They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems by David Bowles 

This slim poetry collection becomes more relevant with each passing day. They Call Me Güero chronicles the life of twelve-year-old Güero, a Mexican American boy living on the swath of land near the Rio Grande. Although he lives on the American side of the river, his heritage and identity are deeply rooted in Mexico.  He frequently traverses the bridge connecting the two countries. In Mexico he and his father eat breakfast and purchase fresh groceries. Güero's imagination inhabits his grandmother's world filled with chilling tales of mythical monsters. He possesses distinctive physical characteristics which distinguish him from other members in his community: a light complexion with freckles and a head of bright red hair.

Bowles handles sensitive topics with a light touch. Racism, stereotypes, immigration are part of Güero's life and are subtly revealed throughout the narrative. This is a boy discovering a world closely connected to his heritage, family, and friends.    Spanish is clearly an important feature in the text. Bowles liberally peppers these verses with Spanish phrases and references to Mexican and Mexican-American culture. A glossary for most of the phrases with pronunciation and the English equivalent enriches the reading experience. This is especially helpful when reading aloud. The poems can be read as a collective narrative.  They also work well as standalone vignettes.  Read. Enjoy. Discuss. Share. Repeat.

¡Gracias!

​THE REFUGE ON THE RANCH It's quiet here except for the hushed flow of the river and the hum of the bugs answered by the sharp trill of birds Somewhere, an ocelot growls. ​ "I know poetry when I hear it.”

Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Eleven-year=old Isabella feels that she is constantly being pulled in different directions. Her life ping-pongs back and forth, as her parents share custody. She lives part-time with her black father, his girlfriend and her son. Alternate weeks are at the home of her white mother and future stepfather.  Two different homes. Two different families. Every. Other. Week. At dad's house, she is Isabella and practices her music on a grand piano. To mom she is Izzy and prepares for her upcoming recital on an electronic keyboard. Then there are the Exchange Days, the dreaded moments when her two sets of parents meet at the mall and Izzy/Isabella must switch backpacks, lifestyles, and identities. It's confusing.

Listen Up

Additional Sharon M. Draper Books

Darius the Great is Not Okay
​by Adib Khorram read by Michael Levi Harris

Meet Darius Kellner, "Fractional Persian," slightly overweight sophomore, and tea aficionado. His commentary is liberally sprinkled with references to Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. He adores his Persian mother, dotes on his younger sister Laleh, and navigates a complicated father/son relationship. He's nerdy and possess a biting wit referring to classmates as the "Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy," and frequently doubts himself "That's normal. Right?" He is also a young man suffering with clinical depression. Life takes an unexpected turn when the family travels to Iran to visit his Zoroastrian grandfather who is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Darius confronts the reality of his identity as a young man of Persian heritage who has been raised in a decidedly western culture. Is he American or Iranian? Is it possible to be a part of each? ​He discovers that he has a talent for playing soccer/non-American football, a love for his maternal family, and the ability to forgive and be forgiven by a friend. Darius returns to America with increased acceptance of himself, greater appreciation for his family, and a clearer understanding his depression.

Bonus: Listen up

Random Musings

Sanity and Tallulah by Molly Brooks

Molly Brooks has done it.  Pink is now the signature color for action and adventure. This brilliant comic stars eighth-graders who are smart and resourceful, devious and daring and __ girls! Sanity Jones, along with her friend Tallulah Vega live onboard space station Wilnick. Tallulah’s mother, Science and Engineering Director, discovers the girls are deep into a clandestine scientific project. Sanity has created a three-headed kitten, affectionately named Princess Sparkle, Destroyer of Worlds. ​"Let me make sure I'm following your thought process here. You're feeding your carnivorous bioengineering experiment experimental bioengineered meat that you cloned yourself-" To everyone's horror, the kitten escapes and havoc reigns on Wilnick. A pet gerbil is murdered, something is chewing up major electrical system wires, and coolant leaks are wide-spread. Naturally everyone suspects the triple-headed feline.

Sneak Peek: More Sanity & Tallulah

Looking for more of the duo's adventures? ​View some sample pages. Head over to Comixology to order these webcomics.

We’ve Got the Whole world in Our Hands by Rafael López

Follow this string as it sails across seas and continents, through day and night, meets creatures large and small, and into the hands of children throughout the world. Rafael López interprets this traditional song with his distinctive artistic flair. Using a mixed media approach that incorporates a collage of found objects and cut paper with traditional watercolor and ink techniques as well as digital skills, he creates vibrant illustrations that capture the heart and soul of a world worth singing about. The spherical motif echoes throughout the pages: sun, moon, snail shell, ball of string, hot air balloon, and ultimately, the planet earth. A celebration of the connections that we all share. Glorious! ​

String Along

Sing Along

Bonus

A bilingual English/Spanish edition is also available.

I've got a signed copy in my hands. Gracias Rafael López

Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Sometimes it’s not simply that a picture that is worth a thousand words. Blue conveys a wealth of emotion with hues of a single color. Laura Vaccaro Seeger's signature painting style captures the essence of the relationship between a boy and his dog primarily with a variety of blues. Ingenious cut-outs lead the reader to explore vignettes of the twosome’s shared experiences: exploring outdoors, frolicking at the beach, playing tug-of-war. From infancy, the bond between these companions remains constant through the seasons of their lives: midnight blue, silly blue, stormy blue, chilly blue. Rhymes are subtle and flow naturally, never feeling forced or contrived. Tender moments. Poignant memories. A heart full of love. It is impossible for me to read this book without tears.

​For Sam, the little pup I tucked inside my coat ​and brought home one Friday night. "Please, can we keep him?" I begged. From that night on, you became a true companion. I will never forget you, my dear friend.

Lowriders Blast from the Past
by Cathy Camper ill Raúl the Third

One look at the Lowriders Blast from the Past cover and it is evident that readers of this series are in for a totally different experience. The first two covers feature dark backgrounds synonymous with outer space and inner earth. Lupe's sweet ride, the modified Chevy Impala, cruises proudly across the cover.  This third book cover features a warm light tone. The signature lowrider automobile has been replaced. This ride is pedal-powered. Equally striking is Lupe Impala. Her distinctive facial feature, her nose, is much smaller and her hair is a mass of short curls. With this episode Cathy Camper and Raúl the Third take us the back in time. We meet young Lupe, traveling on a bike, similar to her transportation at the beginning of Lowriders in Space.

Initial pages introduce the backstories of the threesome.  Young mechanic Lupe Impala, her Mamá Impala owns of a junk store and Mamá Gazelle creates tissue paper decorations. Elirio Mararia mosquito, an artist whose father helps him collect words. El Chavo Flapjack octopus, cleaning expert whose family are talented performers. The trio encounter Los Matamoscas (The Flyswatters), who destroy Flappy’s bike and deface Elirio’s outdoor murals. The new friends team up repair the damage and then prepare Lupe’s moms’ car for a Lowriders competition. Los Matamoscas impose a series of bizarre rules that will disqualify Impala and Gazelle. The youngsters jump into the fray and triumphantly meet each obstacle. Their car enters and wins the competition. Even better, they enlist the help of their former tormentors and together create a stunning mural.

Riding with Lupe, Elirio, and Flappy

Bonus Discussion: Code Switching

In recent years, however, scholars have found there is sophisticated brain work behind code-switching, or CS, the linguistic term for switching between two languages in one conversation.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Clara is the class clown, the prankster. When she takes it too far, she and her arch-nemesis Rose get into a knockdown brawl. As punishment Clara and Rose must work together at KoBra, her father’s Korean-Brazilian fusion food truck. Complications arise when Hamlet from the coffee kiosk begins to pay Clara an inordinate amount of attention. After one date, he decides that she is his girlfriend. Whoa! This is more than Clara's typical superficial relationship. Our girl has some serious growing up to do. Can she sustain a friendship with a former enemy? Can she commit to one guy? Can she work through her complicated relationship with her mother? Can she repair the damage that her impulsive actions have caused? That’s a lot to ask of one sixteen-year-old. Maurene Goo’s romantic comedy is more than a smart, slick portrait of love and friendship. It’s also a tantalizing send-up to food trucks. Impossible to read this without having some serious cravings for walk-away eats.

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Twinkle feels that she is a "nobody." Ignored by her parents, she longs to be noticed at school. The opportunity comes when Twinkle is asked to direct a movie for the local arts festival. Here is her chance to show the Colorado Springs community that she has talent. Film geek Sahil has offered to help her produce her filmmaking debut. They brainstorm an imaginative story concept, turning the classic Dracula into a gender-reversal version. But Sahil clearly wants more than just a business relationship. There is a slight problem. Twinkle has an ongoing crush on Sahil's athletic superstar twin brother Neil. When she begins receiving anonymous emails from a secret admirer, Twinkle assumes (hopes) that the sender is Neil. Sandhya Menon uses a series of imaginary emails that Twinkle sends to famous women of filmdom in this story of finding where her heart lies.

American Panda by Gloria Chao

Mei Lu's parents have her life arranged. At the age of seventeen, she has followed the life plan that they set for her and is about to enter MIT, studying to become a doctor. Her mother, who gives new meaning to the term helicopter parent, has obtained a copy of her class schedule and relentlessly voicemails Mei, wanting to know where she is and what she is doing every moment of the day. She has even selected a suitable husband for her daughter. Mei, a germaphobe, constantly worries about contracting a disease from normal human contact and struggles to stay alert in biology class. She loves dance and is attracted to a young man who is definitely not Taiwanese. Gloria Chao's heartwarming tale of the girl struggling to be true to herself, while honoring and respecting her family and culture is served with a generous quantity of humor. Love her. Laugh with her. Agonize with her. Mei’s story is the quintessential romantic comedy.

Bonus: Love currently available on a screen near you. ​

24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling

WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY

Gus, a "thirteen-year-old boy in the body of an eight-year old," abandoned by his father and now living in a trailer with his grandmother who spends her days glued to the television. The ultimate underdog. Gus and his companions Rossi, Jessie, and Matthew must get enough gold from a deserted mine to buy back Rossi's stolen motorcycle. Dead Frenchman Mine "everyone who had entered the mine in the last seventy years had died an agonizing, suffocating, bone-crushing death. 24 hours.  That's all time they have to enter the mine, find the gold, and get the motorcycle in time for Rossi to enter the dirt bike competition.  "Justice. I had to fight for justice."

Bonus

​Rossi is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, a "federally-recognized tribe that includes approximately 28,000 members" occupying tribal lands in the Sonoran Desert located in Southwestern Arizona. Learn more about this tribe, its history, government and culture.

Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a a Horse
by Marcy Campbell  ill Corinna Luyken

I have one simple request: Dial Books should include a box of tissues with every copy of this book. Seriously. Not one copy of Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse should leave the warehouse without providing plenty of tissues for the reader. Meet Chloe, the no-nonsense girl who knows what she knows, sees what she sees.  When the strange boy in her class tells her he has a horse, she is doubtful.  All facts seem to disprove his declaration. She uses logic and evidence to figure out that this cannot be true.

Companion Books