Bayard Rustin dedicated his life to helping others—fighting injustices and discriminations—so that people could live as one. Protesting segregation long before there was a civil rights movement, he often was arrested for his beliefs and actions. As a nonviolent activist, Bayard made his mark working alongside many African American leaders, notably A. Philip Randolph and Martin Luther King, Jr. As an organizer, Bayard was largely responsible for bringing people together to walk for freedom and jobs in Washington, D.C., on that memorable summer day, August 28, 1963. With style and careful attention to history, Larry Dane Brimner captures a story of passion, courage, and triumph through Bayard’s own words and archival photographs in this Jane Addams Children’s Book Award winner.
United States
Materials from United States of America
Facts Of Life: Stories
What do Gaby Lopez, Michael Robles, and Cynthia Rodriguez have in common? These three kids join other teens and tweens in Gary Soto’s new short story collection, in which the hard-knock facts of growing up are captured with humor and poignance.
Filled with annoying siblings, difficult parents, and first loves, these stories are a masterful reminder of why adolescence is one of the most frustrating and fascinating times of life.
The Smell Of Old Lady Perfume
Claudia Guadalupe Martinez’s debut novel for young adults is a bittersweet story about death, family, and the resilient emotional strength of the human heart. Chela Gonzalez, the book’s narrator, is a nerd and a soccer player who can barely contain her excitement about starting the sixth grade. But nothing is as she imagined-her best friend turns on her to join the popular girls and they all act like Chela doesn’t exist. She buries herself in schoolwork and in the warm comfort of her family. To Chela, her family is like a solar system, with her father the sun and her mother, brothers, and sister like planets rotating all around him. It’s a small world, but it’s the only one she fits in.But that universe is threatened when her strong father has a stroke. Chela’s grandmother moves in to help the family. The smell of her old lady perfume invades the house. That smell is worse than Sundays. Sundays were sad, but they went just as sure as they came. Death was a whole other thing, and Chela doesn’t understand that’s what everyone is waiting for. In her grief and worry, Chela begins to discover herself and find her own strength.Claudia Guadalupe Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas. She learned that letters form words from reading the subtitles of old Westerns for her father. She went on to graduate from college and moved to Chicago to become one of the city’s youngest nonprofit executives.
Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House
Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat who wants to be a Chihuahua dog, despite his mother’s efforts to make him think “Siamese.”
Snapshots from the Wedding
Maya attends a family wedding and captures it all on film, from her cousin getting rice in his eye to the cake that tasted as delicious as it looked, in a beautifully illustrated tale of a special family day.
Treasure Of Taos: Tales Of Northern New Mexico
Set in the mountains of Northern New Mexico these five cuentos are an engaging blend of history and fantasy. Warmly accented with fine pencil illustrations, this collection of folktales invites readers of all ages to experience New Mexico’s Hispanic heritage. Winner of the First Place Award for short fiction from the National Press Women’s Association.
Sophie’s Trophy
Sophie’s brother has a mantel full of awards for his cute warts— verrugas—and shiny skin, but Sophie isn’t nearly as good looking and doesn’t have any trophies at all. One day, while Sophie is singing about her sorrows, the Toadettes are impressed and ask her to join their group. They convince her to do a solo at the fair when the rest of the group gets sick from eating bad flies. You can guess who finally gets a trophy of her own that night. Susan Elya’s seamless verse that includes Spanish vocabulary and Viviana Garofoli’s vivid, lively illustrations makes Sophie’s story one all kids will relate to while they search for their special talents.
Sweet Dreams/Dulces Suenos (My Family: Mi Familia)
Shh, shh, close your eyes.
Shh . . . shh . . . Cierra los ojitos.
Outside, the rabbits are sleeping,
Afuera, los conejitos están durmiendo
and the birds, and the squirrels.
junto con los pajaritos, y las ardillas.
Inside, Grandma tucks
us snugly into bed.
Adentro, Abuelita nos da
las buenas noches.
The stars and moon
are shining bright.
Las estrellas y la
luna brillan.
Sweet dreams!
¡Dulces sueños!
As warm and comforting as a grandmother’s voice, this endearing book in the My Family/Mi familia series makes bedtime a soothing family tradition.
Este encantador libro de la serie My Family/Mi familia, tan cálido y reconfortante como la voz de una abuela, ayuda a convertir la hora de dormir en una armoniosa tradición familiar.
Adiós, Tricycle
It’s yard sale time, and things are flying off the tables. But this little piggy isn’t letting anybody buy his tricycle. Sure, he’s too big to ride it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love it anymore! But when the day is almost over, someone just the right size comes along, and it’s clearly time to let the trike go. Luckily, it turns out the yard sale money is meant for a very exciting new purchase—a big-boy bike! Susan Middleton Elya’s trademark mix of Spanish vocabulary and clever verse and Elisabeth Schlossberg’s vibrant illustrations come together in a funny, tender tale of saying good-bye to things you’ve outgrown.
Alphabet City Ballet
Marisol has always loved to dance–from the salsa at family parties to the boom boxes on Loisada Avenue. Then she wins a scholarship to ballet school and discovers an inspiring new world of beauty and discipline. When violence erupts in Alphabet City, Marisol’s dream starts to slip away. To keep dancing she must make heartbreaking choices–perhaps impossible ones.