chaos in his wake. Includes a glossary of Cameroonian foods and a recipe for egussi soup.