Kids Book Index
Jairo Buitrago
A girl’s father no longer lives with her family, and she imagines a lion as a companion for her journey home from school. The lion takes her father’s place during the walk and keeps her safe as she travels. The story follows the girl’s imaginative response to a change in her family life, linking her walk between school and home with the presence of the lion she has created.
This book appears on 3 reading lists across 2 editions from 3 organizations.
When My Sister Started KissingHelen FrostTold in verse through alternating voices, this novel follows sisters Claire, age eleven, and Abigail, age thirteen, during a summer at their lake house. Their father and pregnant stepmother are there as well, while Abigail’s new interest in boys changes her relationship with Claire. Claire misses the family as it once was and resents being asked to conceal Abigail’s rule-breaking. The approaching birth of a baby brother adds another shift to the family.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Armstrong and CharlieSteven B. FrankIn 1970s Los Angeles, a school desegregation pilot program sends ten African American sixth graders to a white school in the Hollywood Hills. Armstrong must rise early to take the bus there, while Charlie worries about beginning sixth grade after losing his older brother. Against this background of racial prejudice, school politics, and loss, Armstrong and Charlie form an unexpected friendship across different racial and economic circumstances.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
When a Wolf Is HungryChristine Naumann-VilleminEdmond Bigsnout is a lone wolf who prefers his cabin in the woods. When he becomes hungry for a city rabbit, he goes in search of one. His plan is disrupted by apartment residents, who mistake him for a new neighbor rather than recognizing his intended purpose. The story follows the mismatch between Edmond’s solitary, predatory aim and the welcome he receives in the city.Picture Books for School-Age ChildrenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details