Book Finder

Travel with Annie and Jack to the city of Edo in 17th century Japan on a Magic Tree House Merlin mission to find one of the secrets of happiness. The siblings spend an exciting day with the wise and respected teacher, Basho, using their research skills for a fast-paced, informative, and fantastic adventure.

Tree Ear, a homeless orphan, longs to work as a potter, a respected but competitive employment — especially for a boy who lives under a bridge. Set in 12th century Korea, this Newbery Medal winning novel is as relevant as if it were taking place today. (2002 Newbery Medal Winner)

A little girl gets ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in this gentle and stunningly illustrated book first published in South Korea. Excitement mounts as she details how she dresses for this engaging celebration with universal appeal.

Forced to leave the turmoil and political unrest of their native Vietnam, 13-year old Mai and her family cram into a boat and make way for Hong Kong and ultimately to America. Mai’s voice provides a necessary distance as she chronicles the journey and its horrors in with even tone.

American born Ami Chi is traveling to Vietnam, where the streets are crowded with scooters and the fruit are shaped like dragons and stars. Her parents still consider Vietnam home. But how can home be a place you’ve never been? She finds her answer in the green rice paddies that blanket the countryside, in the bustling Cho Lon market, and in the quiet rooms of her grandmother’s house. Vietnam may be nothing like America, but it feels strangely familiar. Before long, Ami Chi finds that you can travel very far and still find yourself at home.

Moon Shadow joins his father, traveling from China to San Francisco in the early 20th century. Together father and son confront harsh prejudice as well as kindness, and ultimately follow a dream to build a flying machine in this Newbery Honor novel.

Through a quiet text and a series of stunning images created from embroidered cloth, the author relates her family’s often harrowing journey from China to Laos to Thailand, ultimately settling in the United States. An afterward provides additional history and ethnology.

Close-up photographs introduce animal babies who live in rain forests, from a jaguar cub to a young sloth, with lots in between. With a turn of the sturdy page, baby and mama appear together.

Dreams are for the day and the night. Children dream for themselves as well as their community and their world. Short poems, richly imagined and vibrantly illustrated appear in English and Spanish and are firmly rooted in a child’s experience.

A wide selection of Irish poems, music, stories and folktales are presented along with delicate, evocative line and wash illustrations. Sure to please a range of listeners, this collection is ideal for sharing aloud.

Ben’s geography lesson comes to life when he falls asleep and dreams of traveling to famous monuments worldwide. Realistic black and white line drawings combine fantasy and authenticity in this extraordinary adventure.

The artist recalls growing up in south Texas in this celebration of family and cultural traditions presented in vivid paintings and short prose in Spanish and English. Garza’s pride in her Mexican-American heritage is evident and celebrated in this handsome book.

Jenna wants to dance in the powwow as her grandmother and other women in her family have. But she wonders: will she have enough jingles to make her dress sing? Traditional and contemporary activities come together in this appealing, clearly illustrated story of a modern girl and her background, based on the author’s Muscogee (Creek) heritage.

“Stories have delighted both children and adults for as long as there have been families and communities on Earth.” So begins the informative introduction to the dozen takes which are presented here to charm another generation, ideal for reading independently or sharing aloud.

Have you ever wondered how the Milky Way came to be? According to a Cherokee legend, it started when an old couple learned that their corn was being stolen by a Great Spirit dog. To get away, the spirit dog jumps into the sky, spilling the corn. And we can still see the results today in the night sky.

Art combines with poetry and short prose pieces all by creators from Mexico for a culturally specific but emotionally universal literary experience. Stories are everywhere; you simply need to find them. Perhaps as one poet suggests in “The Lemon Tree”: “the tree/is older than you are/and you might find stories/in its branches.”

Three well known spirituals, “This Little Light of Mine,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” have been interpreted in vivid, jewel-toned illustrations and presented in a large format for a new generation. A bit of information about the songs’ history as well as musical notation for each are included.

John Birks Gillespie was an angry child from an abusive home. He was able to overcome huge obstacles when given a trumpet to channel his anger and begin the journey to jazz. ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie’s story is told in swirling images and rhythmic language, telling the story of how music inspired him and how he used his talents to inspire others.

This collection of poems, first published in 1956, reveals the heroes we see in our everyday lives. Vibrant paintings add a fresh, new dimension and bring the poet’s Chicago neighborhood to life.

It may be the amazing photography that catches your eye, but don’t forget to read the stories, too! This fresh and fast-paced magazine contains stories, games, and activities that introduce kids to animals, science, technology, archaeology, geography, and more. Just right for the curious reader!

Rosie, a hen, takes a walk — oblivious to the fox that is following her. Rosie unwittingly leads the hungry fox from one disaster to the next until she returns safely home. The simple text notes only Rosie’s trip around the farm, making the strong line and bright colors of the illustration all the more striking and very funny.

This delightful bedtime story shares daytime activities and nighttime rituals from around the globe. Regardless of where they live, children play by day, laugh, and make lots of noise. At night, their eyes are closed. “Shh! Good night…”

Stylized illustrations and rhyming text take readers on a counting journey led by three Masai children through their richly diverse east African country. Along the way, they count the animals (in English and Swahili) that live in the grasslands. Additional information and a map are included.

Spanish words add flavor to these appealing folktales, cuentos favoritos, carefully illustrated to reflect their Latin American roots. Readers young and old will recognize Juan Bobo’s foolishness, and delight in the sound of the language in the tale of Little Half Chick. Like all folktales, these are ideal for sharing aloud.