Kids Book Index
James E. Ransome
A young girl’s life in the enslaved American South is organized by the bell that begins each day of labor. The routine changes when her older brother escapes with two friends, leaving the family behind. Told from the perspective of those who remain, the story holds the girl’s fear and hope as she faces the consequences of his departure.
This book appears on 3 reading lists across 1 edition from 3 organizations.
The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s GardenHeather SmithMakio spends mornings in Mr. Hirota’s garden, watching his father and Mr. Hirota’s daughter work in the harbor below. After a tsunami sweeps away Makio’s father and many others, Makio cannot voice his grief. Mr. Hirota builds a phone booth with a disconnected telephone, where villagers speak to people they have lost. Makio eventually uses the booth and finds comfort. The fictional story draws on a phone booth in Otsuchi, Japan, visited after the 2011 tsunami.Five to NineOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
My Papi Has a MotorcycleIsabel QuinteroDaisy rides through her neighborhood and city on her father’s motorcycle. Along the way, she notices places and people with family connections, including her grandparents’ former yellow house and a local tortilleria. The ride also reveals changes around them: a shaved-ice stop has closed, and houses are replacing citrus groves. Daisy’s father works building those new homes as she takes in her changing community.Five to NineLexile Text Measure AD750LATOS Book Level 3.7On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
The Big Little ThingBeatrice Alemagna, illustrated by Beatrice AlemagnaAn unnamed presence moves through city streets, brushing past people and catching them unprepared. As it travels among passersby, its identity remains a riddle before it is named as happiness. The book connects that presence with small moments in everyday life. Mixed-media images depict different people encountering the subject, and the oversized format gives those encounters a prominent visual presence.Five to NineOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details