Grade: 4

Angela Johnson’s original new picture book pays tribute to the men, “from Native Americans to Europeans to Asians to Africans,” who with their “blood, sweat, and courage” have built America’s bridges, railroads, and skyscrapers. Poetic text and dramatic watercolors illustrate the hard work and danger these men faced.

In November 1960, America watched as six-year-old Ruby Bridges, surrounded by U.S. marshals, walked through a crowd of threatening segregationists to enter her elementary school. Forty years later, Bridges tells how she made civil rights history by being one of the first African American students to attend an all-white school in New Orleans.

The famous verses from the Book of Ecclesiastes inspired Caldecott medalists Leo and Diane Dillon to create this tribute to the cycles of life. Every verse in the book is accompanied by a full spread of artwork, each done in the style of a different culture. In all, the Dillons present 16 pairs of paintings showing cultures as diverse as ancient Greece, medieval Europe, aboriginal Australia, pre-conquest Mexico, 17th-century Ethiopia, and Imperial China. Notes at the end of the book explain more about each culture and the significance of the details shown. This is a book to view time and time again.

Ibn Battuta, a young Moroccan, was like other Muslims of the 14th century. He was a scholar who could recite the Koran, and he dreamed of a pilgrimage, or “hajj,” to Mecca. But unlike other Muslims and many other men, he made a 75,000-mile journey from Tangiers to China. During 29 years of traveling, Ibn Battuta saw amazing sights and learned a lot about the world. His travel sayings reflect more than places on a map. Ibn Battuta believed, “Traveling — it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

From the moment a fired-up teenager from Kentucky won 1960 Olympic gold to the day in 1996 when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson’s, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as “The Greatest” waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and against a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. Charles R. Smith Jr.’s rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs with relentless energy, while Bryan Collier’s bold collage artwork matches every move — capturing the “Louisville loudmouth with the great gift of rhyme” who shed the name Cassius Clay to take on the world as Muhammad Ali.

Chris Conlan is the coolest kid in sixth grade—the golden-armed quarterback of the football team, and the boy all the others look up to. Scott Parry is the new kid, the boy with the huge brain, but with feet that trip over themselves daily. These two boys may seem like an odd couple, but each has a secret that draws them together as friends, and proves that the will to succeed is even more important than raw talent.

Orphan Urchin never intended to be a swashbuckling squirrel. Abandoned at birth on a Mistmantle beach, this mild-mannered acorn hunter was raised by the island’s squirrels, otters, and moles. He gains entrance into the royal court, thanks to the support of his hero, the dashing Captain Crispin. But something is wrong in the peaceful kingdom of Mismantle. Under the influence of the squirrel captain Husk, the King is enforcing severe measures against his people. Crispin himself is falsely accused of a horrific murder and banished. Can little Urchin, a mere smidgen squirrel, defend his master and his people?

Vendela is fascinated by Venice, a “fairy tale city” where streets are canals, and cars are boats. On her trip there with her father, she wants to see everything, especially the gilded horses at St. Mark’s Church. Readers will learn about the arts, crafts, food, history, and culture of this fascinating city. Illustrated with paintings and photographs, Vendela in Venice is a young girl’s story, a history book, and a travel guide!