Diversity

Children who are teased at school, who are shy about speaking in front of the class, or who simply see themselves as not fitting in are bound to find relief in this tale about a cow who oinks and a pig who moos. This book teaches a great lesson about accepting differences.

Detailed colored- pencil drawings show hand shapes for the 26 letters of the American Sign Language alphabet as well as corresponding letters of the written alphabet. For example, a gloved hand forms the letter “G,” fingers dip into a palette of paint to form the letter “P,” and so on.

This picture book is narrated by animal characters, ages 5-12, who are part of a support group that helps children cope with their mothers’ breast cancer. Each character shares with the reader a different aspect of dealing with cancer — what it was like when their family found out, what they learned about the disease (including that it isn’t contagious), what doctors are doing to treat their mothers, and how they look for “the good” in the days their mothers go through chemotherapy. They also share their emotions, helpful hints, and the hope that their mothers will get better. This reassuring book with charming animal illustrations will comfort young children struggling with a parent or loved one with cancer or another serious disease.

Zach visits his grandparents every summer at their cottage by the lake. He is looking forward to fishing with Gramps and eating Gram’s cooking. Gramps calls their first idyllic day a “Memory Box Day.” Zach learns that this is a day for young and old to start gathering photos, stories, and souvenirs to store in a special box to remember their times together. As Zach’s time with his grandparents unfolds, he learns the true reason for the memory box; it is especially for Gramps who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. During the rest of his stay, Zach and his grandparents fill the box with wonderful memories of summers past and new memories, building something that will always keep them together.

Addie is super tall and super smart. Joe is gay. Skeezie is sloppy and tough looking, and Bobbie, the narrator, is overweight and vulnerable since the death of his mother. They’ve been friends for years and hold a forum once a week to talk about important things. Although they’ve been called names all their lives, they have had one another for support. For their seventh-grade election, they form a new political party, called the No-Name Party whose slogan is, “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit.” They propose a moratorium on name-calling for one day and promise to work hard to make all voices heard on the student council. Although the No-Name Party doesn’t win the election, they learn important things about themselves and teach the rest of the school about the importance of individuality.