When I was a kid, I often felt powerless. I felt like adults made the decisions and children were often told to be “seen and not heard.” Then, when I was in high school, I went to a United Nations-sponsored summer camp where I met teens from around the world. My friends were refugees who had escaped from wars. They came from cities like Belfast, where they lived under the threat of political violence. Their experiences were so different from my own that their stories made a lasting impression on me. Ever since, I have loved reading and writing stories–real and fictional–about kids who are working to repair our world.
This poetic, richly illustrated picture book was inspired by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and all Indigenous Nations’ fight for the land and water. I love the way that author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade portray the young water protector in this story—as a girl who is fiercely determined to rally her people together, standing up for the importance of clean water. As the author’s note says, “This is not just a Native American issue; this is a humanitarian issue.” When the main character says, “Take courage!” I hope all readers feel inspired to become “stewards of the Earth.”
Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal #1 New York Times Bestseller
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption―a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.
Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . .
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people’s water, one young water protector Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
“You have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow,” is how this wonderful picture book opens. Like We Are Water Protectors, Pride shows how one person’s voice has the power to create positive change. I was familiar with the rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBTQIA+ rights, but Sanders’ biography of lawmaker and activist Harvey Milk filled in important historical details for me. This book gave me context for understanding how the flag represents the joy, hope—and sometimes the risk—of advocating for equal rights.
★ An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year selection
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rainbow Pride Flag with the very first picture book to tell its remarkable and inspiring history! In this deeply moving and empowering true story, young readers will trace the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today's world. Award-winning author Rob Sanders's stirring text, and acclaimed illustrator Steven Salerno's evocative images, combine to tell this remarkable - and undertold - story.…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
Editors Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson call their book of essays, poems, mini-memoirs, and art from fifty children’s book creators a treasury. It is a treasure, offering support, understanding, and encouragement to young readers. As Sharon G. Flake writes in her piece “When I Think of You”: “Every generation faces a series of storms that seem insurmountable,” but “hard times do not always harden people. Often, they reveal what we’re made of—who we are inside.” Those children who are scared when they observe community divisiveness or experience discrimination will feel embraced and inspired by the warm, motivating words and pictures in We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. I wish my children were still young enough to gather around and read this inviting, honest book as a family.
Fifty of the foremost diverse children's authors and illustrators--including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander--share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this beautiful, full-color keepsake collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books.
What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice to young activists.
Featuring poems, letters, personal essays, art, and other works from such industry leaders as Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming), Jason Reynolds (All…
This middle-grade satire was one of my favorite reads of 2021! In the not-too-distant future, seventh-grader Ahab and his friends discover what just might be the last living bullfrog in the United States. Hoping to save the species, they decide not to give Alph the frog to authorities. Instead, the crew takes off on a not-quite legal bike trip to find a mate for Alph. In the process, author Madelyn Rosenberg shows us the world as it might be, if we don’t make an effort to save the climate. A bumbling environmental police force and indoor theme park/recreation center had me giggling, even as I got the message of this brilliant climate fiction novel.
Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen's classic Hoot, this humorous adventure story set in a not-so-distant future celebrates the important differences we can make with small, brave acts.
When Ahab and his friends find a bullfrog in their town -- a real, live bullfrog, possibly the last bullfrog in North America -- they have several options:A. Report it to the Environmental Police Force. Too bad everyone knows the agency is a joke.B. Leave it be. They're just a bunch of kids -- what if they hurt it by moving it?C. Find another real, live bullfrog on the black market. Convince…
“Rowdy” Randy Cox, a woman staring down the barrel of retirement, is a curmudgeonly blue-collar butch lesbian who has been single for twenty years and is trying to date again.
At the end of a long, exhausting shift, Randy finds her supervisor, Bryant, pinned and near death at the warehouse…
Tired of girls at Fisher Middle School being singled out for dress code violations, Molly Frost starts a podcast called Dress Coded. I connected with Molly’s engaging, frustrated voice from page one. She acknowledges that, while she wants to advocate for change at her school, she doesn’t know how to go about it. Molly’s on-air interviews with classmates and former victims of dress code harassment paint a realistic picture: the students of Fisher Middle School feel disempowered. Slowly, the kids realize that they are a valuable part of their school community and find a way to make their voices heard. Dress Coded is a must-read for young feminists of any gender.
Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top.
Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit.
Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F.
Because it's impossible to find shorts that are longer than her fingertips.
Because girls' bodies are not a distraction.
Because school is hard enough.
And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Because now the girls are standing up…
This big-hearted verse novel is a time capsule of one class’s poems during a transformative school year. Emerson Elementary is scheduled to close in June. Two yellow bulldozers crouch outside, ready to eat the building in one greedy gulp. But look out! Inspired by their teacher, the eighteen fifth graders of Ms. Hill’s class are ready to speak up, take action, and work together to save their beloved school. The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary is an award-winning story about finding your voice and making sure others hear it.
Blood of the White Bear
by
Marcia Calhoun Forecki,
Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join the…
Tina Edwards loved her childhood and creating fairy houses, a passion shared with her father, a world-renowned architect. But at nine years old, she found him dead at his desk and is haunted by this memory. Tina's mother abruptly moved away, leaving Tina with feelings of abandonment and suspicion.
