Materials from the Americas
Young Chris loves pretending he’s a brave astronaut, exploiring the universe. Only one problem–at night, he’s afraid of the dark. Only when he watches the moon landing on TV does he realize how exciting the unknown can be. Inspired by the childhood of real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield.
Two tales, set in a time when animals and human beings still talked to each other, display Thomas King s cheeky humor and master storytelling skills. Freshly illustrated and reissued as an early chapter book, these stories are perfect for newly independent readers.
With its humorous, energetic illustrations, this book is ideal as a read-aloud or as a text for emerging readers. It can also be used as a starting point for a discussion about gender roles.
A “mesmerizing, poetic exploration of family, friendship, love and loss” from the acclaimed author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Follow the little skeletons as they go about their surprising and intriguing day while counting down from 1 PM to midnight.
Lucía zips through the playground in her cape just like the boys, but when they tell her “girls can’t be superheroes,” suddenly she doesn’t feel so mighty. That’s when her beloved abuela reveals a dazzling secret: Lucía comes from a family of luchadoras, the bold and valiant women of the Mexican lucha libre tradition. Cloaked in a flashy new disguise, Lucía returns as a recess sensation! But when she’s confronted with a case of injustice, Lucía must decide if she can stay true to the ways of the luchadora and fight for what is right, even if it means breaking the sacred rule of never revealing the identity behind her mask. A story about courage and cultural legacy, Lucía the Luchadora is full of pluck, daring, and heart.
Told entirely through illustrations, Letters to a Prisoner is a wordless story about the power of hope and the written word. Inspired by Amnesty International’s letter-writing campaigns to help free people who have been jailed for expressing their opinion, the book tells the story of a man who is arrested during a peaceful protest. In solitary confinement, he begins to despair―until a bird delivers a letter of support written by somebody outside the prison. Every day more missives arrive until the prisoner escapes his fate on wings made of letters.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XII, Issue 4
In this stunning debut novel, Pushcart-nominated author Ibi Zoboi draws on her own experience as a young Haitian immigrant, infusing this lyrical exploration of America with magical realism and vodou culture.
Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 4.
Travel deep into the forest. What elusive and fascinating creatures will you find there? Delicate, colorful and distinctive, Julia Groves’ illustrations introduce us to the animals that live in this precious and endangered habitat. Wildlife fans will be thrilled to encounter all kinds of rainforest creatures from the familiar species to the more obscure.
A collection of three Mexican folktales retold in graphic novel form.