Books for Independent Reading

Taking a Walk: A Book in Two Languages/Caminando: Un libro en dos lenguas
by Rebecca Emberley
(Social Studies)
Little 1990 (26p)
A walk through the neighborhood. In English and Spanish.

My Perfect Neighborhood
by Leah Komaiko
(Social Studies)
Harper 1990 (32p)
On a walk through her city neighborhood, a girl delights in what she sees

We Keep Store
by Anne Shelby
(Multicultural)
Orchard 1990 (32p)
A young girl helps her family run their general store in the country.

Car Washing Street
by Denise Patrick Lewis
(Multicultural)
Tambourine 1993 (32p)
It's Saturday and all the neighbors are washing their cars.

David Plays Hide-and-Seek in the City/David juega al escondite en la ciudad
by Dolores Mayorga
(Social Studies)
Lerner 1992 (24p)
David and his friends find places and objects. In English and Spanish.

City Seen from A to Z
by Rachel Isadora
Greenwillow 1983 (32p)
This alphabet book draws on an urban setting, one word for each letter.

Knoxville, Tennessee
by Nikki Giovanni
(Multicultural)
Scholastic 1994 (28p)
A poem that celebrates community life in summer.

Jamaica Louise James
by Amy Hest
(Multicultural)
Candlewick 1996 (32p)
Jamaica decides that pretty pictures will brighten up the drab subway station where her grandmother sells tokens.

Good-bye, Curtis
by Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow 1995 (24p)
Curtis the letter carrier finds presents in the mailboxes along his route on his last day of delivering mail after forty-two years.

EASY

Down Buttermilk Lane
by Barbara Mitchell
(Social Studies)
Lothrop 1993 (32p)
A typical day in the life of an Amish family.

A Is for Aloha
by Stephanie Feeney
(Multicultural)
U. of Hawaii Press 1985 (64p)
Alphabet book showing everyday lives of Hawaii University children.

City Green
by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
(Social Studies)
Morrow 1994 (32p)
A community works together to turn a vacant lot into a garden.

Fly Away Home
by Eve Bunting
Clarion 1991 (32p); 1993 paper
A homeless boy and his father survive by living in an airport.

This Home We Made/Esta casa que hemos hecho
by Anne Hammond and Joseph Matunis
(Social Studies)
Crown 1993 (28p)
A homeless child watches a parade in hopes of finding a home. In English and Spanish.

La Boda: A Mexican Wedding Celebration
by Nancy Van Laan
(Multicultural)
Little 1997 (32p)
Maria and her grandmother watch as the community prepares for the traditional Zapotec Indian wedding of Alfonso and Luisa in Oaxaca, Mexico.

We Sing the City
by Mary Beth Lundgren
(Multicultural)
Clarion 1997 (32p)
A diverse group of children explore their city and its sounds.

Chinatown
by William Low
(Multicultural)
Holt 1997 (32p)
A young boy and his grandmother take a walk through the streets of their Chinatown neighborhood.

Farmers' Market
by Paul Brett Johnson
Orchard 1997 (32p)
Laura looks forward to going to the farmers' market on Saturdays to help sell her family's produce and to play with her friend Sally.

The Rolling Store
by Angela Johnson
(Multicultural)
Orchard 1997 (32p)
As a young girl and her neighbor load their wagon with goods to sell, the girl remembers stories her grandfather told about a truck called a rolling store that used to bring goods to the people in the country.

Ogbo: Sharing Life in an African Village
by Ifeoma Onyefulu
(Multicultural)
Harcourt 1996 (32p)
In a Nigerian village, children of the same age join groups called ogbo, which become like a second family and offer lifelong companionship.

Going Home
by Eve Bunting
(Multicultural)
Harper 1996 (32p)
When their family leaves California to spend Christmas with relatives in Mexico, Carlos and his sisters have misgivings, but soon learn that home is wherever families are together.

Carolina Shout
by Alan Schroeder
(multicultural)
Dial 1995 (32p)
In the Charleston, South Carolina, of an earlier era, Delia hears the songs, or "shouts" of the Waffle Man, the Pepper-Sauce Man, and other vendors selling their wares.

Wanda's Roses
by Pat Brisson
(Social Studies)
Boyds Mill 1994 (32p)
Wanda's neighbors help her brighten up the community with flowers.

Mr. Griggs' Work
by Cynthia Rylant
Orchard 1989 (32p)
Mr. Griggs loves his post office job and worries when he becomes ill.

It Takes a Village
by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
(Multicultural)
Scholastic 1994 (32p)
A West African girl learns that the entire community is looking after her and her brother.

Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt
by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Lothrop 1983 (32p)
When they discover the fun of quilting, the men challenge the women to a contest.

My Place in Space
by Robin and Sally Hirst
(Science/Health)
Orchard 1988 (32p); 1992 paper
Henry tells a bus driver exactly where he lives, from the street and town to the solar system and galaxy.

AVERAGE

Pearl Moscowitz's Last Stand
by Arthur Levine
(Multicultural)
Tambourine 1993 (32p)
Neighbors conspire to keep the city from cutting down the last tree on their street.

Busybody Nora
by Johanna Hurwitz
Morrow 1990 (63p); Puffin 1991 paper
Curious Nora lives in an apartment in New York City.

Loop the Loop
by Barbara Dugan
Greenwillow 1992 (32p); Puffin 1993 paper
Anne befriends a wheelchair-bound neighbor who knows wonderful yoyo tricks.

I Know a Lady
by Charlotte Zolotow
Morrow 1992 (24p); also paper
A story of the friendship between an older woman and the children in her neighborhood. Available in Spanish as Mi amiga la Señora Mayor.

Saturday Market
by Patricia Grossman
(Multicultural)
Lothrop 1994 (32p)
A Mexican market comes to life each Saturday.

Vejigante Masquerader
by Lulu Delacre
(Multicultural)
Scholastic 1993 (38p)
Ramon wants a costume to wear in the neighborhood carnaval. In English and Spanish.

Tom‡ás and the Library Lady
by Pat MoraL
(Multicultural)
Knopf 1997 (32p)
Based on an incident in the life of the late Tomás Rivera, a chancellor of the University of California, this story tells how young migrant boy was befriended by neighborhood librarian who encouraged his love for books.

Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice
Sylvia Rosa-Casanova
(Multicultural)
Atheneum 1997 (32p)
As Mama Provi carries her special arroz con pollo upstairs in her apartment building to her ailing granddaughter, she encounters many neighbors and trades a bit of the rice for a variety of ethnic dishes.

Firehorse Max
by Sara London
Harper 1997 (32p)
When Grandpa Lev needs a new horse to pull his wagon of goods through the neighborhood, Firehorse Max does fine--until he hears the fire bell.

What Zeesie Saw on Delancey Street
by Elsa Okon Rael
Simon 1997 (32p)
In her neighborhood, Zeesie attends her first package party, a feast of food and music to raise money for friends, family, and immigrants in the Jewish community.

Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street
by Roni Schotter
(Multicultural)
Orchard 1997 (32p)
Eva wonders if she can complete her school assignment because nothing ever happens on her street but, with advice from her neighbors, she begins to make things happen.

The Garden of Happiness
by Erika Tamar
(Multicultural)
Harcourt 1996 (32p)
When Marisol plants a seed in her neighborhood garden, she is happy when a glorious sunflower blooms, sad when it dies in the fall, and delighted when neighborhood boys paint a sunflower mural on a wall.

My Steps
by Sally Derby
(Multicultural)
Lee & Low 1996 (32p)
A group of city kids find that through all the seasons of the year, the front steps can be the best place to play.

Home Lovely
by Lynne Rae Perkins
Greenwillow 1995 (32p)
When Tiffany decides to plant flowers to brighten up the trailer home she shares with her mother, the neighborhood letter carrier notices and lends a hand.

The Last Dragon
by Susan Miho Nunes
(Multicultural)
Clarion 1995 (32p)
A young boy spending the summer with his aunt in Chinatown is delighted when the whole community helps him restore an old dragon costume.

Don't Forget
by Patricia Lakin
Tambourine 1994 (32p)
As Sarah shops in her Boston neighborhood, she meets shopkeepers who survived the Holocaust.

How to Get Famous in Brooklyn
by Amy Hest
(multicultural)
Simon 1995 (32p)
In her notebook, Janie records the daily events in her Brooklyn neighborhood and becomes famous when her neighbors pick up her notebook pages that the wind has blown away.

Be Bop-a-Do-Walk!
by Sheila Hamanaka
(multicultural)
Simon 1995 (32p)
Emi and her friend Martha wonder if they can keep up with Emi's father when he takes a long walk in New York City, all the way from Chinatown to Central Park, with several interesting stops along the way.

Tonibah and the Rainbow
by Jack Crowder
(Multicultural)
Upper Strata 1986 (32p)
When Tonibah's home burns to the ground, neighbors help build her family a new hogan. In English and Navajo.

My New York
by Kathy Jacobsen
(Social Studies)
Little 1993 (32p)
A New York girl describes her city in letters to a Midwestern friend.

Tar Beach
by Faith Ringgold
(Multicultural)
Crown 1991 (32p)
One magical evening, Cassie Lightfoot flies over her neighborhood.

Jasmine's Parlour Day
by Lynn Joseph
(Multicultural)
Lothrop 1994 (32p)
In a Trinidad village, everyone prepares for Parlour Day (Market Day).

Mrs. Katz and Tush
by Patricia Polacco
(Multicultural)
Bantam 1992 (32p)
A young boy and an elderly woman share the care of an abandoned kitten.

Sing to the Stars
by Mary Brigid Barrett
(Multicultural)
Little 1994 (32p)
A blind neighbor, once a famous jazz musician, urges a boy to play his violin in a neighborhood concert.

Hopscotch Around the World
by Mary D. Lankford
(Multicultural)
Morrow 1992 (48p)
Seventeen versions of this neighborhood favorite game from around the globe.

Tonight Is Carnaval
by Arthur Dorros
(Multicultural)
Dutton 1991 (32p)
A Peruvian family prepares to enjoy the neighborhood carnaval. Available in Spanish as Por fin es Carnaval.

Apple Picking Time
by Michele Benoit Slawson
Crown 1994 (32p)
When it's time to pick apples, everyone in town helps.

By the Dawn's Early Light
by Karen Ackerman
Atheneum 1994 (32p)
While their mother works, two youngsters take care of their grandmother. Available in Spanish as Al amanecer.

Mrs. Peachtree and the Eighth Avenue Cat
by Erica Silverman
Macmillan 1994 (32p)
Mrs. Peachtree and the neighborhood stray cat become good friends.

The City by the Bay: A Magical Journey Around San Francisco
by Tricia Brown
Chronicle 1993 (28p)
Explores the neighborhoods and provides facts about San Francisco.

CHALLENGING

Come Home with Me: A Multicultural Treasure Hunt
by Aylette Jenness
(Multicultural)
New Press 1993 (48p)
Through different ethnic neighborhoods, children search for clues to find various objects.

Pueblo Boy: Growing Up in Two Worlds
by Marcia Keegan
(Multicultural)
Cobblehill 1992
The life of a ten-year-old Pueblo boy living in contemporary New Mexico is described. Bridges to Change: How Kids Live on a South Carolina Sea Island
by Kathleen Krull
(multicultural)
Lodestar 1995 (48p)
The author explores the lives of children living on St. Helena Island, off the coast of South Carolina and home to the Gullah people, whose language and customs still reflect their African origins.

One Nation, Many Tribes: How Kids Live in Milwaukee's Indian Community
by Kathleen Krull
(multicultural)
Lodestar 1994 (48p)
A photo essay that explores the lives of two children of mixed American Indian heritage who attend the Milwaukee Community Indian School.

City Within a City: How Kids Live in New York's Chinatown
by Kathleen Krull
(Multicultural)
Lodestar 1994 (48p)
Reflects traditional and contemporary lifestyles of kids in Chinatown.

The Other Side: How Kids Live in a California Latino Neighborhood
by Kathleen Krull
(Multicultural)
Lodestar 1994 (48p)
Three Mexican American children show off their neighborhoods.

Tikvah Means Hope
by Patricia Polacco
(Multicultural)
Doubleday 1994 (40p)
An Oakland Jewish community finds hope after the fires of 1992.

La calle es libre (The Street Is Free)
by Kurusa Ekaré
1989 (48p)
Working together, children make a difference in their Venezuelan community. Text in Spanish.

Eskimo Boy: Life in an Inupiaq Eskimo Village
by Russ Kendall
Scholastic 1992 (32p)
Readers are introduced to a seven-year-old Inupiaq boy living in a small Alaskan village.

Books for Teachers to Read Aloud

Letting Swift River Go
by Jane Yolen
Little 1992 (32p)
A young girl's hometown is flooded to create the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts.

Taxi Cab Blues
by Barbara Ann Porte
Greenwillow 1992 (56p)
Abigail and Sam's father, a cab driver, tells them wonderful stories about his passengers.

Chi-Hoon: A Korean Girl
by Patricia McMahon
(Multicultural)
Boyds Mills 1993 (49p)
A week in the life of eight-year-old Chi-Hoon.