WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

CJ and his nana have a long trip back from church and, unlike his friend Colby, whose family has a car, they have to take the bus to get there. As they make their way back to their neighborhood, CJ and his nana experience all the sights, sounds, and feelings their vibrant and diverse city has to offer. Nana teaches CJ to see the beauty all around him, even in unexpected and gritty places, and when they arrive at their destination--a soup kitchen--both CJ and the reader come to appreciate the importance of spiritual richness over material wealth. 


Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña is a moving and joyous celebration of the little things in life, and Christian Robinson's vibrantly heartwarming illustrations are reminiscent of classic Ezra Jack Keats. This multi-layered picture book is much more than a lively tour of a diverse city neighborhood--it's also a tribute to intergenerational relationships, empathy, compassion, and, above all, the joy of human connection.


A wonderful book to share with children ages 4 and up. 

DISCOVERING LOVE WITHIN A FOSTER FAMILY HOME

Carly Conners has known only one kind of life: a difficult and impoverished one.  She was raised by a mother who was involved with different men, and who taught her that crying is for the weak.
Carly is easy going and she learns to live this way of life until tragedy strikes.  Her mother is hospitalized as a result of domestic violence.  
Carly is then sent to live with a foster family, The Murphys. 

The Murphys are picture perfect in Carly's eyes.  They live in a beautiful home, have traditional roles and routines, and they treat each other with lots of love.  Although shocked by their lifestyle at first, Carly later finds that she too deserves a life like the Murphys.  Through the course of the story, she learns that picture perfect families don't always have picture perfect beginnnings.  Lynda Mullaly Hunt brings Carly's touching experience to life in One For the Murphys.

For 5th grade and up.

WELCOME TO THE FLIRT CLUB

Flirt Club by Cathleen Dal

Are you tired of attending the usual Art or Ceramic club at you school?  Than perhaps you should try the Flirt Club!Two best friends in eight grade have absolutely no idea how to talk to boys or even how to make eye contact.  Even if the boys at school try to talk or make an eye contact with them, it is almost a guarantee that the girls will either walk away or say something unintentionally offensive to them. However, all that changes once the girls form a secret flirt club and invite all girls who are in similar situations to help each other.

So get ready to read the secret locker notes, private journal entries and the many private thoughts of girls who are going through the regular motions of heart breaks, insecurities, body image issues and more.  The book deals with pretty much everything related to girls, but the fun part is that it is written in a humorous, clever and unique way.  You will not want to put it down until you read the very last word.

For grades 7^th and up.



MEET FERDINAND!

Ferdinand is the bull in the story that prefers to stay in the beautiful fields, smelling flowers rather than going and fighting other bulls in the bullfights. He gets picked to participate in a bull fight out of a lot of bulls because of his presents and his attitude, however all is misleading because even though he is a bull which personifies courage and bravery, he still does not care about impressing or actually fighting, he still wants to be in peace, smelling flowers and just being in the moment. The book is unique because of its fine black and white illustrations which add so much depth and character to the story. THE STORY OF FERDINAND is by MUNRO LEAF and the illustrations are by ROBERT LAWSON.

For grades pre-K.