Finding Diverse Books 2024 | Easy Readers & Bridging Fiction

Updated December 13, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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What's in a name?
Iwai, Melissa
Paper Book
Gigi wants to go by something besides her baby name--but her full name, Geraldine, is too long to write and Hanako, her middle name, doesn't feel quite right. Will Gigi find the perfect name This exciting new I Can Read series is brought to you by author-illustrator Melissa...

Growing out of your "baby name" is a big transition for many elementary school students! In addition to debating the pros and cons of various grown up names, Gigi also considers how it will affect her beloved Ojiji, who sometimes has trouble pronouncing sounds not spoken in his native Japanese. A great opportunity for students to reflect on what their own names mean to them and what nicknames they do--or don't--want to use with classmates.

Easy Reader Level 3

Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander

Elena rides
Medina, Juana
Ebook
Beginning readers-and beginning riders-will be drawn to this bright, buoyant story of a determined elephant and her loyal sidekick, from the award-winning creator of Juana & Lucas. Elena wants to ride her bike. She steadies, she readies. She wobbles, she bobbles . . ....

Most kids are familiar with the challenging, frustrating, sometimes scary process of learning to ride a bike. Elena faces all of these challenges, including a setback after she thinks she's achieved mastery, making it a good fit for SEL lessons on resilience. A Spanish edition, Elene monte en bici, is available as well.

Easy Reader Level 1

Language | Spanish

Awesome orange birthday
Ruths, Mitali Banerjee
Paper Book
In this full-color early chapter book series, Priya starts a party-planning business to help save the planet -- one party at a time! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to...

Thanks to popular graphic novels like The Baby-Sitters Club and PAWS, kids are fascinated by the idea of running their own businesses. The Party Diaries series features budding party planner Priya, who throws events for family and friends to raise money for endangered animals (another popular cause with many young animal lovers). Written in a graphic novel hybrid style (a mix of traditional text and illustrations with speech bubbles) and clocking in at just under 100, the Scholastic Branches books are also a great tool for young readers who love graphic novels and need support building their capacity for reading narrative fiction.

Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4

Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander

The secret of the jade bangle
Trinh, Linda
Paper Book
"Engaging and empowering"--STARRED review, Nonstop Reader A charming early chapter book series that explores Vietnamese culture and identity through the eyes of the Nguyen siblings, with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. 

A gift from her departed grandmother helps a young Vietnamese girl find her voice in this series opener from Linda Trinh. Part realistic fiction, part fantasy story (as the jade bangle also helps Anne communicate with Grandma Ná»™i). The last couple of years have given us engaging books by Vietnamese authors, providing much-needed mirrors for the Vietnamese students in our community.

Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4

Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander

The absent alpacas
Whaley, Kayla
Ebook
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door "The most addictive book I've read in ages--so slick and disquieting and clever. Just brilliant." -...

Disability in KidLit founder and author Kayla Whaley launches this spinoff series inspired by Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries. In the first book, Abbi--who, like the author, uses a power wheelchair--teams up with her friends to solve a mystery at the Maine State Fair. While representations of disability in children's books have been increasing in the last several years, many of those books are written by non-disabled authors or authors who became disabled as adults. Whaley draws on her own experiences as a disabled kid to provide a much-needed mirror for young readers in similar circumstances.

Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4

Disability


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