When most people think of homelessness, they imagine tent cities or large shelter facilities. But for many families, housing insecurity involves sharing a living space with relatives while they search for a new place to live. This story about a Mexican/Costa Rican family doubling up with tÃÂas, tÃÂos, and primos por un ratito after Papi loses his job highlights the love and support of an extended Latine family during a difficult time. Also available in Spanish as Por un ratito! Income Inequality
When most people think of homelessness, they imagine tent cities or large shelter facilities. But for many families, housing insecurity involves sharing a living space with relatives while they search for a new place to live. This story about a Mexican/Costa Rican family doubling up with tÃÂas, tÃÂos, and primos por un ratito after Papi loses his job highlights the love and support of an extended Latine family during a difficult time. Also available in Spanish as Por un ratito!
Income Inequality
A beautifully-illustrated folktale combining two stories from Nahua myth, the rabbit in the moon and Lord Opossum who stole fire from the gods. This is a great option for supplementing folklore units and pairs well with Moon Pops by Heena Baek, Papa, Won't You Get the Moon for Me? by Eric Carle, Aesop's Fables and the Greek story of Prometheus. Also available in Spanish as Noche Antigua! Language | Spanish
A beautifully-illustrated folktale combining two stories from Nahua myth, the rabbit in the moon and Lord Opossum who stole fire from the gods. This is a great option for supplementing folklore units and pairs well with Moon Pops by Heena Baek, Papa, Won't You Get the Moon for Me? by Eric Carle, Aesop's Fables and the Greek story of Prometheus. Also available in Spanish as Noche Antigua!
Language | Spanish
A lovely mirror book for Oregon City's Vietnamese community (fourth most spoken language in OC schools after English, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian). Many families have special clothes or other treasures they've passed down over generations, along with stories about people who wore, made, or used them. This could generate rich conversations or writing activities about students' personal heritage. Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander
A lovely mirror book for Oregon City's Vietnamese community (fourth most spoken language in OC schools after English, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian). Many families have special clothes or other treasures they've passed down over generations, along with stories about people who wore, made, or used them. This could generate rich conversations or writing activities about students' personal heritage.
Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander
A poem about warmth, both literal and metaphorical, crafted by suggestions from Newbery Award-winner Gaiman's Twitter followers and illustrated by 13 different artists--some of them refugees themselves. Use it to highlight the strong use of figurative language and in SEL lessons about kindness. Teachers of older students could invite students to write their own collaborative poem as a class and take turns illustrating each other's work. Citizenship Status
A poem about warmth, both literal and metaphorical, crafted by suggestions from Newbery Award-winner Gaiman's Twitter followers and illustrated by 13 different artists--some of them refugees themselves. Use it to highlight the strong use of figurative language and in SEL lessons about kindness. Teachers of older students could invite students to write their own collaborative poem as a class and take turns illustrating each other's work.
Citizenship Status
Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade illustrates a poem by former US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. The emphasis on human connection to the natural world makes this a great choice for Earth Day and other environmental science lessons, as well as Poetry Month and Native American Heritage Month. Race & Ethnicity | Indigenous
Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade illustrates a poem by former US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. The emphasis on human connection to the natural world makes this a great choice for Earth Day and other environmental science lessons, as well as Poetry Month and Native American Heritage Month.
Race & Ethnicity | Indigenous
As a shy child, I used to hide under my mother's long winter coat when I was feeling nervous or overwhelmed in a new place. Mojdeh Hassani, who grew up in Tehran in the 1970s, did something similar--she hid (and played!) under her grandmother's chador. Each spread shows the two of them forming a different animal silhouette as Mama Shamsi gently talks Samira through her fears. A sweet exploration of anxiety and the comforting encouragement of a grandparent's love, wrapped in a common experience for many Iranian children. Religion | Muslim
As a shy child, I used to hide under my mother's long winter coat when I was feeling nervous or overwhelmed in a new place. Mojdeh Hassani, who grew up in Tehran in the 1970s, did something similar--she hid (and played!) under her grandmother's chador. Each spread shows the two of them forming a different animal silhouette as Mama Shamsi gently talks Samira through her fears. A sweet exploration of anxiety and the comforting encouragement of a grandparent's love, wrapped in a common experience for many Iranian children.
Religion | Muslim
Ravi's extended family gathers for the annual family beach trip, but his cousin Dhruv is approaching adolescence and seems a bit too cool and grown up to play with the little kids. Ravi is shy about approaching him until he has an opportunity to make their favorite dessert--banana ice cream--for the whole family. Maintaining relationships with siblings and cousins as they enter different stages of life is a common experience for lots of kids, and I love how sensitively Rajani Larocca handles a topic that can feel like a Big Deal to younger kids. Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander
Ravi's extended family gathers for the annual family beach trip, but his cousin Dhruv is approaching adolescence and seems a bit too cool and grown up to play with the little kids. Ravi is shy about approaching him until he has an opportunity to make their favorite dessert--banana ice cream--for the whole family. Maintaining relationships with siblings and cousins as they enter different stages of life is a common experience for lots of kids, and I love how sensitively Rajani Larocca handles a topic that can feel like a Big Deal to younger kids.
A family bakes a challah loaf for an unspecified Jewish holiday. This one makes a great conversation starter for special foods families make to celebrate special occasions and the step-by-step baking instructions serve as a mentor text for process writing assignments. Religion | Jewish
A family bakes a challah loaf for an unspecified Jewish holiday. This one makes a great conversation starter for special foods families make to celebrate special occasions and the step-by-step baking instructions serve as a mentor text for process writing assignments.
Religion | Jewish
A great STEM tie-in! The unnamed narrator's mommies do a great job of helping him break his dream of building a treehouse into individual steps and help him build it one step at a time. Gender Identity & Sexuality
A great STEM tie-in! The unnamed narrator's mommies do a great job of helping him break his dream of building a treehouse into individual steps and help him build it one step at a time.
Gender Identity & Sexuality
Inspired by a photo of Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka dancing at the party the NYPL threw to honor the poet Langston Hughes, this illustrated poem by powerhouse Jason Reynolds and Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey is a love letter to Hughes' influence on American literature and culture. A wonderful starting point for Black History Month lessons. Race & Ethnicity | Black
Inspired by a photo of Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka dancing at the party the NYPL threw to honor the poet Langston Hughes, this illustrated poem by powerhouse Jason Reynolds and Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey is a love letter to Hughes' influence on American literature and culture. A wonderful starting point for Black History Month lessons.
Race & Ethnicity | Black
Comedian Jesus Trejo tells a real story from his childhood about the time he completely mismanaged his papi's "water jug clock" while helping with his landscaping business. Many Latine kids take on responsibilities helping their parents with tasks around the house or in family businesses, and almost all kids have experienced frustration and disappointment when their attempts to help their parents don't work out as planned. Race & Ethnicity | Latine
Comedian Jesus Trejo tells a real story from his childhood about the time he completely mismanaged his papi's "water jug clock" while helping with his landscaping business. Many Latine kids take on responsibilities helping their parents with tasks around the house or in family businesses, and almost all kids have experienced frustration and disappointment when their attempts to help their parents don't work out as planned.
Race & Ethnicity | Latine
