Palacio, author of Wonder For Magda Newman, normal was a goal--she wanted her son Nathaniel to be able to play on the playground, swim at the beach, enjoy the moments of childhood that are often taken for granted. But Nathaniel's severe Treacher Collins syndrome--a craniofacial condition--meant that other concerns came first. Could he eat without the aid of a gastrointestinal tube? Could he hear? Would he ever be able to breathe effortlessly? In this moving memoir, Newman, with the help of her son, tells the story of raising Nathaniel, from the shock she and her husband faced when he was born, to the inspiration of Nathaniel's own strength and quirky humor. All this while also facing both non-Hodgkins and Hodgkins lymphoma diagnoses of her own. This uplifting story of a family tackling complex and terrifying circumstances with love and resilience is a true testament to Magda and her family, and to families everywhere who quietly but courageously persist.

    The start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious, so his favorite person in the whole world, his grandfather Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you’re really good at. And become the BEST at it.Those four little words sear themselves into Rahul’s brain. While he’s not quite sure what that special thing is, he is convinced that once he finds it, bullies like Brent Mason will stop torturing him at school. And he won’t be worried about staring too long at his classmate Justin Emery. With his best friend, Chelsea, by his side, Rahul is ready to crush this challenge. . . . But what if he discovers he isn’t the best at anything?Funny, charming, and incredibly touching, this is a story about friendship, family, and the courage it takes to live your truth.

    In Nibi's Water Song, Nibi is an Indigenous girl on the search for clean water to drink. Though she is faced with repeated obstacles, Nibi's joyful and determined energy become a catalyst for change and action as her community and, in widening circles, the country and government, rally around her to make clean drinking water available for all. There is a strong underlying message that even when a problem seems too large to face, every bit that everyone does helps. And inaction is not an option.Sunshine Tenasco, an Anishinabeg activist for clean water, has an amazing optimistic spirit that shines through her writing. The hopeful tone and lyrical read-aloud quality of this gentle allegorical tale open the door to conversations and action aimed at young children, whether they are on a reserve that does not have clean water or they are living with access to clean water. Chief Lady Bird's stunning, original artwork carries through the themes of strength, hope, and resilience in an incredible collaboration of talent.

    One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes that dance through Cora's head, she and Mama decide to make pancit, her favorite noodle dish. With Mama's help, Cora does the grown-up jobs like shredding the chicken and soaking the noodles (perhaps Mama won't notice if she takes a nibble of chicken or sloshes a little water on the floor). Cora even gets to stir the noodles in the pot carefully-- while Mama supervises. When dinner is finally served, her siblings find out that Cora did all their grown-up tasks, and Cora waits anxiously to see what everyone thinks of her cooking.

    Asma Mobin-Uddin, with illustrations by Barbara Kiwak.When Bilal and his sister Ayesha move with their family, they have to attend a new school. They soon find out that they may be the only Muslim students there. When Bilal sees his sister bullied on their first day, he worries about being teased himself, and thinks it might be best if his classmates didn’t know that he is Muslim. Maybe if he tells kids his name is Bill, rather than Bilal, then they would leave him alone.Mr. Ali, one of Bilal's teachers and also Muslim, sees how Bilal is struggling. He gives Bilal a book about the first person to give the call to prayer during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. That person was another Bilal: Bilal Ibn Rabah. What Bilal learns from the book forms the compelling story of a young boy grappling with his identity.Booklist says: “A good starting place for discussions of cultural differences, prejudice, and respect for the beliefs of others.”

    When you live in The Happy Book, the world is full of daisies and sunshine and friendship cakes . . . until your best friend eats the whole cake and doesn't save you one bite. Moving from happiness to sadness and everything in between, Camper and Clam have a hard time finding their way back to happy. But maybe happy isn't the goal--being a good friend is about supporting each other and feeling all the feels together.At once funny and thoughtful, The Happy Book supports social-emotional learning. It's a book to keep young readers company no matter how they're feeling!

    Children are filling the road. "Will they give us a notebook?" Thomas asks. "Will they give us a pencil?""Will I learn to read?"But when he and the other children arrive at the schoolyard, they find no classroom, no desks. Just a teacher. "We will build our school," she says. "This is our first lesson."James Rumford, who lived in Chad as a Peace Corps volunteer, fills these pages with vibrant ink-and-pastel colors of Africa and the spare words of a poet to show how important learning is in a country where only a few children are able to go to school.

    His father and those around him paint their nails to stand against Ben's bullies, encouraging him to be himself, despite what others think. This picture book touches on emotions, being yourself, and peaceful solutions to negative confrontation.

    But then Mama reminds her that today is their neighbor Miz Adeline s birthday, and Kameeka has a ton of chores to do to get ready for the party they are hosting. Kameeka s disappointed to be stuck at home and can only think about the hoopin competition. Distracted, Kameeka accidentally ruins Miz Adeline s birthday cake, and has to confess to her that there won t be a cake for her special day. But then Miz Adeline s confesses something too: she s also got the itch the hula-hoopin itch! Her fingers start snappin . Her hips start swingin . Soon everyone s hips are swinging as the party spills out onto the street. The whole neighborhood s got the itch the hula-hoopin itch! With vibrant illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, The Hula-Hoopin Queen is a charming celebration of family and community ties. Set in Harlem, this intergenerational story shows the importance of staying young at heart."

    Their parents call them their ten little dumplings, as both sons and dumplings are auspicious. But if you look closely, you'll see that someone else is there, listening, studying, learning and discovering her own talent -- a sister. As this little girl grows up in the shadow of her brothers, her determination and persistence help her to create her own path in the world . . . and becomes the wisdom she passes on to her own daughter, her own little dumpling.Based on a short film made by the author, inspired by her father's family in Taiwan, Ten Little Dumplings looks at some unhappy truths about the place of girls in our world in an accessible, inspiring and hopeful way.

    In this engaging story about identity, loyalty and what it really means to be a family, Guji, Guji makes some pretty big decisions about who he is, what he is, and what it all means, anyway. Ages 4 and up.

    They're going to ride bikes, paint, and camp together! But when the cousins arrive, everything's wrong: Rosie and Takeo are better painters than Lila, have skateboards instead of bikes, and don't want to camp outside.Lila is terribly disappointed until the cousins make her a surprise: a big banner for their best cousin Lila!Inspired by the author's own large, diverse family, When the Cousins Came is a sensitive story about insecurity, hosting, and friendship. Katie Yamasaki's tale, paired with bright mixed-media art, reminds children that negative thoughts and anxiety over exclusion don't always translate to reality, and that even when plans go wrong you can still have a good time together.

    Ganesha is just like any other kid, except that he has the head of an elephant and rides around on a magical mouse. And he loves sweets, especially the traditional dessert laddoo. But when Ganesha insists on biting into a super jumbo jawbreaker laddoo, his tusk breaks off! Ganesha is terribly upset, but with the help of the wise poet Vyasa, and his friend Mr. Mouse, he learns that what seems broken can actually be quite useful after all. With vibrant, graphic illustrations, expressive characters, and offbeat humor, this is a wonderfully inventive rendition of a classic tale.

    It doesn't sound at all like myChinese name, Na-Li, which means beautiful.It's a long way from Taiwan to San Francisco, but Hannah's family has made the journey because they want to make America their home. Here in America, Baba tells his daughter, people are free to say what they think, and children can grow up to be whatever they choose. And so Hannah takes a new name, begins a new school, learns a new language, and starts to adjust to a new way of life. Meanwhile, they all wait — and hope — for the arrival of the green cards that will assure they are finally home to stay.

    After their home is destroyed by a fire, Rosa, her mother and grandmother save their coins to buy a really comfortable chair for all to enjoy.