Americas

Materials from the Americas

Give Me Some Truth

In 1980 life is hard on the Tuscarora Reservation in upstate New York, and some of the teenagers feel they have fewer options than they’d like: Carson Mastick dreams of forming a rock band, and Maggi Bokoni longs to create her own conceptual artwork instead of the traditional beadwork that her family sells to tourists–but tensions are rising between the reservation and the surrounding communities, and somehow in the confusion of politics and growing up Carson and Maggi have to make a place for themselves.

Hungry Bunny

In this interactive picture book, the reader must help Bunny as he gathers apples to eat, and uses his red scarf to climb a tree or create a rope bridge.

Día De Los Muertos (Celebrate The World)

At the end of October each year, it’s time to celebrate an ancient tradition: Dia de los Muertos! With vibrant illustrations by Golden Globe–winning Mexican illustrator Jorge Gutierrez, this festive board book teaches that Dia de los Muertos honors ancestors and loved ones who have passed. From sugar skulls to papel picado, this is a holiday that truly commemorates the cycle of life.

The Princess Dolls

The story is set against the backdrop of an atmosphere of increasing hostility and racist attacks upon the Japanese community that culminates in the internment. Then Michiko and her family are sent away. With such enormous barriers between them, Esther and Michiko are left to their own devices as to how to mend their friendship.

Stella Diaz Has Something To Say

Stella Díaz Has Something to Say introduces an infectiously charming new character with relatable writing and adorable black-and-white art throughout. Simple Spanish vocabulary is also integrated within the text, providing a bilingual element.

The Curse Of The Bully’s Wrath / La Maldición De La Ira Del Abusón

In the fifth novel of the Mickey Rangel Mystery series, author and educator René Saldaña, Jr. crafts another entertaining book for intermediate readers about a subject every school kid has experienced: mean classmates who knock others down to feel better about themselves.

Forgiving Moses

The tenth installment in Velásquez s acclaimed Roosevelt High School Series that focuses on social issues relevant to teens, Forgiving Moses addresses the painful issue of children, particularly brown and black youth, whose fathers are not present in their lives. Touching on the disproportionately high number of men of color in prison and its effects on society, this short novel for teens will generate conversations about the possible consequences of making bad choices, responsibility to family and the impact of incarceration.

Dennis Chávez: The First Hispanic Us Senator/ El Primer Senador Hispano De Los Estados Unidos

Dennis Cháves was born in the small farming community of Los Chávez in 1888 in what was then the Territory of New Mexico. His childhood home had dirt floors and no indoor plumbing. As a boy, he tended his father’s crops and sheep. He spoke only Spanish and never went to high school or college.

Pele The King Of Soccer

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to his schoolmates as Pelé, grew up in poverty in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil. He was too poor to afford a real soccer ball, so he played with a ball of newspaper tied together with string. Yet he dominated the youth leagues and signed his first professional soccer contract at the age of fifteen. Within two years he was celebrated internationally, when he led Brazil to victory at the world cup. Known by his fans as “O Rei” (The King), Pelé is widely regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time. But he’s more than just an athlete: he also traveled the world as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Pelé is the living symbol of a sport he dubbed “the beautiful game” a game that brings people together regardless of race or nationality.