A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems

By: Deborah Ruddell
Illustrated by:
Joan Rankin
A range of forest inhabitants are presented imaginatively in a variety of poetic styles. From the "Bucktoothed Cleaver" (a beaver) to the chipmunks that invest in the "Acorn Savings Bank," poetry and illustrations allow readers to see animals afresh.

Coming on Home Soon

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by:
E.B Lewis
When Ada Ruth's mother goes to Chicago for a much-needed job during World War II, Ada Ruth stays with her grandmother in Grandma's rural home. Being apart is tough even though Ada Ruth knows it is in response to the war.

Peace, Locomotion

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Lonnie, aka Locomotion (first introduced in Locomotion) tries to connect with his sister and to prevent forgetting their "real" parents.

Hush

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Growing up is particularly difficult for Evie Green as she has no past. She lost it when her father testified against fellow police officers in a racially motivated murder. Each family member must learn to deal with their new lives and identities alone.

If You Come Softly

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Two 15 year olds — one black one white — meet and fall in love at an excusive New York prep school. Both deal with their family issues as well as with how their growing relationship is received.

Amelia's Road

By: Linda Jacobs Altman
Illustrated by:
Enrique O. Sanchez

This moving story opens with the line, "Amelia Luisa Martinez hated roads." For Amelia, all roads represent the impermanence of moving from one farm labor camp to the next. Amelia longs for a place to call home in the midst of so much change.

Calling the Doves

Illustration of young boy and his migrant family
By: Juan Felipe Herrera
Illustrated by:
Elly Simmons

Product Description: Calling the Doves is poet Juan Felipe Herrera's story of his migrant farmworker childhood.

Bronx Masquerade

By: Nikki Grimes

When a high school class starts having Friday afternoon open-mike poetry, the kids tell their life stories and worries in the poems included in this book. This is a great introduction to spoken word poetry and an inspiration to budding poets.

Casey at the Bat

By: Ernest Thayer
Illustrated by:
Joe Morse
This classic poem, which may not be familiar to kids today, is given a contemporary update by illustrator Joe Morse, who moves the setting to the inner city.

Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems

By: John Grandits
Teenage Jessie shares the ups and downs of her life in these clever, and cleverly constructed, poems. This is a sequel to Technically It's Not My Fault, which was told in the voice of her younger brother.

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