The single hero or heroine of the story, who is at the center of events, and is affected by events or influences events in the story.
When a young boy and his mother come to the United States from El Salvador, leaving his father behind, the boy misses his father very much and wants to do something special to show him how much he cares.
A young girl describes wash day, her favorite day of the week, when Miss Ett the washerwoman comes with her grandson Sherman and Grandpa tells stories and teaches Sherman to play music. On wash day, while Miss Ett does the laundry, Grandpa entertains the children by telling stories from his army days and playing his trumpet. This story shows how friendship can bridge the barriers of age and race
"No two families are the same, but every family is special. When Mrs. Mack says she will soon be a grandmother, her students realize that teachers have families just like they do! Suddenly everyone in the class wants to share information about his or her own unique family. Sarah tells of flying to China with her parents where they adopted her sister, Rachel. Christopher tells about his parents' divorce. They are still a family, but now he and his brother spend a few days every week at their dad's apartment. Nick lives with his parents, five siblings, and his grandparents―they need to order three large pizzas for dinner! And Hannah tells how she loves to garden with her two mommies." -- publisher
"A wonderful account of the sense of hearing given to us by Allah, which can be explored endlessly with young children, encouraging them to give thanks to our Creator"- -Back cover
"A wonderful account of the sense of touch given to us by Allah, which can be explored endlessly with young children, encouraging them to give thanks to our Creator"--Back cover
Tells the story of a young girl's dramatic escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad, from the perspective of her beloved rag doll
"Long ago, Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, who were colored red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Although Black-bird warns them that true beauty comes from within, the other birds persist and soon each is given a ring of black around their neck or a dot of black on their wings—markings that detail birds to this very day." -- publisher
An African American girl contemplates the many wonderful black things around her, from the inside of a pocket, where surprises hide, to the cozy night where there is no light
Kiri, who loves to draw and paint, tries to use the origami set she received for her birthday. Includes instructions for making an origami butterfly
Depicts the joys and hardships experienced by a Muslim family that immigrates to New York City from Alexandria, Egypt, in the hope of making a better life for themselves.
