The Spice Box

Because his grandmother is arriving from India, Rishi wants to cook curry alongside his dad using the flavors from his family’s special spice box, but when he drops the box that holds the family’s heart and history, he draws courage and meaning from their treasured past to set things right.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XVII, Issue 1.

My Day With The Panye

In the hills above Por au Prince, a young girl named Fallon wants more than anything to carry a large woven basket to the market, just like her Manman. As she watches her mother wrap her hair in a mouchwa, Fallon tries to twist her own braids into a scarf and balance the empty panye atop her head, but realizes it’s much harder than she thought. BOOM! Is she ready after all?

In The Tunnel

Fourteen year old Myung-gi flees North Korea with his family during the height of the devastating Korean War, beginning an epic struggle for survival that pushes them to the brink.

Featured in October 2023’s WOW Dozen on Books by Contemporary Korean American Authors.

Plátanos Go With Everything/Los Plátanos Van Con Todo: Bilingual English-Spanish

Platanos are Yesenia’s favorite food. They can be sweet and sugary, or salty and savory. And they’re a part of almost every meal her Dominican family makes. Stop by her apartment and find out why platanos go with everything, especially love!

Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet

Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work is too hard or the kids are mean or the teacher is a zombie alien?!
But when Omar makes a new best friend, things start looking up. That is, until a Big Mean Bully named Daniel makes every day a nightmare! Daniel even tells Omar that all Muslims are going to be kicked out of the country . . . Could that possibly be true?
Luckily, Omar’s enormous imagination and goofy family help him get through life’s ups and downs.

Tomorrow

Yazan no longer goes to the park to play, and he no longer sees his friend who lives next door. Everything around him is changing. His parents sit in front of the television with the news turned up LOUD and Yazan’s little red bike leans forgotten against the wall. Will he ever be able to go outside and play? An uplifting story about a courageous little boy growing up in a time of conflict, and the strength of family love.

When Jo Louis Won The Title

Jo Louis dreads her first day in her new school because she is sure that the other children will make fun of her name. “This will be an effective prompt for many families and how-you-got-your-name stories, and many youngsters, especially reading with relatives, will appreciate the loving evocation of bonds to kin and history.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books