Family

Me in the Middle

When ten-year-old Bel finds a photograph of her great-grandmother Beatrice, or Bisa Bea, she convinces her mother to let her borrow it. When the picture inexplicably vanishes, Bisa Bea’s voice suddenly emerges inside Bel, telling stories of the old days and counseling her on proper behavior by young girls. Then another voice emerges that tells her to be strong; this one belongs to her future granddaughter, and the key to how these voices came to live inside her lies in the lost photo of her great-grandmother. This whimsical, witty novel shows how knowledge of the past can strengthen the wisdom of future generations.

Tales Of the Amazon: How the Munduruku Indians Live

A member of a local Amazon tribe takes readers deep into the heart of Brazil in this lavish picture book. First, we meet a young Munduruku boy and discover how he is trained in the sacred ways of a shaman. In the second part, the author recounts his journey to the city after growing up among the trees and animals of the jungle, describing what he found there and how the people he met treated him. Part three offers a portrait of Amazonian culture – how they live, their legends, and their language.

Tia Isa Wants a Car

Tía Isa wants a car. A shiny green car the same color as the ocean, with wings like a swooping bird. A car to take the whole family to the beach. But saving is hard when everything goes into two piles — one for here and one for Helping Money, so that family members who live far away might join them someday. While Tía Isa saves, her niece does odd jobs for neighbors so she can add her earnings to the stack. But even with her help, will they ever have enough? s

Nzingha: Warrior Queen Of Matamba, Angola, Africa, 1595 (The Royal Diaries)

Presents the diary of 13-year-old Nzingha, a 16th-century West African princess who loves to hunt and hopes to lead her kingdom one day against the invasion of the Portuguese slave traders.

Limpopo Lullaby

In 2000, as Mozambique was ravaged by floods, many people found that their only choice was to take shelter in trees. In one tiny village a woman, stuck with her family in a tree, was about to give birth. The remarkable story of this woman and her miraculous child is the inspiration for Limpopo Lullaby.Jane Jolly’s lyrical prose captures the rhythms of village life while Dee Huxley’s vibrant pastels portray nature in all her moods, ranging from brooding skies to swirling floodwaters to a glimpse of sun.

The Moon Has Written You A Poem

Subtly capturing the innocence and imagination of childhood, this magical poetry collection captures the innocence and imagination of childhood focuses on the importance of family. Deftly translated verse captures the lyrical rhymes of the original Portuguese while providing a whimsical escape for the entire family to enjoy.

Victoria Goes to Brazil

Victoria’s mother was born in Brazil, but she and her daughter live in London. Now it’s time for a visit to the country where Mom grew up. From a coffee farm to a saint’s day procession, from a street children’s shelter to a huge family barbeque, Victoria learns about her mother’s country and enjoys getting to know her large Brazilian family. Using vibrant photographs and a first-person narrative based on the fresh perceptions of a child, Victoria Goes to Brazil stimulates young imaginations by showcasing the unfamiliar yet fascinating food, clothing, customs, and culture of this colorful and diverse country.

From North To South/Del Norte Al Sur

José loves helping Mamá in the garden outside their home in California. But when Mamá is sent back to Mexico for not having citizenship papers, José and his Papá face an uncertain future. What will it be like to visit Mamá in Tijuana? When will she be able to come home? Award-winning children’s book author René Colato Laínez tackles the difficult and timely subject of family separation with exquisite tenderness. Joe Cepeda’s bright and engaging illustrations bring this story of hope to vivid life.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2

Under A Red Sky: Memoir Of A Childhood In Communist Romania

Eva Zimmermann is eight years old, and she has just discovered she is Jewish. Such is the life of an only child living in postwar Bucharest, a city that is changing in ever more frightening ways. Eva’s family, full of eccentric and opinionated adults, will do absolutely anything to keep her safe—even if it means hiding her identity from her. With razor-sharp depictions of her animated relatives, Haya Leah Molnar’s memoir of her childhood captures with touching precocity the very adult realities of living behind the iron curtain.

I Am Fifteen-And I Don’t Want To Die

Christine is only fifteen, and she’s caught in the middle of a war-torn city.  Huddled in the cold, dark cellar of their bombed-out apartment building, Christine and her family listen in fear as the battle rages over their heads.  They must get out of the city–but where will they go and how will they escape?  Christine is learning some hard lessons about life–and death–as she struggles to stay alive amidst the horrors of war.