Read Woke

When we are kind book cover

When we are kind

Monique Gray Smith

ON ORDER BOOK
Picture Books, Read Woke

"This beautiful picture book looks at how the simple act of being kind, to others and oneself, affects all aspects of a child's life."--

Casey's picture

Yet another that I can't wait to use in storytimes. Monique Gray Smith's books are wonderful and I bet this is no exception. -Casey

The paper boat book cover

The paper boat

Thao Lam

ON ORDER BOOK
Read Woke

"Thao Lam’s family came to Canada as refugees during the Vietnam War. When Thao started thinking about how to tell this story, she couldn’t stop thinking about ants: small, seemingly insignificant creatures who are able to travel amazingly long distances overwater, work hard, and thrive on almost every continent on the planet. Boat People starts with a story inspired by Thao’s mother’s life: a young girl watches as a bowl of sugar water is put out to attract (and get rid of) some pesky aunts. As the adults around her frantically make plans for escape, she dips her chopstick into the bowl to save the drowning insects. When the army arrives, the family must flee, and in the chaos, the girl and her mother become separated from the others, and get lost in the jungle. The mother gives the hungry girl a bun wrapped in paper, which she then folds into a paper boat. After they eat, the girl spots a trail of ants in the moonlight. They follow the insects to water and manage to meet up with the boat that will take them to safety. The story switches to the perspective of a family of ants who have boarded the paper boat. Their journey is full of peril. The sun is relentless, the ants are attacked by seagulls, they starve, a storm capsizes their boat, and many ants are lost. The survivors, however, cling to each other, creating a raft of their own bodies, eventually making it to shore. One ant ends up on a kitchen table, surrounded by food, much like the table from the first scene. But the family members around this table aren’t quite the same. The grandmother is no longer there, the little girl has grown, and she’s been joined by a baby sister. But they seem happy, and most importantly, they are safe. As the story ends, the reader zooms out to see that they are but one family in an apartment building full of families, in a busy city full of apartment buildings full of tiny, seemingly insignificant creatures, working hard and thriving. With this picture book, Thao is returning to an earlier format: the wordless picture book of sequential art. But she has pushed herself again with the artwork—and this story is a collage of simple shapes, clean geometry, and impressionistic washes of colour. Its simplicity belies its great depth of feeling. This is a heartfelt, one-of-a-kind book on every level."--

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Added by Casey

The only good Indians : a novel book cover

The only good Indians : a novel

Stephen Graham Jones

eAUDIO
Horror, Read Woke

"Peter Straub's Ghost Story meets Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies in this American Indian horror story of revenge on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Four American Indian men from the Blackfeet Nation, who were childhood friends, find themselves in a desperate struggle for their lives, against an entity that wants to exact revenge upon them for what they did during an elk hunt ten years earlier by killing them, their families, and friends"--

Casey's picture

The Only Good Indians is a masterpiece, and not for the faint of heart. If you're up for it, I recommend going into this title cold, cover material only, and no spoilers here! However, I will say that Shaun Taylor-Corbett's narration lends the perfect tone to Stephen Graham Jones's hauntingly beautiful prose. I'm adding it to my 2021 rereads list for the Fall, as I'm still thinking about it and have yet to pick up another novel after finishing weeks ago. -Casey

Our subway baby book cover

Our subway baby

Peter Mercurio

jE Mercurio
Read Woke, LGBTQ+, Picture Books, Nonfiction

"Written in direct address to the author's son Kevin, this is the moving and poignant true story about how one baby was adopted after being found on a New York City subway platform"-- Provided by publisher.

Casey's picture

I loved this winter story about finding family in unexpected places. Its message is really beautiful, and I'm looking forward to sharing it as a lap read at home. -Casey

The Birchbark House  book cover

The Birchbark House

jFICTION/Erdrich, Louise
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Historical Fiction

Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.

Casey's picture

Guilty confession: the first time I listened to this book was on a trip and we didn't finish it. Not because it isn't lovely! I remember enjoying it so much that I'm excited to pick it up in its physical format and start this one from the top. -Casey

The prince and the dressmaker book cover

The prince and the dressmaker

Jen Wang

eBOOK
Read Woke, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels

Prince Sebastian hides from his parents his secret life of dressing up as the the hottest fashion icon in Paris, the fabulous Lady Crystallia, while his friend Frances the dressmaker strives to keep her friend's secret.

Casey's picture

Added by Casey

The dragon thief book cover

The dragon thief

Zetta Elliott

eBOOK
Read Woke, Fantasy, Adventure

Told in two voices, Jax and Kavita, Kavita's brother Vik, and new friend Kenny try to return the baby dragon to the realm of magic before anything else goes wrong.

Casey's picture

I'm currently reading this one aloud at bedtime for the second time! No surprises that the sequel to Dragons in a Bag is just as fun. -Casey

King and the dragonflies book cover

King and the dragonflies

Kacen Callender

jFICTION Callende Kacen
Read Woke, Kids, LGBTQ+

"In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself"--

Becky's picture

An important middle-grade read about a ten-year-old boy working through the grief he feels after his brother’s death and the questions he has surrounding his sexuality. It’s a beautifully written book about coping, identity, friendships, and safety. -Becky

Birdsong book cover

Birdsong

Julie Flett

jE Flett
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Picture Books

"When a young girl moves from the country to a small town, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door, who shares her love of [nature and art]. Can the girl navigate the changing seasons and failing health of her new friend?"--Publisher marketing.

Casey's picture

Added by Casey

Meet Yasmin! book cover

Meet Yasmin!

Saadia Faruqi

jREADER Faruqi Saadia
Read Woke, Early Readers, Early Chapter Books

In this compilation of four separately published books, Pakistani American second grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities.

Casey's picture

This series is great! I love that it's available in both the early reader stand alone and the combined chapter book formats. -Casey