There are traditional youth organizations with badges, bake sales, and award ceremonies. But what about those who don't fit neatly into a group structure?  is there a place for them?

Meet four girls who appear to have little in common. Lane DiSanti, artist and instigator, lives with her wealthy grandmother while her parents work out an impending divorce. Ofelia Castillo, aspiring journalist  struggles under the watchful eye of over-protective Cuban American parents.  Cat Garcia feels pressure from her close-knit family to participate in a local contest. She'd rather spend her time birdwatching. Gourmet chef Aster Douglas lives with her African American grandfather, a researcher and retired college professor.  Her widowed mother is overseas.

Thirteen-year-old Patricia "Sweet Pea" DiMarco is experiencing some significant changes. Her parents have agreed to an amicable divorce and will live on the same street in similar houses to minimize their daughter's discomfort with this new family dynamic.
She is simultaneously negotiating a falling-out with her former best friend and the repercussions from thoughtlessness toward her new best friend. This girl is headed for a world of hurt.
Then there's her neighbor, the eccentric advice columnist Miss Flora Mae who leaves town and asks Sweet Pea to forward advice requests and then deliver the answers to the newspaper editor. Sweet Pea succumbs to temptation and reads letters addressed to Miss Flora Mae. She decides to dispense her own advice and sets up an elaborate scheme to impersonate Miss Flora Mae in print. Sometimes the plan works. Sometimes it doesn't. How she extricates herself from a situation of her own making, salvages damages friendships, and rebuilds trust makes for a humorous, heartwarming tale.

Stacey Lee addresses racism, worker's rights, immigration, and women's suffrage from a unique perspective: a Chinese girl living in Atlanta Georgia in the late 1800s.
​Seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan loses her job as a milliner and must return to the demeaning life of a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. She and immigrant Old Gin secretly live in a tunnel beneath a newspaper printer's shop. She faces discrimination on several fronts. She’s an orphan, female, and Chinese .

An intelligent and resourceful young woman, she is determined to protect Old Gin and rise above her current circumstances. She finds a way, pseudonymously penning a local newspaper's advice column "Dear Miss Sweetie." Many questions are of the mundane sort: unruly children, troubled marriages, making a hat fit properly. She doesn’t stop there. Under the cloak of anonymity, she speaks out forcefully on racial and gender inequality. Her column is a success and newspaper subscriptions skyrocket.

Nina Soni’s life just got more complicated. She accidentally destroys her best friend's art project. Nina fears that Jay will no longer be her friend. She is stymied when her teacher assigns a Personal Narrative Project. She has nothing to write. Her life is as boring as plain rice.
​Then she discovers an interesting phenomenon that will be the basis for her person narrative. To her dismay, she learns that her idea is the same experiment used by  Jay at last year's science fair. She is discouraged.

When her sister's birthday party plans fall through, Jay and Nina come together and develop a clever solution to the birthday dilemma. Upon reflection, Nina realizes that retelling events of the past twenty-four hours will make an interesting writing project. 

Reynolds has penned a novel comprised of interconnected stories. Read independently they are insightful vignettes, zeroing in on the ten city blocks students attending Lattimer Middle School traverse each day. Collectively the stories reveal the hearts of those bound together by geography. The lives of these unique individuals intersect in unexpected ways.

In the push and pull of everyday life, we meet students affected by life-altering events such as sickle cell anemia, cancer, dementia, incarceration, and gay-shaming.

These ten blocks are jam-packed with a rich assortment of sensory details.

Emilia Rosa is juggling a plethora of problems. Let's start with family. Dad, a Marine who was deployed during most of of her childhood, returns home. He seems to be a different person from the father she remembers. Mami, who keeps Emilia focused and organized, will be away on an extended business trip. Abuela, her maternal grandmother has definite notions about Emilia’s life, including the need for a quinceañera. This is something she emphatically does not want.

Sixth grade is a struggle. Not because she isn't intelligent, but because she processes stimuli in a different way. She needs time and individual attention in order to complete her homework. Some school assignments are difficult to untangle without guidance from her mother.The noises associated with school rallies in the gym are a horrific assault on her senses.

It is a common occurrence for me to cry when I finish reading a book, it is uncommon for my heart to swell and tears begin to spill down my cheeks from the very first page. Sing a Song: "How Lift Every Voice and Sing" Inspired Generations had me instantly reaching for tissues.

Kelly Starling Lyons has penned a soul-stirring recital of the Black National Anthem's story. Inspired by her family's history, she traces the song through five generations. Beginning with a birthday celebration of Abraham Lincoln, the anthem is an integral part of the family. The music journeys with the family through the Great Migration, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and culminates with opening of the National Museum of African American History.

Keith Mallett exquisitely captures the hope and resolve of individuals as they sing. A master of his craft, the images of these portraits of faith, determination, and joy are indelibly imprinted on my heart.

Both Sing a Song and  Going Down Home With Daddy, create a deep personal bond with readers. These are stories which nourish the soul.

When times are tough and faith gives only the thinnest glimmer of light, there is hope, there are heroes. Newbery Award-winner Kwame Alexander's poetry pays tribute to Black Americans who with determination, persistence, dignity, courage, and vision have survived and thrived.

The Undefeated honors some of the individuals, past and present, who embody the struggle to dream and achieve. Authors, artists, athletes, poets, politicians, Civil Rights leaders, and musicians are among those referenced through soaring verses which capture the dignity and grace of the human spirit. 
​Alexander also pays tribute to those who suffered, sacrificed, and lost their lives.

Two-time Caldecott Honor-winner Nelson's close-up portraits capture a spirit of quiet strength and determination.  The realistic style exudes countenances glowing with warmth and intelligence. Nelson uses a rich variety of skin tones and facial characteristics. Each an individual. Each unique.  The faces also portray joyful and proud moments. Eyes shining with tears. 

It begins with a bully, a school locker, and a chicken. Oh. There’s one more thing...a hole in the universe. From the opening scene with a chicken in a school locker, Carlos Hernandez had me hooked.

He will need all these when he matches wits with a no nonsense principal, the school bully, and student council/ school newspaper editor Gabi Reál.

Sal has Type I diabetes, which he handles matter-of-factly. It's part of his life and he is conscious of the importance of caring for himself, but he doesn't allow the condition to limit him.

Have you picked up a book and without cracking it open, knew that it was going to be something extraordinary? That was my initial response to We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders.
​The case features embossed lettering  and Dan Santat's illustration of a John Lewis quote.

Sixteen remarkable artists lend their talents to this project. Each illustrator selected a  a Civil Rights leader's inspirational words. Art is reflective of the message and unique to the artist's style.  Each illustrator's personal consideration of the quotation is included.  Images and text are compelling and profoundly moving. 

The volume, inspired by the work of the American Civil Liberties Union, echoes a commitment to human rights. Harry Belafonte offers a thoughtful introduction.

Barack Obama and "We are the change"

Looking for opportunities to be involved in meaningful change? Try this site.

Aleeya and her mother live in a small Malaysian village, a kumpung.  Their days were filled with simple joys: chickens, kittens, hanging out laundry, watering the vibrant red hibiscus.  Indoors, there is quiet time for mommy's daily prayers, Aleeya's crayoned drawings, and stories under the mosquito net.

They prepare a variety of tempting dishes and enjoy sharing meals with family and friends.

Little Aleeya and Mommy sayang, always together.

Rosana Sullivan is a storyboard artist with Pixar Animation Studios. She worked on several Pixar movies including The Good Dinosaur, Coco, and Incredibles 2. Her picture book is part of Pixar's Artist Showcase series.

It's time for Ramadan, a month-long religious holiday honoring the revelation of the first verses in the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a time for prayer and refection, study of the Quran, and helping the poor. It may be best known as a period of fasting, going without food and drink from sunup to sundown. 

Sophia is excited as her family prepares to begin observing Ramadan and decides that she will observe the traditional fast. "Count me in!"  she joyfully exclaims. 
She quickly discovers that what sounds wonderful in theory is difficult in practice. She must awake and eat a meal before sunrise, ignore her rumbling tummy, and resist her brother's chocolate chip cookies.

To her dismay, the lure of cookies is impossible to resist. An understanding grandmother helps her see that there are other ways that she can participate in this holy celebration.  She can observe Ramadan in a manner that is appropriate for a young child.

Use The Gift of Ramadan to introduce this religious celebration to young readers. 

Laura K. Horton is a freelance illustrator with a degree in illustration & animation from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
She is currently residing in Finland, working on an advanced degree in game design and production.