Kids Book Index
JonArno Lawson
Over the Shop is a wordless picture book about a lonely girl and her grandparent in a run-down apartment above a shop. Their building becomes a home for a found family. The visual narrative also touches on queer pride and follows the work of making a place feel like home.
This book appears on 3 reading lists across 2 editions from 3 organizations.
While I Was AwayWaka T. BrownBased on the author’s childhood, this novel takes place in 1984 as twelve-year-old Waka spends an extended stay in Japan. Sent to Tokyo to strengthen her Japanese, she lives with a grandmother who initially seems strict and distant. Waka faces difficult experiences at school and culture shock while navigating life between two cultures. Over the summer, she begins to find a sense of home in both cultural worlds.Twelve to FourteenLexile Text Measure 800LATOS Book Level 5.1On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Maybe Maybe Marisol RaineyErin Entrada KellyAs summer begins in Louisiana, Marisol Rainey wants to climb Peppina, the magnolia tree in her backyard, but she is afraid. Her best friend Jada climbs it easily, and Marisol longs to join her. Living with her parents and older brother Oz, Marisol faces this fear with encouragement from her family and friend. The story follows her efforts to climb the tree and her realization that she is not alone in having worries.Five to NineWord Count 12507On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Paletero ManLucky DiazOn a hot day, a young boy searches his community for Paletero José, the ice-pop seller, hoping to buy a cold treat. His search brings surprises and encounters marked by kindness. This bilingual edition places English and Spanish side by side while following the boy through a neighborhood connected by summer treats and community ties.Five to NineLexile Text Measure AD420LATOS Book Level 2On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details