Kids Book Index
Karen Hesse
On Friday nights, a boy accompanies his father to the school where his father works as a custodian. They ride there by motorcycle, and the boy sometimes helps sweep the halls. He also shoots hoops, listens to baseball on the radio, reads in the library, and sleeps on a couch. During a late break, father and son share egg-salad sandwiches before riding home together.
This book appears on 5 reading lists across 2 editions from 5 organizations.
The Truth as Told by Mason ButtleLeslie ConnorMason Buttle is the biggest child in his grade and has difficulty reading and writing. He is grieving for his best friend, Benny Kilmartin, who died in the Buttle family orchard fifteen months earlier. As the investigation continues, Mason cannot understand why Lieutenant Baird doubts what he has said about that day. The mystery follows Mason as he finds a way to tell the truth.Nine to TwelveLexile Text Measure 310LATOS Book Level 2.3On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Betty Before XIlyasah Shabazz, with Renée WatsonThis fictionalized account follows Betty’s childhood before her later marriage to Malcolm X. Raised by her aunt in Georgia until age six, she joins her mother, stepfather, and stepfamily in Detroit after her aunt dies. In the late 1940s, Betty loves her younger sisters but is mistreated by her mother. She later finds a home with church members active in the Housewives’ League, which encouraged African Americans to boycott businesses that would not hire them.Nine to TwelveLexile Text Measure 810LATOS Book Level 4.9On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Lena's Shoes Are Nervous: A First-Day-of-School DilemmaKeith CalabreseLena is excited to begin kindergarten, but her yellow shoes are reluctant to go. With help from her father and her headband, Lena imagines her clothes talking through the problem. Her outgoing dress and encouraging headband join the discussion, while Lena considers wearing slippers instead. Through this role-playing, the shoes and Lena find the courage to face the first day of school together.Under FiveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details