Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad


Monica Edinger - 2013
    But before she can work off her debt, an unthinkable chain of events unfolds: a capture by slave traders; weeks in a dark and airless hold; a landing in Cuba, where she and three other children are sold and taken aboard the Amistad; a mutiny aboard ship; a trial in New Haven that eventually goes all the way to the Supreme Court and is argued in the Africans’ favor by John Quincy Adams. Narrated in a remarkable first-person voice, this fictionalized book of memories of a real-life figure retells history through the eyes of a child — from seeing mirrors for the first time and struggling with laughably complicated clothing to longing for family and a home she never forgets. Lush, full-color illustrations by Robert Byrd, plus archival photographs and documents, bring an extraordinary journey to life.

Sascha Martin's Rocket-Ship (Sascha Martin's Adventures,# 1).


John Arthur Nichol - 2016
    The first disastrous adventure of Sascha Martin, the eight year old inventor who brings new meaning, and catastrophe, to Show and Tell. A book designed to be read aloud, with pictures and verse that children will adore. Sascha Martin’s Rocket-Ship is a wild, funny, deliciously silly adventure wrapped in rhyming verse and Manuela Pentangelo’s wonderful illustrations. Flying pies meet screaming teachers high above the school in this debut disaster featuring Sascha Martin, an eight-year old boy whose genius knows no responsibility.

You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Great Wall of China!: Defenses You'd Rather Not Build


Jacqueline Morley - 2002
    You are living in the third century BC under the ruler Qin, the Emperor of China. The Emperor has many unfair laws. Unfortunately, you break one of those laws and are given the punishment of hard labor. You're sentenced to long days of brutal work building the Great Wall of China. This is hard work in the scorching heat of the summer and the bitter cold in the mountains. If it were up to you. You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Great Wall of China.

Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America


Jim Murphy - 2000
    Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy orchestrates with fact, science, technology, and sociology the testimony of survivors and victims to tell the harrowing story of the phenomenal blizzard that crippled New York City in March, 1888.

Martí's Song for Freedom / Martí y sus versos por la libertad


Emma Otheguy - 2017
    He found freedom in the river that rushed to the sea and peace in the palmas reales that swayed in the wind. Freedom, he believed, was the inherent right of all men and women. But his home island of Cuba was colonized by Spain, and some of the people were enslaved by rich landowners. Enraged, Martí took up his pen and fought against this oppression through his writings. By age seventeen, he was declared an enemy of Spain and forced to leave his beloved island.Martí traveled the world, speaking out for Cuba’s independence. But throughout his exile, he suffered from illness and homesickness. He found solace in New York’s Catskill Mountains, where nature inspired him once again to fight for independence.Written in verse, with excerpts from Martí’s seminal Versos sencillos, this bilingual picture book is a beautiful tribute to a brilliant political writer and courageous fighter of freedom for all men and women.

Titanic: Voices From the Disaster (Scholastic Focus)


Deborah Hopkinson - 2012
    Packed with heartstopping action, devastating drama, fascinating historical details, loads of archival photographs on almost every page, and quotes from primary sources, this gripping story, which follows the TITANIC and its passengers from the ship's celebrated launch at Belfast to her cataclysmic icy end, is sure to thrill and move readers.

Lola The Mermaid and The Splish Splash Olympics


Lily Lexington - 2012
    

Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper


Candace Fleming - 2020
    The cub's mother lost the instinct to care for him. "Just do for him what you would do with a human baby," Fred suggested...and she did. Helen named him MacArthur, and fed him milk from a bottle and cooed him to sleep in a crib.Soon enough, MacArthur was not the only cub bathed in the tub! The couple continues to raise lion and tiger cubs as their own, until they are old enough to return them to zoos. Helen becomes the first female zookeeper at the Bronx zoo, the keeper of the nursery.This is a terrific non-fiction book to read aloud while snuggling up with your cubs! Filled with adorable baby cats, this is a story about love, dedication, and a new kind of family.Gorgeously patterned illustrations by Julie Downing detail the in-home nursery and a warm pallet creates a cozy pairing with Candace Fleming's lovely language.Backmatter includes a short biography of Helen Martini and a selected bibliography.A Junior Library Guild Selection!

Cats: Nature and Nurture


Andy Hirsch - 2019
    Equipped with teeth, claws, and camouflage to survive everywhere from deserts to mountaintops, how did these ferocious felines make the leap from predators to playmates... and are they even done leaping?Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, the solar system, robots, and more. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty year old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman


Marc Tyler Nobleman - 2008
    Both boys escaped into the worlds of science fiction and pulp magazine adventure tales. Jerry wrote stories, and Joe illustrated them. In 1934, they created a superhero who was everything they were not. It was four more years before they convinced a publisher to take a chance on their Man of Steel in a new format—the comic book. The author includes a provocative afterword about Jerry and Joe’s long struggle with DC Comics when they realized they had made a mistake in selling all rights to Superman for a mere $130!Marc Tyler Nobleman’s text captures the excitement of Jerry and Joe’s triumph, and the energetic illustrations by Ross MacDonald, the author-artist of Another Perfect Day, are a perfect complement to the time, the place, and the two young visionaries.

Moon's First Friends: One Giant Leap for Friendship


Susanna Leonard Hill - 2019
    Dinosaurs roam, pyramids are built, and boats are made, but still no one comes. The Moon can't help but wonder…will friends ever come visit her? Until one day a spaceship soars from Earth...and so does her heart.Learn about the spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon through this heartwarming story about friendship! Filled with adorable illustrations and charming text, this moon book for kids is a must-have for parents and teachers alike searching for new preschool solar system books and astronaut books for toddlers.Why readers love Moon's First Friends:An educational and heartwarming story about the first moon landing told from the unique perspective of the Moon itself!Educational back matter includes out-of-this world facts about the moon, space flight, and the individuals who made the mission possibleA scannable QR code allows readers to listen to the exciting countdown to Apollo 11's liftoff

March On!: The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World


Christine King Farris - 2008
    From Dr. Martin Luther King's sister, the definitive tribute to the man, the march, and the speech that changed a nation.

The Dumbest Idea Ever!: A Graphic Novel


Jimmy Gownley - 2014
    But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school. Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right. How did Jimmy turn things around, get back on top at school, and land a date with the cutest girl in class? Renowned comics creator Jimmy Gownley shares his adventures as he grows from an eager-to-please boy into a teenage comic book artist. This is the real-life story of how the DUMBEST idea ever became the BEST thing that ever happened to him.

Earthrise: Apollo 8 and the Photo That Changed the World


James Gladstone - 2018
    People marched for peace, fairness, and freedom. At the same time, the Apollo 8 crew was about to go farther into space than anyone had gone before--to the moon.As they surveyed the moon's surface, astronauts aboard Apollo 8 looked up just when Earth was rising out of the darkness of space. They saw the whole planet--no countries, no borders. The photograph they took, Earthrise, had a profound effect when published widely back on Earth, galvanizing the environmental movement, changing the way people saw our single, fragile home planet, and sparking hope during a year of unrest.This important and timely picture book is publishing to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission, telling the story behind the photograph, both inside the spaceship and back on Earth. Text includes dialogue pulled from NASA's Apollo 8 transcript, drawing readers into the moment Earth was first photographed in color from space. An author's note at the end explains more about the photograph, the Apollo 8 mission, and how Earthrise went on to inspire Earth Day.

The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story


Jay Hosler - 2000
    LikeWhen does a bee go through metamorphosis?Why does a queen bee sometimes leave her hive?And where does all this honey come from, anyway?!But Nyuki’s biggest question is, “What is this inner voice I hear, and why does it tell me to go forth to adventure?Follow Nyuki on a lifelong journey as she annoys her sisters, avoids predators, and learns to trust her inner voice as she masters the way of the hive.And if you still have questions at the end, the back of the book uncovers even more mysteries about the lives of these incredible insects!