Retells the legend of the African-American railroad builder who raced against a steam drill to cut through a mountain.

While his human Elliot adjusts to his new home and stepfamily, Gizmo, an evil genius guinea pig, searches for a new evil lair where he can plot to take over the world, but Gizmo is constantly thwarted by Elliot's little stepsister Jasmine (who likes to play dress-up), Abuela (who may or may not like to eat cavies), and Wedgie (a Corgi superhero and Gizmo's nemesis).

With the help of her family, a resourceful Mexican American girl realizes her dream of having a space of her own to read and to think.

Gary Soto's Too Many Tamales earned critical acclaim from Parents' Choice and Booklist magazines. This endearing story stars Maria, a young girl who is now old enough to help her mother make the traditional Christmas tamales. While kneading the masa, she spots her mom's precious ring lying on the table. Just to see what it feels like, she slips it on and continues her work. The real trouble begins later when she notices the ring is missing. Could...

Grace loves stories. She likes to read them, see them in movies, and make them up herself. And even more than hearing stories, she loves to act them out. Sometimes she's a pirate, or Aladdin with a magic lamp, or Mowgli in the backyard jungle. Now Grace is sad. Her class is putting on a play called Peter Pan. Guess what part she wants to play? But Raj says she can't be Peter Pan because she's a girl. And Natalie says she can't because she's black....

"A boy makes a connection with a plum tree after moving to a new home"--

A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.

Describes the period of the 20th century when many African Americans left the South to make better lives for themselves in the northern states.

Spunky third-grader Dyamonde Daniel misses her old neighborhood, but when she befriends a boy names Free, another new student at school, she finally starts to feel at home.

"Mo Jackson is excited for his baseball game, but Coach Marie tells him he is batting last and playing right field, again. Will Mo ever get a hit?"--