Virginia and her brother are never allowed to pick first from the donation boxes at church because their father is the priest. Virginia is heartbroken when another girl gets the beautiful coat that she covets. Based on the author’s memoirs of life on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.
United States
Materials from United States of America
Racing the Sun
Being Navajo wasn’t something twelve-year-old Brandon Rogers liked to advertise. His father had left his Indian heritage behind when he went to college and Brandon had grown up in suburbia-just a regular kid. But then Brandon’s Navajo grandfather moved off the reservation and into the lower bunk in Brandon’s room! It wasn’t easy having a roommate who chanted himself to sleep and got you out of bed before sunrise to race the sun. But now Brandon’s learning lessons he’ll never forget. Like how to take on the old ways without giving up the new. And how to grow up proud and strong … with a heritage as real as an old man’s love.
Alaska’s Native Peoples
Beautiful glossy photographs and descriptions of the native people of the state of Alaska by Ken Graham.
Me Quieres, Mama?
In a Spanish language version of a beloved bestseller, a child living in the Arctic learns that a mother’s love is unconditional. Mama, do you love me? Yes I do Dear One. How much?
The Eye Of The Needle
Sent out by his grandmother to find food, Amik consumes a series of animals of ever-increasing size and brings back more than he thinks.
Child’s Alaska
A year-round look at Alaska that describes its climate and wildlife as well as the different life-styles of its people and their children.
Skippyjon Jones, Class Act
Skippyjon Jones, a Siamese cat who would rather be his Chihuahua alter ego, is determined to attend dog obedience school.
You Don’t Have A Clue
When two gun-toting hoodlums tell the fourteen-year-old narrator of René Saldaña’s story, “The Right Size,” to kiss the floor, he doesn’t think twice. And his dad and younger brother drop to the floor just as quickly. “This guy Jimmy probably thinks Dad is the greatest threat among the three of us, but he’s dead wrong. Dad couldn’t hurt a bug,” the boy thinks. In the ensuing twenty minutes, he learns that his dad isn’t as weak as he thought, and in fact, his dad is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family, even if it means killing someone. The teens featured in these stories deal with situations typical to all young adults, including attraction to the opposite sex—or to the same sex, in one story—and first sexual encounters, problems with family and friends, academic and personal aspirations. But they also deal with every kind of thrilling situation imaginable, from missing girls to kidnappings and dismembered bodies. A young girl finds herself living with her “family,” though she has no memory of them or who they claim she is. A geek at a prestigious public high school finds himself working with his very attractive arch-rival to solve the mystery of a severed, bloody arm that appears inexplicably in his locker. And Mike’s life sucks when his parents split up, but it gets worse when his best friend is abducted by a thug shot by Mike’s dad, a police officer. There’s something for everyone here, with aliens, ghosts and even an Aztec god making appearances in these stories. Set in schools and communities from New York City to Venice Beach, California, the protagonists reflect the breadth and diversity of the Latino authors included in this innovative collection. Published authors such as Mario Acevedo, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Diana López and Sergio Troncoso appear alongside less well-known authors who deserve more recognition. With an introduction by young adult literature expert Dr. James Blasingame of Arizona State University, this collection is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last page is turned.
Carmen
A policeman’s obsessive love for a tempestuous wig factory worker ends in tragedy in this updated version of Bizet’s Carmen, set in Spanish Harlem, and told in screenplay format.
The Monster In The Mattress And Other Stories / El Monstruo En El Colchon Y Otros Cuentos
A bilingual collection of short mystery stories for intermediate readers.