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Books for 3rd to 5th Grade
Becoming Naomi Leon
by Pam Munoz Ryan
$5.99
Naomi is biracial, Mexican and white, the only one in the family who looks like a person of color. Her mother left Naomi and her little brother with her grandmother when she was quite young. When Naomi's mother reappears after seven years, the family conflict that ensues pushes Naomi's grandmother to bring the kids to Oaxaca to search for Naomi's Mexican father. Naomi gets a chance to learn about and become a part of her Mexican extended family. While in Mexico, Naomi finds her cultural heritage and her own voice.
Pact says: This book explores many issues that are relevant to adopted children - particularly those adopted transracially. The book's themes of bridging several families, connecting different cultures, and forging a personal identity gives transracially adopted kids much to think about.
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
$6.99
An orphaned runaway, Bud copes with the adult world with his numbered "Rules and Things." His few treasures from his former life with "Momma," are kept in a battered suitcase. One, a flyer advertising a musical group, leads him on a fantasy journey to an amazing reality
Pact says: This is a great book that explores children's sense of need for family and the who notion of search and reunion. A great read.
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Day, A Dog, A
by Gabrielle Vincent
$16.95
A wordless story that tells the authentic experience of loss and
reconnection. In this book a little dog is abandoned by his people. Few eyes
remain dry accompanying him on his emotional journey. A fantastic book to
stimulate conversation about the deepest feelings children have about
separation and loss. Because it has no text it can be personalized anew at
each reading.
Pact says: A book that accurately and powerfully captures the emotions of
abandonment and disconnection that are central to the experience of
separating from one's birth family. Highly recommended.
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Double Play at Shortstop
by Matt Christopher
$4.99
Danny Walker feels he is a shoo-in for the all-star team, until he meets Tammy Aiken, the shortstop for the opposition. They're both great players, but other similarities (both have red hair, a similar stance, etc.) make Danny uneasy. When he learns that both are adopted and share the same birthday, Danny becomes convinced they're twins, separated at birth.
Pact says: This unlikely plot give kids a chance to explore adoption fantasies and what ifs in the context of the sports team experience. The inclusion of many great girl players is a bonus.
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Dream Keeper, The
by Langston Hughes
$8.99
Celebrates hopes, dreams, aspirations, life and love, a splendid combination of timeless words and illustrations, Langston Hughes' poems range from the romantic to the poignant, from the spiritual to the challenging.
Pact says: Langston Hughes represents the essence of the African American experience.
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Hank Zipzer Collection
by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
$19.96
Includes 4 titles: Niagara Falls, or does It?; I Got A "D" in Salmi; Day of the Iguana; The Zippity Zinger. These are laugh outloud books, as Hank and his friends (who just happen to be Chinese and African American, from middle class professional families) romp together through various antics and funny situations mostly created by Hank's struggles in school. Hank has learning differences which are really coming to the fore now that he is in fourth grade. Any child facing these issues will feel better about themselves and their struggles because of Hank and his fantastic ideas and adventures.
Pact says: This is a great series and a wonderful read, especially for kids facing learning challenges.
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Kids Like Me In China
by Ying-Ying Fry
$18.00
"Hi! My name is Ying Ying," this book begins. "I am eight years old and I live in San Francisco. Like lots of kids in my city, I'm Chinese American. But I wasn't born that way. When I was really small, I was just Chinese. Then my American parents came and adopted me, and that's how I got the American part." Ying Ying was adopted from an orphanage in Changsha, Hunan province, when she was a tiny baby. She tells her story, not only about her adoption but also about her return trip to China and the orphanage where she was born.
Pact says: This books is very touching and inspirational for kids of older ages who can begin to imagine writing their own story... just like Ying-Ying. Every parent will learn from Ying-Ying how they can inspire their own children to tell their own stories.
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Ocean Within, The
by V.M. Caldwell
$6.95
Elizabeth, 11, barely speaks and views her adoption by the Sheridans as just another temporary situation, to be endured without getting emotionally entangled. The Sheridans are a raucous and deeply affectionate family, and Elizabeth is overwhelmed by their noise and their joy. Elizabeth's passion is the ocean, which she has dreamed of seeing; too afraid to actually let the water touch her, she watches the ocean for hours while the others swim and play. It is four-year-old Petey who begins to reach Elizabeth; too young to be deceived, he recognizes both her loneliness and her fear.
Pact says: A beautifully written and engaging story about learning trust and becoming part of a family that has great appeal to adopted girls.
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People Could Fly, The: American Black Folktales
by Virginia Hamilton
$13.00
Virginia Hamilton, Newbery Medal winner and recipient of the National Book Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, teams up with two-time Caldecott Medal winners, Leo and Diane Dillon, in this classic collection of American black folktales, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. By turns droll, grisly, and spine-tingling, the 24 stories celebrate the indomitable human spirit, surviving under the most crushing circumstances of slavery. Four groups of stories: Animal Tales; Tales of the Real, Extravagant and Fanciful; Tales of the Supernatural; and Slave Tales of Freedom.
Pact says: An excellent of stories rooted in the African American experience.
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Ruby Lu, Brave and True
by Lenore Look
$3.99
These are the adventures of almost 8 year old Ruby Lu, a Chinese American girl. The book is a fun-filled look at a few days in the life of an Asian American kid.
Pact says: This is a great book about a little girl whose family has figured out how to live two heritages -- the one of their parents and grandparents, and the other in the US. There's a glossary and pronunciation guide for the Cantonese words and phrases sprinkled throughout the book. It is geared towards the younger end of the 3rd to 5th grade group.
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Sadako and the Thousand Cranes
by Elanor Coerr
$5.99
Sadako Sasaki was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on her home city of Hiroshima. When she was twelve, she developed leukemia. Facing long days in bed, Sadako spent the time folding paper cranes, for the legend holds that if a sick person folds 1000 cranes, the gods will make her well again. She folded 644 cranes before she died. Children all over Japan helped collect money to build a monument to her.
Pact says: An inspiring story of one child's courage in the face of adversity and the tremendous outpouring of support she received from the people around her. A Pact bestseller.
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Soul Looks Back In Wonder
by Tom Feelings
$7.99
Included in the anthology are verses by Margaret Walker, Maya Angelou, Lucille Clifton, and Eugene B. Redmond, and a previously unpublished poem by Langston Hughes. This is a unique and moving collaboration that celebrates the sustaining spirit of African creativity. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration.
Pact says: A beautiful book filled with compelling words and pictures that inspire.
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Tides
by V.M. Caldwell
$16.95
Elizabeth Sheridan, first introduced in The Ocean Within, returns as she and her adoptive family head back to Grandma's beach house for some summer fun. But Adam, the oldest cousin, is distraught after losing two close friends to a drunk driving accident and his abrupt withdrawal has thrown the family into new territory.
Pact says: Both books address the reality that loss, fear and change bring up core issues of adoption.
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Under Our Skin: Kids Talk About Race
By Barbara Birdsey, Photography by Robert Crum
$15.95
This book explores issues of race through the eyes and words of six teenagers of different ethnic backgrounds. Tad, Caucasian; Rosa, Latina (Hispanic); Akram, Arab; Jenny, Chinese; Jason, African American; and Janell, Native American, who candidly discuss how the traditions of their different cultural heritages affect their daily lives, their views on race, and their experiences with prejudice. These six young voices celebrate the best of our multicultural society and offer words of wisdom and hope for the future.
Pact Says: A great example of how to talk about race for younger children who will look up to these older children as mentors.
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W.I.S.E. UP Powerbook
by Marilyn Schoettle
$16.00
This child friendly book gives children easy to remember tools to cope with uncomfortable comments from others. They learn to think about their options, and make wise choices based on the word W-I-S-E:(W)alk away, say (I)t's private, (S)hare something, or (E)ducate.
Pact says: Friends, teachers, and strangers often ask children questions, both personal and general, about adoption. This book provides adopted children with options for how to manage those questions. A must-read for adopted kids, written in a kid friendly cartoon like style, filled with practical advice and the reassurance that all adopted kids has to field the same kinds of questions.
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Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963, The
by Christopher Curtis
$6.50
10-year-old Kenny and his family, the "Weird Watsons", set out on a trip like no other. They're going to Birmingham, Alabama, during one of the darkest moments in America's civil rights history. In the midst of the warmth and hilarity of the family, they encounter unexpected violence and some painful racist history.
Pact says: Being familiar with "isms" is strengthening for all kids. This award winning account of racism in the south has plenty of spice and no sugarcoating. It grabs the reader and won't let go.
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Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: #1 The Burried Bones Mystery
By Sharon M. Draper
$6.00
When Ziggy gets the word that the trip to Camp Caesar is on, he can't wait
to tell his friends, the Black Dinosaurs. But the four pals couldn't know
what excitement awaited them. In this third adventure, the boys learn a lot
about American, Native American, and African-American history.
Pact says: Great books about a group of four boys who just happen to be African American, good friends and prone to adventures and mystery. Great reads that will especially inspire young boys. These books are fun but also teach history and pride rooted in the African American community.
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Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: #3 Shadows of Ceasar's Creek
By Sharon M. Draper
$6.00
The four pals couldn't know what excitement
awaited them on their trip to Camp Ceasar. In this third adventure, the boys
learn a lot about American, Native American, and African-American history.
Pact says: Great books about a group of four boys who just happen to be African American, good friends and prone to adventures and mystery. Great reads that will especially inspire young boys. These books are fun but also teach history and pride rooted in the African American community.
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Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: #4 The Space Mission Adventure
By Sharon M. Draper
$6.00
The lure of space travel, aliens and
astronauts launches the boys on another wonderful adventure that will
capture the imagination of all who have imagined traveling in outer space.
Pact says: Great books about a group of four boys who just happen to be African American, good friends and prone to adventures and mystery. Great reads that will especially inspire young boys. These books are fun but also teach history and pride rooted in the African American community.
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Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: #5 The Backyard Animal Show
By Sharon M. Draper
$6.00
The Dinosaurs stage a neighborhood animal show
to raise money for the local wildlife rescue center to try to do their part
to help the animals keep their habitat safe.
Pact says: Great books about a group of four boys who just happen to be African American, good friends and prone to adventures and mystery. Great reads that will especially inspire young boys. These books are fun but also teach history and pride rooted in the African American community.
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Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: #6 Stars and Sparks on Stage
By Sharon M. Draper
$6.00
The boys participate in a school talent show
hoping to win the prize so they can fix up their clubhouse until they meet a
girl who probably needs the money more than they do.
Pact says: Great books about a group of four boys who just happen to be African American, good friends and prone to adventures and mystery. Great reads that will especially inspire young boys. These books are fun but also teach history and pride rooted in the African American community.
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