‘Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite!’ by Ashley Spires
Ashley Spires brings her signature deadpan humor to this hilarious story about one bug’s quest for greatness (with some cool insect facts mixed in!).
Meet Burt, a ten-lined june beetle. He’s sure he belongs in the category of bugs with superpower-like abilities. No, he can’t carry 50 times his weight, like ants. No, he’s not able to spray paralyzing venom, like some termites. No, he can’t release a bad smell to repel predators, like stink bugs. What june beetles are known for is chasing porch lights and flailing their legs in the air – does that count? Hmm … Maybe Burt will just have to accept the truth. June beetles don’t have any special abilities. But when some other bugs find themselves in perilous trouble that even their superpowers can’t get them out of, Burt suddenly realizes there is one thing that he can do to save his friends – and it’s something that only a June Beetle can do!
Bestselling author-illustrator Ashley Spires’s signature mix of slapstick and dry humor is front and center in this winning story that highlights how being special is as much about character as it is about abilities. Full of simply drawn panels prominently featuring the ever-plucky Burt, it’s a perfect pick for emerging readers and young fans of comics. Burt’s positive attitude toward himself and others offers many opportunities for character education lessons on caring, positive thinking and initiative. Snuck into the pages are facts about bugs and their traits, making this a fun choice for a science unit on the characteristics of living things.
‘Glitter Everywhere!’ by Chris Barton
If you love glitter, this book is for you. If you hate glitter, this book is also for you.
Everyone seems to have strong feelings about glitter. But how much do you actually know about it?
- Who invented glitter?
- How is it made?
- Why does it stick to everything?
- Is it bad for the environment?*
And of course:
- What makes glitter . . . glitter?
With style and humor, Chris Barton and Chaaya Prabhat explore the good, the bad, the tiny, and the shiny of all things glitter.
* Spoiler alert! Traditional glitter can be bad for the planet. That’s why the jacket of this book uses a glitter look alike.
‘I Can Be All Three’ by Salima Alikhan
This is a great picture book about a child who learns to celebrate her multicultural identity and finds pride in all the stories and worlds that live inside of her.
When it’s Multicultural Day at school, a young girl wonders how best to tell the story of who she is. With marigolds, mangoes, and stories of India? Fairy tales, cuckoo clocks, and German tales? Or cheeseburgers, superheroes, and American traditions?
When choosing only one doesn’t feel quite right, she realizes that stories from all three places make her who she is. With whole worlds inside her, she doesn’t have to choose just one—she can be all three.
‘Legends of Lotus Island – The Guardian Test’ by Christina Soontornvat
Young Plum is shocked to discover that she’s been accepted to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island, an elite school where kids learn how to transform into Guardians, magical creatures who are sworn to protect the natural world. The Guardian masters teach Plum and her friends how to communicate with animals and how to use meditation to strengthen their minds and bodies. All the kids also learn to fight, so they can protect the defenseless if needed.
To her dismay, Plum struggles at school. While her classmates begin to transform into amazing creatures, Plum can’t even seem to magic up a single feather! If she can’t embrace her inner animal form soon, she’ll have to leave school – and lose the first group of real friends she’s ever known.
‘Our Story Starts in Africa’ by Patrice Lawrence
A sensitively told and vibrantly illustrated story of Black history from its very ancient origins to its dynamic future When Paloma goes to visit her family in Trinidad, she doesn’t feel that she fits in. But Tante Janet has a story to tell An ancient story of warrior queens and talking drums, of treasures and tales that span thousands of years … a story that Paloma shares in, because her story, too, starts in Africa.Join Tante and her inquisitive niece as they share the story of how her family came to the Caribbean, through the dark days of colonization and enslavement, to the emergence of a thriving, contemporary community of many faces, places and successes.All too often, children’s books dealing with “Africa” are reductive with little mention or explanation of modern Africa and too much focus on traditional costume, dancing and animals. This book offers a new approach to caregivers wanting to talk about Black history and Blackness from its very origins, sensitively told and vibrantly illustrated.
‘The Nguyen Kids – the Secret of the Jade Bangle’ by Linda Trinh
This is a wonderful series that explores Vietnamese culture and identity through the eyes of the Nguyen siblings, with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in.
I, Anne Nguyen, believe in ghosts. Not the kind of ghosts that hide in dark corners and yell boo! Not scary ghosts, but family ghosts.
Organized and introspective nine-year-old Anne Nguyen misses her Grandma Nội, a lot. But even though Grandma Nội passed away, it doesn’t mean she’s disappeared. When Anne and her younger siblings Jacob and Liz are given gifts passed on to them by Grandma, Anne soon realizes that hers – a beautiful jade bangle – has a secret power. One that might just give her the strength to stand up to her ballet teacher, who treats her differently than her white classmates, and embrace her Vietnamese identity through cooking Grandma’s recipes. No matter how difficult things get, Anne learns that the love of her ancestors is always with her.