Multicultural Stories
Hispanic Culture
Parrots Over Puerto Rico
By: Susan Roth & Cindy Trumbore
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Puerto Rican parrots, once abundant, came perilously close to extinction in the 1960s due to centuries of foreign exploration and occupation, development, and habitat destruction. In this compelling book, Roth and Trumbore use collage illustrations and a unique format to recount the efforts of the scientists of the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program to save the parrots and ensure their future.
This is a great book to explore the Puerto Rican culture and global issues. After reading Parrots Over Puerto Rico, we could read books about other efforts to save other endangered species around the world and in our own country.
By: Susan Roth & Cindy Trumbore
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Puerto Rican parrots, once abundant, came perilously close to extinction in the 1960s due to centuries of foreign exploration and occupation, development, and habitat destruction. In this compelling book, Roth and Trumbore use collage illustrations and a unique format to recount the efforts of the scientists of the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program to save the parrots and ensure their future.
This is a great book to explore the Puerto Rican culture and global issues. After reading Parrots Over Puerto Rico, we could read books about other efforts to save other endangered species around the world and in our own country.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
By: Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
As a young boy, Cesar Chavez grew up on an 80-acre ranch in Arizona in the midst of joyous family reunions. When his family had to leave Arizona, however, to work as migrant laborers in California, their lives were turned upside down. During these excrutiating days and nights, Cesar struggled — but then found the resolve to one day help his fellow workers. Yuyi Morales brings Cesar's childhood and early days as an organizer to life with stunning illustrations.
By: Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
As a young boy, Cesar Chavez grew up on an 80-acre ranch in Arizona in the midst of joyous family reunions. When his family had to leave Arizona, however, to work as migrant laborers in California, their lives were turned upside down. During these excrutiating days and nights, Cesar struggled — but then found the resolve to one day help his fellow workers. Yuyi Morales brings Cesar's childhood and early days as an organizer to life with stunning illustrations.
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match
By: Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Sara Palacios
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Meet Marisol McDonald, a spunky young girl with fiery red hair and brown skin who wears green polka dots with purple stripes, mixes English and Spanish, and eats peanut butter and jelly burritos. Everyone tells her she doesn't match, until one day she tries matching — and discovers that it makes her miserable. At the end of the day, however, her teacher shares a special secret with her and lets her know she likes Marisol for who she is: a creative, bilingual Peruvian-Scottish-American! This poignant story, based on Monica Brown's childhood, celebrates each individual's uniqueness and reminds children that it's ok not to fit into boxes that other people may put you into. Bilingual text.
By: Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Sara Palacios
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Meet Marisol McDonald, a spunky young girl with fiery red hair and brown skin who wears green polka dots with purple stripes, mixes English and Spanish, and eats peanut butter and jelly burritos. Everyone tells her she doesn't match, until one day she tries matching — and discovers that it makes her miserable. At the end of the day, however, her teacher shares a special secret with her and lets her know she likes Marisol for who she is: a creative, bilingual Peruvian-Scottish-American! This poignant story, based on Monica Brown's childhood, celebrates each individual's uniqueness and reminds children that it's ok not to fit into boxes that other people may put you into. Bilingual text.
¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes
By: Alma Flor Ada & Isabel Campoy
Illustrated by: Vivi Escriva
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning
Reader Rhymes from Spanish speaking countries are presented in Spanish and recreated in English to form a bilingual collection, with attention to the sounds and patterns of both languages. Vivid illustrations complete this appealing book.
By: Alma Flor Ada & Isabel Campoy
Illustrated by: Vivi Escriva
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning
Reader Rhymes from Spanish speaking countries are presented in Spanish and recreated in English to form a bilingual collection, with attention to the sounds and patterns of both languages. Vivid illustrations complete this appealing book.
The Park Our Town Built
By: Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Illustrated by: Tanja Bauerle
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Pre-Reader
In the style of "The House That Jack Built," Diane Gonzales Bertrand offers a lively picture book that tells the story of a community coming together to build a park for the town. The story highlights key vocabulary words in English and Spanish with matching pictures, making it an excellent read-aloud choice for young children learning comprehension and predicting skills in either language.
By: Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Illustrated by: Tanja Bauerle
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Pre-Reader
In the style of "The House That Jack Built," Diane Gonzales Bertrand offers a lively picture book that tells the story of a community coming together to build a park for the town. The story highlights key vocabulary words in English and Spanish with matching pictures, making it an excellent read-aloud choice for young children learning comprehension and predicting skills in either language.
African Stories
My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez
Share the legacy of Gabriel García Márquez with this bilingual picture-book biography. Monica Brown tells the story of young Gabito and provides children with an introduction to magical realism and the ways Gabito's imagination would later shape his writing. Raúl Colón brings these rich imaginings to life in vivid illustrations that complement the lyrical text. Pura Belpré Honor Award.
Share the legacy of Gabriel García Márquez with this bilingual picture-book biography. Monica Brown tells the story of young Gabito and provides children with an introduction to magical realism and the ways Gabito's imagination would later shape his writing. Raúl Colón brings these rich imaginings to life in vivid illustrations that complement the lyrical text. Pura Belpré Honor Award.
Black History
Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin Cowboy
By: Andrea Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Brian Pinkney
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
The most celebrated black cowboy was Bill Pickett, a fearless rodeo star with a knack for taming bulls that brought the crowds to their feet. The closing note in this book provides an overview of the history of rodeos and black cowboys.
By: Andrea Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Brian Pinkney
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
The most celebrated black cowboy was Bill Pickett, a fearless rodeo star with a knack for taming bulls that brought the crowds to their feet. The closing note in this book provides an overview of the history of rodeos and black cowboys.
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
By: Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator
“Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans” is an extensive volume focusing on American history as it intertwines with the lives of African Americans. The story is told from the viewpoint of an elderly woman who shares her life story while highlighting pivotal historical events including abolition, the Great Migration, World War II, and the Civil Rights movement.
By: Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator
“Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans” is an extensive volume focusing on American history as it intertwines with the lives of African Americans. The story is told from the viewpoint of an elderly woman who shares her life story while highlighting pivotal historical events including abolition, the Great Migration, World War II, and the Civil Rights movement.
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Martin Luther King Jr. grew up fascinated by big words. He would later go on to use these words to inspire a nation and call people to action. In this award-winning book, powerful portraits of King show how he used words, not weapons, to fight injustice.
By: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Martin Luther King Jr. grew up fascinated by big words. He would later go on to use these words to inspire a nation and call people to action. In this award-winning book, powerful portraits of King show how he used words, not weapons, to fight injustice.
More Than Anything Else
By: Marie Bradby, Chris K. Soentpiet
Illustrated by: Chris K. Soentpiet
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
More than anything else, young Booker T. Washington wanted to read. This fictionalized account of Washington’s early life working in a West Virginia salt mine, and his quest to reach his goal despite great obstacles, is eloquently depicted in text and luminous, dramatic watercolors.
By: Marie Bradby, Chris K. Soentpiet
Illustrated by: Chris K. Soentpiet
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
More than anything else, young Booker T. Washington wanted to read. This fictionalized account of Washington’s early life working in a West Virginia salt mine, and his quest to reach his goal despite great obstacles, is eloquently depicted in text and luminous, dramatic watercolors.
Native American Culture
A Story to Tell: Traditions of a Tlingit Community
By: Richard Nichols
Illustrated by: D. Bambi Kraus
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
"Let's go for a walk," Fran tells her granddaughter, Marissa, "I have a story to tell you." Here, at a family reunion, Marissa visits the Tlingit community of Kake for the first time, meets her many relatives, and learns some of the stories and traditions of the Eagle and Raven clans. — Oyate (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)
By: Richard Nichols
Illustrated by: D. Bambi Kraus
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
"Let's go for a walk," Fran tells her granddaughter, Marissa, "I have a story to tell you." Here, at a family reunion, Marissa visits the Tlingit community of Kake for the first time, meets her many relatives, and learns some of the stories and traditions of the Eagle and Raven clans. — Oyate (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)
Meet Lydia: A Native Girl from Southeast Alaska By: Miranda Belarde-Lewis
Illustrated by: John Harrington
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Join Lydia, a Tlingit girl in southeast Alaska, as she makes ceremonial clothing, dances in the region's biggest Native festival, and learns the Tlingit language by helping kindergarteners learn it too. (My World: Young Native Americans Today)
Illustrated by: John Harrington
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Join Lydia, a Tlingit girl in southeast Alaska, as she makes ceremonial clothing, dances in the region's biggest Native festival, and learns the Tlingit language by helping kindergarteners learn it too. (My World: Young Native Americans Today)
Asian Culture
American Born Chinese
By: Gene Luen Yang
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Three storylines — contemporary and mythic — intersect in this tale of a boy who is not comfortable with his culture or himself. This fresh, sometimes surprising, revealing novel is told in image and text. This graphic novel was the first of its format to win the Printz Award for best work of Young Adult Literature.
By: Gene Luen Yang
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Three storylines — contemporary and mythic — intersect in this tale of a boy who is not comfortable with his culture or himself. This fresh, sometimes surprising, revealing novel is told in image and text. This graphic novel was the first of its format to win the Printz Award for best work of Young Adult Literature.
Grandfather Counts
By: Andrea Cheng
Illustrated by: Ange Zhang
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Helen has trouble communicating with her grandfather who has just moved to the United States from China. She speaks no Chinese, Gong Gong speaks no English. Nonetheless, they begin to learn from the other as they watch and count trains together.
By: Andrea Cheng
Illustrated by: Ange Zhang
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Helen has trouble communicating with her grandfather who has just moved to the United States from China. She speaks no Chinese, Gong Gong speaks no English. Nonetheless, they begin to learn from the other as they watch and count trains together.
Grandfather's Journey
By: Allen Say
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
A young man travels from his native Japan to the vast country called America before returning to visit his home with his bride. The exquisite watercolors give the appearance of a family photo album as it relates this autobiographical but universal story of immigration. Country of origin: Japan
By: Allen Say
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
A young man travels from his native Japan to the vast country called America before returning to visit his home with his bride. The exquisite watercolors give the appearance of a family photo album as it relates this autobiographical but universal story of immigration. Country of origin: Japan