Finding Diverse Books 2024 | Easy Readers & Bridging Fiction

Updated December 13, 2023
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Who will win?
David, Arihhonni
Paper Book
Bear has fast legs. Turtle has a fast mind. Who will win the race? A fun Native American tale that kindergarteners and first graders can read on their own. Ready, set, go! Bear will go over the ice. Turtle will go under the ice. ...

A Haudenosaunee storyteller shares a traditional story about a race between Bear and Turtle that highlights the importance of working together. This could pair nicely with Aesop's The Tortoise and the Hare as students discuss how a similar concept (a race between a fast creature and a slow creature) can be told in different ways to convey different meanings, or write their own stories about animal races. Includes a pronunciation guide and translations for Mohawk words used in the story. The entire I Like to Read series contains simple yet engaging stories, perfect for beginning readers.

Easy Reader Level 1

Race & Ethnicity | Indigenous

Ali the Great and the market mishap
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
Ali Tahir loses something important at the market--his brother! Who's hungry? Ali, his grandfather, and little brother Fateh head to the South Asian market to stock up on snacks. So much to see! But what Ali can't see is Fateh.... Where did he go? Will Ali's quick thinking save the day? Ali the...

The author of the popular Yasmin series introduces readers to Yasmin's friend, Ali, and his family. In this story, Ali's dada asks him to supervise his little brother, Fateh, on a trip to the market. While Ali is trying to keep Fateh away from the spicy chips, he loses track of his brother in the store! There are lots of opportunities for connection around a trip to the grocery store, as students can discuss their favorite foods or tie it to a situational math problem.

Easy Reader Level 4

Religion | Muslim

Maxie Wiz and her dragon
Meadows, Michelle
Paper Book
A rollicking, rhyming, magical adventure in this Step 1 Reader featuring a young wizard in training! Maxie Wiz wants a pal. HOCUS-POCUS--a dragon egg appears! Soon, he almost grows too large for the castle! What spells will Maxie come up with to help with her new pet?

From Dragon Masters to Wings of Fire, dragons are increasingly popular with elementary school students. With fewer than 10 words per page, this story of a young witch bonding with her new baby dragon is accessible for beginning readers. The series continues to grow with a second book, Maxie Wiz and the Magic Charms, which hit the shelves in December 2023.

Easy Reader Level 1

Race & Ethnicity | Black

Elena rides
Medina, Juana
Paper Book
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

Snow day
Quigley, Dawn
Paper Book
Oh, snow day, snow day, what a very fun no-school day! Jo Jo Makoons is back in the third book in this favorite chapter book series, and she's planning the very best version of the winter Olympics that her Ojibwe community has ever seen... Jo Jo Makoons has noticed that the...

Perfect for fans of Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby, Jo Jo Makoons takes readers on another adventure as she helps her neighbors stay healthy during a snow day on her Ojibwe reservation. While this book can be read on its own, it's better when paired with series opener The Used-to-Be Best Friend and follow-up Fancy Pants.

Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4

Race & Ethnicity | Indigenous

Tacos today
Raúl the Third
Paper Book
"Outrageously creative! Kids will drink in every imaginative detail in El Toro's wild world!" --Jeff Kinney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series From New York Times bestselling, three-time Pura Belpré Award-winning author-illustrator...

El Toro and his fellow luchadores can't afford their lunchtime tacos, so they team up for an amazing street show to earn some extra cash. Raúl the Third's iconic illustration style, the widespread appeal of Mexican wrestling, and the mix of English and Spanish words crafts a colorful, action-packed story for beginning readers.

Easy Reader Level 2

Race & Ethnicity | Latine

The absent alpacas
Whaley, Kayla
Paper Book
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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