Picture Books for Young Children
Abuela by Arthur Dorros(1991)While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City.
Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff(0060287764 )Describes in verse a family with a brown-skinned mother, white-skinned father, two children, and their various relatives.
Fire Race: a Karuk Coyote Tale about how Fire Came to the People by Jonathan London(1993)With the help of other animals, Wise Old Coyote manages to acquire fire from the wicked Yellow Jacket sisters.
Fox Song by Joseph Bruchac(1993)After the death of her Indian great-grandmother, Jamie remembers the many special things the old woman shared with her about the natural world.
Honey I Love and Other Poems by Eloise Greenfield(1978)Titles include "I Look Pretty," "Fun," "Riding on the Train," "Harriet Tubman," and "By Myself."
I Love My Hair by Natasha Tarpley(1997)A young African American girl describes the different, wonderful ways she can wear her hair.
More, More, More, Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories by Vera B. Williams(1990)Three babies are caught up in the air and given loving attention by a father, grandmother, and mother.
My Way: a Margaret and Margarita Story by Lynn Reiser(2007)Parallel text in Spanish and English portrays Margaret and Margarita, who mirror one another as they fix their hair, greet their friends, and engage in other routine activities, each in her own special way.
The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews(2004)A collection of nursery rhymes, both familiar and lesser known, illustrated with photographs in a city setting.
Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes(2003)A collection of more than two dozen nursery rhymes in Spanish, from Spain and Latin America, with English translations.
Round is a Mooncake: a Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong(2000)As a little girl discovers things round, square, and rectangular in her urban neighborhood, she is reminded of her Chinese American culture.
What a Wonderful World by George Weiss(1995)Children put on a puppet show using the words to the song "What a Wonderful World," made famous by Louis Armstrong.
Picture Books for Older Children
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki(1993)A Japanese American boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during World War II, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over.
From the Bellybutton of the Moon and other Summer Poems by Francisco Alarcon(1998)A bilingual collection of poems in which the renowned Mexican American poet revisits and celebrates his childhood memories of summers, Mexico, and nature.
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say(1993)A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.
Hairs = Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros(1997)A girl describes how each person in the family has hair that looks and acts different, Papa's like a broom, Kiki's like fur, and Mama's with the sweet smell of bread before it's baked.
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes(1994)
Mirandy and Brother Wind by Pat McKissack(1996)To win first prize in the Junior Cakewalk, Mirandy tries to capture the wind for her partner.
Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen(1998)Told to make a Pilgrim doll for the Thanksgiving display at school, Molly is embarassed when her mother tries to help her out by creating a doll dressed as she herself was dressed before leaving Russia to seek religious freedom.
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco(1992)A long-lasting friendship develops between Larnel, a young African-American, and Mrs. Katz, a lonely, Jewish widow, when Larnel presents Mrs. Katz with a scrawny kitten without a tail.
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco(1994)Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their capture by Southern troops. Based on a true story about the author's great-great-grandfather.
Shades of Black: a Celebration of our Children by Sandra Pinkney(2000)Photographs and poetic text celebrate the beauty and diversity of African American children.
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson(2005)The making of "Show ways," or quilts which once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves, is a tradition passed from mother to daughter in the author's family.
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold(1991)A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto(1993)Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when hours later, she realizes the ring is missing.
Non-Fiction
Arroz Con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America(1989)A collection of traditional Latin American songs and rhymes, in Spanish and English, with the music included.
Dia's Story Cloth by Dia Cha(1996)The story cloth made for her by her aunt and uncle chronicles the life of the author and her family in their native Laos and their eventual emigration to the United States.
Hands Around the World: 365 Ways to Build Cultural Awareness and Global Respect by Susan Milord(1992)
Harvesting Hope: the Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull(2003)A biography of Cesar Chavez, from age ten when he and his family lived happily on their Arizona ranch, to age thirty-eight when he led a peaceful protest against California migrant workers' miserable working conditions.
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton(1985)He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit and other animal tales. He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit -- Doc Rabbit, Bruh Fox, and Tar Baby -- Tappin, the land turtle -- Bruh Alligator and Bruh Deer -- Bruh Lizard and Bruh Rabbit -- Bruh Alligator meets trouble -- Wolf and birds and the fish-horse.
Chapter Books
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis(1999)Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan(2000)Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.
Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith(2002)Together with Grampa, Ray Halfmoon, a Seminole-Cherokee boy, finds creative and amusing solutions to life's challenges.
The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich(2008)In 1852, forced by the United States government to leave their beloved Island of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker, fourteen-year-old Omokayas and her Ojibwe family travel in search of a new home.
Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park(2005)While working on a project for an after-school club, Julia, a Korean American girl, and her friend Patrick learn not just about silkworms, but also about tolerance, prejudice, friendship, patience, and more. Between the chapters are short dialogues between the author and main character about the writing of the book.
Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look(2004)"Almost-eight-year-old" Ruby Lu spends time with her baby brother, goes to Chinese school, performs magic tricks and learns to drive, and has adventures with both old and new friends.
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman(1997)One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park(2001)Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.
Tangled Threads: a Hmong Girl's Story by Pegi Deitz Shea(2003)After ten years in a refugee camp in Thailand, thirteen-year-old Mai Yang travels to Providence, Rhode Island, where her Americanized cousins introduce her to pizza, shopping, and beer, while her grandmother and new friends keep her connected to her Hmong heritage.
When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park(2002)With national pride and occasional fear, a brother and sister face the increasingly oppressive occupation of Korea by Japan during World War II, which threatens to suppress Korean culture entirely.
Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka(1992)Recently arrived in Seattle from China, musically untalented Yingtao is faced with giving a violin performance to attract new students for his father when he would rather be working on friendships and playing baseball.
