Each month a variety of observances and celebrations take place, from well-known holidays to much lesser known fun (and downright funny or strange!) observances.
Black History Month
We Are Here by Tami Charles & Bryan Collier
(Preschool to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog
In another groundbreaking picture book from the powerhouse creative team behind the New York Times bestselling All Because You Matter, is a stirring, poetic, and empowering follow-up that celebrates the rich history of Black and brown men and women throughout history with soaring language and stunning illustrations.
Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King & Ekua Holmes(Grades 1-4)
Library Catalog
This is the autobiography of Coretta Scott King–wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.; founder of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (the King Center); architect of the MLK, Jr. legacy; and global leader in movements for civil and human rights as well as peace. Learn about how a girl born in the segregated deep south became a global leader at the forefront of the peace movement and an unforgettable champion of social change. Resilience, bravery, and joy lie at the center of this timeless story about fighting for justice against all odds.
Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington by Michael G. Long & Bea Jackson(Grades 1-4)
Library Catalog
This powerful and triumphant picture book biography tells the story of how openly gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin defied prejudice as he planned and organized the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
The Loud Librarian by Jenna Beatrice & Erika Lynne Jones
(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
Penelope is perfect for the job of student-librarian. Friendly? Check. Helpful? Check. Book lover? Check. There's just one snag. Penelope is…LOUD. Bookcases may topple and the ground may quake at the sound of her voice, but Penelope is determined to prove she's perfect for the job and stay true to herself. Can a little librarian with a big voice find a place where she belongs?
The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil(Kindergarten to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
Upon learning that the books with kids who look like her have been banned by her school district, Kanzi descends into fear and helplessness. But her classmates support her, and together-with their teacher's help-they hatch a plan to hold a bake sale and use the proceeds to buy diverse books to donate to libraries.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass(Grades 3-6)
Library Catalog
When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change. Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.
Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki
(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
Dad wakes early every morning before the sun, heading off to work at the bakery. He kneads, rolls, and bakes, and as the sun rises and the world starts its day, Dad heads home to his young daughter. Together they play, read, garden, and–most importantly–they bake. This lovely, resonant picture book was inspired by muralist Katie Yamasaki's work with formerly incarcerated people. With subtle, uncluttered storytelling amplified by her monumental and heartfelt paintings, she has created a powerful story of love, of family, and of reclaiming a life with joy.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard & Juana Martinez-Neal(Preschool to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog
Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.
Boys Don’t Fry by Kimberly Lee & Charlene Chua(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
It's the eve of Lunar New Year, and Jin can't wait for the big family reunion dinner. He loves the aromas and the bubbly chatter coming from the kitchen. His grandmother, Mamah, is cooking up a storm! As his aunties dice, slice, and chop, there's nothing Jin wants more than to learn about the history of his family's cooking and to lend them a helping hand. After all, no one else can tell the difference between ginger and galangal as well as he can! But his aunties shoo him away, claiming he'll just get bored or be in the way. Luckily, Mamah steps in and asks Jin to help her prepare their special meal. Soon, Jin is squeezing, slicing, and stirring, too! This loving picture book about a young Malaysian boy who defies gender expectations will make hearts warm and stomachs hungry. With beautifully vibrant illustrations of a traditional nyonya kitchen, Boys Don't Fry is a heartfelt celebration of family, culture, and traditions–both old and new.
February 1st: Langston Hughes’ Birthday
Finding Langston (Book #1 of the Trilogy) by Lisa Cline-Ransome
(Grades 4-6)
Library Catalog
It's 1946. Langston's mother has just died, and now they're leaving the rest of his family and friends. He misses everything– Grandma's Sunday suppers, the red dirt roads, and the magnolia trees his mother loved. In the city, they live in a small apartment surrounded by noise and chaos. It doesn't feel like a new start, or a better life. At home he's lonely, his father always busy at work; at school he's bullied for being a country boy. But Langston's new home has one fantastic thing. Unlike the whites-only library in Alabama, the Chicago Public Library welcomes everyone. There, hiding out after school, Langston discovers another Langston–a poet whom he learns inspired his mother enough to name her only son after him.
That is My Dream!: a Picture Book of Langston Hughes's “Dream Variation” by Langston Hughes and Daniel Miyares(Preschool to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog
“Dream Variation,” one of Langston Hughes's most celebrated poems, about the dream of a world free of discrimination and racial prejudice, is now a picture book stunningly illustrated by Daniel Miyares…An African-American boy faces the harsh reality of segregation and racial prejudice, but he dreams of a different life–one full of freedom, hope, and wild possibility, where he can fling his arms wide in the face of the sun
There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds, Jerome Pumphrey & Jarrett Pumphrey(Preschool to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog
Back in the day, there was a heckuva party, a jam, for a word-making man. The King of Letters. Langston Hughes. His ABCs became drums, bumping, jumping, thumping like a heart the size of the whole country. They sent some people yelling and others, his word-children, to write their own glory. Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, and more came be-bopping to recite poems at their hero's feet at that heckuva party at the Schomburg Library, dancing boom da boom, stepping and stomping, all in praise and love for Langston, world-mending word man. Oh, yeah, there was hoopla in Harlem, for its Renaissance man. A party for Langston.
Chavela and the Magic Bubble by Monica Brown & Magaly Morales(Preschool to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog
Chavela loves chomping chicle–chewing gum. And she loves blowing bubbles even more. One day, while out with her abuelita, she finds a mysterious kind of gum she's never seen before. She pops it in her mouth and blows a giant bubble that lifts her up into the air and carries her on a magical journey. Luscious, candy-colored paintings illustrate this fantastical story with an ecological twist. An afterword provides information on natural chewing gum, the rainforest, and sustainable farming, as well as music to a traditional Latin American folksong.
The Bubble Gum Blob (Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol Series #15) by Andres Miedoso & Victor Rivas(Grades 2-4)
Library Catalog
The candy at Kersville Elementary School is usually sweet. But when a brand-new type of bubble gum gets passed around, Desmond and Andres find themselves in a very sticky situation. Because the bubble gum blob bites back! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler & Laura Huliska-Beith(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
After a variety of animals get stuck one by one in bubble gum melting in the road, they must survive encounters with a big blue truck and a burly black bear in this rollicking rhyming picture book.
Meet Marie-Grace & Meet Cécile ( American Girl Series) by Sarah Masters Buckey & Denise Lewis Patrick
(Grades 2-5)
Library Catalog
Marie-Grace Gardner, a doctor's daughter who has just returned to her native New Orleans in 1853, makes friends with Cécile Rey, whose prosperous family are free people of color, and is persuaded to change places with her at separate Mardi Gras balls.
Dinosaur Mardi Gras by Dianne de Las Casas & Marita Gentry(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
Get ready to stomp and chomp to that mambo beat! When carnival time rolls into New Orleans, these hip dinosaurs want to boogie on down. Iguanodon wiggles to the music of a marching band, while Zigongosaurus dances zydeco and Pterodactyl swoops into the crowd. From singing tunes and tossing beads, these big beasts sure know how to party. Laissez les bon temps rugir!
Mardi Gras in New Orleans by Madison Webb & Mellissa Moore(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog
Every young reader will delight in Mardi Gras in New Orleans by local author, Madeline Webb. This treasurable , collectable and coveted of New Orleans' famed Mardi Gras celebrations comes alive through this vibrant family-friendly picture book that highlights the culture, diversity, frivolity, and spirit of one of America's most beloved cities.
Leave a Reply