To prepare for his school’s Spanish spelling bee, a young boy asks his grandmother for help. There are words he still does not know how to spell. With this simple request, a door is opened for him to learn more about his grandmother’s story as she reveals how she was only allowed to speak English at school when she was a young girl. This story inspires him to study hard for the spelling bee so he can make his family proud. Inspired by the author’s memories of his grandmother’s stories told to him when he was a boy.
School
The Walking School Bus
Inspired by interviews conducted with children in rural African and India, author Aaron Friedland tells the story of a brother and sister, Shaka and Nandi, who must find a way to get to school safely. With their father having to go to work in a mine far away, they won’t be able to go to school anymore because of the long, and unsafe, distance. But after discovering a yellow toy school bus, Shaka and Nandi come up with a brilliant solution that will take the whole community to help bring it to fruition.
Do I Belong Here?/ ¿es Este Mi Lugar?
This bilingual book displays the experiences of newcomer students in schools.
A Head Full Of Birds
“School is a lonely place for Nanette until she meets Noah, who understands how her unusual ideas make the world more beautiful”–
Secret Schools
Education goes undercover in this compelling look at some of the world’s most secretive schools through history.
Tomorrow Is New Year’s Day: Seollal, A Korean Celebration Of The Lunar New Year
rom Korean American author-illustrator Aram Kim, Tomorrow is New Year’s Day follows a little girl sharing the fun customs of Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year with her classmates.
Onyeka And The Academy Of The Sun
When twelve-year-old Onyeka discovers that she has psychokinetic powers, her mother reveals that she is Solari, part of a secret group of Nigerian mutants that trains at the Academy of the Sun.
Field Trip To The Moon
In this wordless picture book, a girl is accidentally left behind on a class trip to the moon.
The Marae Visit
When the class visits the marae they have lots to learn and lots to do. And they have lots of fun! This is a wonderful story about what to expect when visiting a marae.
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish
After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus’s mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.