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A Different Pond by Bao Phi; Thi Bui (Illustrator)
A young Vietnamese-American boy is woken up very early by his dad to go down to the fishing hole, but this trip is more than about fishing--the boy learns from his dad just how far their family has come to get to where they are. Takes place in Minneapolis!
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson; E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Mia Tang and her immigrant parents are not exactly living the American dream since moving here from China--they live in the Calivista Motel, and Mia must tend to its guests. Her parents, meanwhile, have been hiding illegal immigrants in the motel's empty rooms, risking the wrath of the owner, Mr. Yao. On the personal life front, Mia wants to become a writer, but her mother is being very discouraging because she is better at math and English is not her first language. No matter what, however, Mia vows to follow her dreams.
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
After his father's death, Isaiah feels that he is now the man of the house and it is his responsibility to take care of his Mama and little sister. When things get really tough at home, Isaiah depends on the stories in his daddy's journal in order to find his way out of the darkness.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña; Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Every Sunday little CJ and his grandma take the public bus, the Market Street bus, across town. Before today it never occurred to CJ to ask why they don't have a car, like his friend Colby does. This opens a floodgate of questions about his own possessions compared to other people's, but his lovely grandma has a wise answer for each: they don't have a car because they have a bus! Who needs an iPod with live musicians on the street? And their dirtier part of town, compared with the clean areas, still has beauty in it.
Watercress by Andrea Wang; Jason Chin (Illustrator)
A family drive through the Ohio countryside is interrupted when a young girl's family stops to collect watercress, growing wild in a ditch. The child of Chinese immigrants, the girl is embarrassed that her family is collecting the weed rather than getting their groceries at store like most Americans. However, when her mother describes a childhood memory of gathering the plant in her Chinese village, the girl gains a new appreciation for her heritage.
A Different Pond by
A young Vietnamese-American boy is woken up very early by his dad to go down to the fishing hole, but this trip is more than about fishing--the boy learns from his dad just how far their family has come to get to where they are. Takes place in Minneapolis!
Each Kindness by
Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya.
Front Desk by
Mia Tang and her immigrant parents are not exactly living the American dream since moving here from China--they live in the Calivista Motel, and Mia must tend to its guests. Her parents, meanwhile, have been hiding illegal immigrants in the motel's empty rooms, risking the wrath of the owner, Mr. Yao. On the personal life front, Mia wants to become a writer, but her mother is being very discouraging because she is better at math and English is not her first language. No matter what, however, Mia vows to follow her dreams.
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by
After his father's death, Isaiah feels that he is now the man of the house and it is his responsibility to take care of his Mama and little sister. When things get really tough at home, Isaiah depends on the stories in his daddy's journal in order to find his way out of the darkness.
Last Stop on Market Street by
Every Sunday little CJ and his grandma take the public bus, the Market Street bus, across town. Before today it never occurred to CJ to ask why they don't have a car, like his friend Colby does. This opens a floodgate of questions about his own possessions compared to other people's, but his lovely grandma has a wise answer for each: they don't have a car because they have a bus! Who needs an iPod with live musicians on the street? And their dirtier part of town, compared with the clean areas, still has beauty in it.
Watercress by
A family drive through the Ohio countryside is interrupted when a young girl's family stops to collect watercress, growing wild in a ditch. The child of Chinese immigrants, the girl is embarrassed that her family is collecting the weed rather than getting their groceries at store like most Americans. However, when her mother describes a childhood memory of gathering the plant in her Chinese village, the girl gains a new appreciation for her heritage.