Required Books 21-40

  A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin is a 2019 Caldecott Honor Book.  In the book, Little Star´s mom bakes a big mooncake and lays it in the night sky to cool.  Little Star promises she won´t touch, but she wakes up and takes a nibble.  Each night Little Star wakes up and eats away at it in the shape of a waning moon until its narrowed down to just a crescent.  One night, Mama discovers the mooncake is gone and all that is left is crumbs.  Little Star tells her the truth and they both go back to bake another mooncake.   Lin, G. (2018). A Big Mooncake for Little Star . Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

  Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold is a Coretta Scott King winner, a Caldecott Honor Book, and on the New York Best Sellers List for illustrations.  The main character, Cassie Louise Lightfoot has a dream to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life.  One night up on the rooftop, ¨Tar Beach¨, of her family´s Harlem apartment building her dream comes true.  The stars lift her up and she flies throughout the city of 1939 Harlem claiming it as her own.  The illustrations are stunning and beautiful! Ringgold, F. (1996). Tar Beach . Dragonfly Books.

  Goggles! by Ezra Jack Keats was awarded the Caldecott Medal and Honor.  It is about two small boys that have to evade bullies.  The boys are outnumber and outweighed, therefore they are left to outsmart the bullies.  Goggles! is a great reminder that brainpower can be more effective than brute power.  Readers will love the richly colored and detailed illustrations. Keats, E. J. (1998). Goggles! Puffin Books.

  The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle is a classic about a catepillar´s development that is full of colorful illustrations.  As the catepillar snacks through the pages, it leaves a hole to stick a little finger through.  As it eats, the catepillar gets bigger and fatter, then turns into a beautiful butterfly with vibrantly colored wings.  The Very Hungry Catepillar is great for teaching kids the days of the week, as well as what catepillars eat. Carle, E. (1970). The Very Hungry Catepillar . Penguin Group.

  Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History is written by award winning author Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Floyd Cooper.  It is a biographical picture book of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.  It is an inspirational story that begins with his life as being a slave as a young boy to his long career as an orator, activist, and author.  As a child, Frederick taught himself how to read even though it was against the law for slaves.  As he grows, it follows his life as he became successful in his career and began an advocation for oppressed groups such as African Americans and women. His success led him to be able to meet with Abraham Lincoln to advice his on abolition and emancipation. Then later he held different government posts.   Myers, W. D., & Cooper, F. (2017). Frederick Douglass: the lion who wrote history . Harper Collins Books.

  The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales written by Virginia Hamilton is anthology of twenty four folktales told by African American slaves.  It includes animal tales, fairy tales, stories of the supernatural, along with tales of slavery and gaining freedom. Each story tells of a loss - of family, beliefs, custom, and language.  They also tell the heritage and overcoming their loss.  The People Could Fly is an excellent book that covers American History. Hamilton, V., Dillon, L., & Dillon, D. (2016). The people could fly: American Black folktales . A.A. Knopf.