Colorín Colorado Book Finder

When her father died, Zettie and her mother left their warm and comfortable home in Jamaica for an uncertain future in the United States. Zettie's mother can't find a steady job so they are forced to live in their car. But her mother's unwavering love, support, and gutsy determination give Zettie the confidence that, together, she and her mother can meet all challenges. Monica Gunning's moving and authentic story about homelessness in an American city and Elaine Pedlar's strong and lively illustrations bring this moving story to life.

In his Cambodian village, Arn's home was filled with music and laughter. But when the Khmer Rouge arrived, Arn's world was turned upside down and he never saw his family again. Arn worked in a labor camp for children for four long years, where he was chosen to play the khim, a traditional wooden stringed instrument. Today, Arn is recognized around the world for his efforts to bring healing to Cambodia and his commitment to preserving the Cambodian songs and instruments that saved his life.

Young Yu is only four years old when she takes an airplane from Korea to California, feeling she is only "a step from Heaven." Her narration subtly matures as she grows into a capable young woman, ready to go off to college in this sophisticated, moving first novel.

Product Description: Gary Soto writes that when he was five "what I knew best was at ground level." In this lively collection of short essays, Soto takes his reader to a ground-level perspective, recreating in vivid detail the sights, sounds, smells, and textures he knew growing up in his Fresno, California, neighborhood. The "things" of his boyhood tie it all together: his Buddha "splotched with gold" and his worn tennies smelling of "summer grass, asphalt, the moist sock breathing the defeat of baseball."

Readers will love heading to the post office with their favorite Sesame Street characters to discover how mail works! They'll also learn how to write and send a letter.

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments — even the physical violence — she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her.

Sonia Manzano, Sesame Street's beloved character Maria, brings warmth and wit to this timely picture book that looks across cultures and generations to celebrate what unites us, wherever we come from. Manzano's lyrical prose combined with stunning photography of people from dozens of countries around the world explores how all of our lives are enriched by our geographic and cultural diversity.