Summer break has come to an end and back-to-school sales are popping up as a new school year begins. Here is a roundup of school-themed books to help you and your little ones ease into the first weeks of classes.
¡Vámonos! Let's Go!
By Rene Colato Lainez; Illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Published by Holiday House
From their window on the bus, a girl and a boy see a fire truck that goes woo-ooo-ooo, also known as a camión de bomberos--uuuah uuuah uuuah. They see a train, an ambulance and an airplane too! With this rollicking adaptation of "The Wheels on the Bus," young people can sing out the names of their favorite vehicles and the sounds they make -- in both English and Spanish.
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
By Duncan Tonatiuh
Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
When her family moved to the town of Westminster, California, young Sylvia Mendez was excited about enrolling in her neighborhood school. But she and her brothers were turned away and told they had to attend the Mexican school instead. Sylvia could not understand why—she was an American citizen who spoke perfect English. Why were the children of Mexican families forced to attend a separate school? Unable to get a satisfactory answer from the school board, the Mendez family decided to take matters into its own hands and organize a lawsuit.
In the end, the Mendez family’s efforts helped bring an end to segregated schooling in California in 1947, seven years before the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation in schools across America.
Using his signature illustration style and incorporating his interviews with Sylvia Mendez, as well as information from court files and news accounts, award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh tells the inspiring story of the Mendez family’s fight for justice and equality.
Twins vs. Triplets: Back-to-School Blitz
By Jennifer Torres; Illustrated by Vanessa Flores
Published by Harper Collins
David Suárez gets stuck in the middle of a prank war when the neighborhood twins and triplets compete to rule the school. This is the first book of this hilarious, highly illustrated early chapter book series.
David can’t wait to go back to school and get far away from his trickster neighbors. But he’s in for a surprise when a set of equally prank-loving triplets move onto his block—and into his class!
Now the twins and triplets are battling for control of the playground and David is stuck in the middle. Can he end the prank war before recess gets cancelled for the whole year?
El día en que descubres quién eres (Spanish Edition)
By Jacqueline Woodson; Illustrated by Rafael López; Translated by Teresa Mlawer
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books
A veces, cuando por fin damos el paso, suceden cosas increíbles.
Habrá veces en que entres a un lugar
y no veas a nadie como tú.
Hay muchas razones por las que uno se puede sentir diferente.
Quizá sea por tu apariencia o por la forma en que hablas o de dónde vienes. A lo mejor es por lo que comes o por algún motivo similar. Sea cual sea la razón, no es fácil dar ese paso de entrar a un lugar donde no conoces a nadie; pero de alguna forma lo haces.
El lírico texto de Jacqueline Woodson y el deslumbrante arte de Rafael López se combinan para celebrar el valor que se requiere para hacernos un lugar en un mundo diferente al nuestro. Y nos mueven a pensar en que si damos el paso y compartimos nuestra historia, es casi seguro que otros se interesen por conocernos mejor.
Ruddy Lopez lives in Inglewood, California, and attended California State University, Long Beach. She obtained a BA in English Literature and English Education and is a Fellow of the Los Angeles Review of Books Publishing Workshop. She is an educator who is transitioning to editing and publishing. In her spare time, Ruddy enjoys reading, writing poetry, and exploring what her city has to offer.
