Every weekday morning for the past eight years Gabrielle Hutchins has buttoned up a white shirt, slipped on her plaid skirt and headed off to parochial school. ​Now things are changing. Gabrielle, known as Brie, has begun to seriously examine who she is and what she believes. She realizes that she may not be the person her mother expects her to be.

Her life is complicated. There’s a financial aspect. Her father lost his job and is now her school’s custodian, which is embarrassing. School tuition is a expensive. There’s the matter of religion. Mom is devoted to her faith. Brie doesn’t want to disappoint her mother but she questions the teachings of the church. Cozy afternoons Brie and her mother spent watching soap operas seem to be a thing of the past. Brie desperately seeks her mother’s attention and approval, so she resorts to lies. One lie results in a major family spectacle. School is a problem. Brie is not motivated by academic excellence and wants to leave private school and attend a school for the performing arts.

Gomez takes the well-known tale of "Little Red Riding Hood," dresses the main character in a scarlet hoodie, adds a distinctive Latin flavor, and sets it to a rhythmic beat. It's Federico and the Wolf, a contemporary retelling.

In this version, young Federico bikes to his grandfather's shop. First he stops to purchase ingredients for pico de gallo.  He and grandfather plan to enjoy lunch together and then whip up a batch of hot salsa. 

Federico is on his way with a basket of groceries when a hungry wolf appears and declares his intent to devour this niño. It takes some quick thinking and a large habanero to outwit un lobo.

At the tale's conclusion, Gomez shares a recipe for pico de gallo. She adds a glossary of Spanish words and phrases with pronunciation guide along with definitions. 

Chavarri's charming illustrations have a contemporary folk-art quality. End papers feature colorful traditional patterns with the faces of Federico and Grandfather nestled within the designs. Her portfolio includes this dazzling bookmobile art.

Brick mason meets young reader. Sheffield has ingeniously woven together the building of an architectural structure and the creation a reader. Both are busy: constructing brick by brick, book by book.

​Pages views alternate between parallel activities. Papa scales the scaffolding while Luis scrambles up playground equipment. Papa mixes mortar and trowels a layer of cement as Luis molds clay. Papa stacks bricks row by row and Luis arranges a tower of his favorite stories, book upon book.

The heart of the story is the relationship between a father and son. Luis rides on his father's shoulders while wearing papa's hard hat. The two share a warm abrazo.
Together they work and plan for the fulfillment of a dream: a house that they can call home.

Illustrations are stellar. Sheffield's collages of textures, colors, shapes and snippets of photographs are ingenious. Artistic assemblages are enhanced with painted details.

Observant readers will find papa's boots are photographs of actual work boots. The United States flag is a collection of irregular red and white stripes, hand drawn stars on a blue background and a snippet of blue jeans. Pieces of actual brick form the buildings. Multicolor angular shapes become falling autumn leaves.

Allie Abraham works on blending in. A Circassian with reddish-blond hair and hazel eyes, it is easy for this sixteen-year-old cheerleader, academic standout, and school choir member to ignore her Muslim heritage. Allie's non-practicing Muslim father believes that this will protect her from discrimination.
However, Allie is drawn to the culture and religion of her grandmother. She wants to learn Arabic, study the Qur'an, begin a habit of regular prayer, and dress modestly. She meets with a group of forward-thinking Muslim young women who practice their faith in modern America. She's an All-American Muslim Girl.
Publicly acknowledging her heritage is a challenge. She hides her newfound interest in Islam from her father, walks a fine line with her boyfriend whose father is a well-known and bigoted news personality. She deals with classmates who mock her faith and other Muslims who condemn her for not being Muslim enough. What to do?

​This collection of short stories paints miniature portraits of an assemblage of Eid-al-Fitr celebrations. While the practice of faith varies within the Muslim community, each unique Eid observance is memorable.
The anthology contains lighthearted as well as poignant glimpses into the culminating observance of Ramadan with descriptions of private prayer, public celebrations, distinctive clothing, special food, and gifts. Readers meet a recent convert to Islam who fasts and samples spicy fare for the first time. For others Eid is bittersweet, reviewing celebrations from years past and remembering absent family members. ​ Some stories follow the journey to be with family: taking the subway to the Bronx or sitting in the car’s back seat with siblings while traveling to Sydney, Australia. I loved the descriptions of clothing: choosing to wear a hajib for the first time or fashioning a unique gown from a thrift store purchase.

A possible solution presents itself. Jude loves theater and movies. She learns that the school is staging a production of Beauty and the Beast. Summoning her courage, she auditions for a part in this fairy-tale musical. Can a girl from Syria can make it onto the stage in Ohio?

There’s something about Beth Kephart’s writing. Instantly she draws me in, exquisitely capturing the moment with sensory imagery. I'm right there, sitting on a windowsill, gazing at the night sky with eleven-year-old Sara Scholl and her younger brother Hawk.

This summer Sara is grappling with a physical condition that seriously affects her heart, a mysterious man who has taken up residence on the family farm, and the aftermath of a devastating fire.

Sara stands out among her peers. Literally. Taller than both of her parents, she is extremely thin and her feet are flat. She has a condition known as Marfan syndrome which affects the connective tissues throughout her body. Of critical concern is the possibility of an aortic rupture. A surgical procedure could save her life, but it requires the services of an expensive specialist in faraway Cleveland.

Bea experienced a major life disruption four years ago when her parents divorced. Now she divides her time equally between the apartments of her supportive mother and understanding father. To ease her anxiety, they presented her with a green notebook to record "The List of Things That Will Not Change." They started the list with:

• Mom loves you more than anything, always.
• Dad loves you more than anything, always.

They encourage Bea to look for things that remain constant, things that she can depend on. School, relationships with peers, and the distinctive parenting styles of her mother and father are predictable.
​The irony is that her life is about to change in several surprising ways.

Without revealing an important plot point, it is safe to say that the most significant change that occurs is the change in Bea herself.

This collection of short stories paints miniature portraits of an assemblage of Eid-al-Fitr celebrations. While the practice of faith varies within the Muslim community, each unique Eid observance is memorable.

It’s true. Muslims women are diverse. They cannot be typecast. Each woman is unique, reflecting her country, culture, and family. Some chose to express themselves with a head scarf. Some opt for a western style of dress. 

What do they have in common? Pride in their Muslim identity. Respect for the diverse ways to practice their faith.

Vivian J Cohen is a typical eleven-year-old. She likes cheese sandwiches and pizza. She likes baseball. Vivy enjoys watching televised professional games with her dad. Her favorite player is VJ Capello.
In some respects she may be a not-so-typical fifth grader. She is a baseball (NOT softball) pitcher and can throw a mean knuckleball. She dreams of becoming the first female to play professionally. She is autistic, prone to meltdowns and flapping her hands when she gets anxious or excited. 

When she was eight years old, she met minor league pitcher VJ. He took her aside and taught her how to throw a knuckleball. She has never forgotten him. Three years later Vivy has a letter-writing assignment. She opts to write to VJ. They begin a lively correspondence, mainly via email.
​Kapit begins the epistolary novel on the first day of spring training and concludes with the league's final game for the season. Their emails include plenty of play by play baseball action.

Isabella Crawford leads a double life. At home she is the daughter of her white father, a Marine killed in action and her Puerto Rican mother, who ekes out a living as a nurse's aide, moving her family from place to place.
Now the family resides in Virginia where Izzy has received a scholarship to attend a prestigious Catholic high school and sing with the school's premier vocal group. She has her father’s green eyes and can "pass" at school, borrowing clothing from her best friend to supplement her meager wardrobe. She informs classmates that her mother is a nurse.

This is a story of bread. But it's more than bread. Much more. This is a story of family. Of tradition. Of Native American pride.

Kevin Noble Maillard, member of Seminole Nation, Mekusukey Band shares a long-standing Indigenous special food: fry bread. Recipes for fry bread are as diverse as the numerous Native nations.

The sentence stem "Fry bread is..." introduces this delightful cultural staple. By turns it is food, shape, sound, color. flavor, time, history, place, nation, everything. Written in free verse, each concept fills the entire two-page spread. Replete with information and symbolism, each fry bread attribute is also a metaphor for Native Americans.

Fry Bread brings back warm memories. When I was a college freshman, one of my roommates, Norma, was a Navajo from Arizona. She was very proud of her nationality and delighted in sharing Navajo culture with her roommates. She loved to sing, but not the hit songs playing on the radio. She sang traditional Navajo songs, with distinctive tonal patterns, and language. In my mind, I can still hear her singing. She was gentle and patient with us, helping us appreciate the Navajo Way.

Born in the Philippines but raised in the United States, seventeen-year-old Jay learns that his Filipino cousin is dead. Stunned by the tragedy and his family’s reluctance to divulge any of the details, Jay returns to the land of his birth to ascertain what happened to his gentle, thoughtful relative.
​Tracing the life of Jun is challenging. The family is unwilling to discuss anything about him or his life. Jay suspects a cover-up and wants to learn the truth.
He is startled by what he eventually finds and realizes that surviving can be dangerous for a young man trying to make his way through a drug-infested sub-culture.
Ultimately Jay develops an appreciation for his Filipino heritage and decides to make a major life change.
​Hopeful, heart-wrenching, unforgettable storytelling.

Devastated by the disappearance of her friend, investigative reporter Sara Zapata discovers the astonishing number of young girls who have gone missing. Her published news articles begin to draw attention. As she searches for answers, things take a frightening turn when she discovers that key pieces of information are missing. Her family is threatened and her home is no longer a safe place. Sara learns that her brother may have jeopardized the family's future by a decision which will brings him into the influence of the drug cartel. Will she find her friend? Can she protect her family? Sara will risk all to discover the truth and remain true to herself.

Seeking asylum and crossing the border from Mexico into the United States make this book particularly relevant.

​Pub date: April 26, 2016  Publisher: Scholastic ISBN: 978-1338032352

Best friends Libby and May invented Princess X, a comic featuring a sword-wielding warrior princess wearing a gold crown and red sneakers. One fateful night Libby's mother fell asleep while driving across a bridge. The car tumbled into the icy water with Libby and her mother trapped inside. Libby is dead. Princess X is no more.
Three years later May discovers Princess X stickers directing her to a website. She wonders: Why this sudden reappearance of Princess X? May sets off on a dangerous mission to uncover what happened that fateful night. Her quest pits her wits and her nerve against a cunning man with a deranged plan. A can't-put-it-down combination comic and prose thriller. ​​