Books that help start a conversation about race and ethnicity

Come visit our newest display!  If you don't see your favorite, pull it from the shelf and put it there!

picture books:
 
The snowy day / Ezra Kack Keats
 The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.

A poem for Peter : the story of Ezra Jack Keats and the creation of The snowy day / by Andrea Davis Pinkney ; illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher.

Last stop on Market Street / by Matt de la Peña ; illustrated by Christian Robinson.
 A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.

This is the rope : a story from the Great Migration / Jacqueline Woodson ; illustrated by James Ransome. 
 A rope passed down through the generations frames an African American family's story as they journey north during the time of the Great Migration.

Freedom over me : eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life / by Ashley Bryan.
"Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, contrasts the monetary value of a slave with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away" 

Chocolate me! / by Taye Diggs ; illustrated by Shane W. Evans. 
Relates the experiences of a dark-skinned, curly-haired child who wishes he could look more like the lighter-skinned children in his community until his mother helps him realize how wonderful he is inside and out. 

Mixed me! / by Taye Diggs ; illustrated by Shane W. Evans.
Told in rhyming text, Mike is a mixed-race boy, completely comfortable with his identity and his parents--and his wild, curly hair.

It's okay to be different / Todd Parr.
Illustrations and brief text describe all kinds of differences that are "okay," such as "It's Okay to be a different color," "It's Okay to need some help," "It's Okay to be adopted," and "It's Okay to have a Different nose." 

The Sneetches and other stories / written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss.
"The Sneetches is the gold standard for talking about prejudice and race."  

Separate is never equal : Sylvia Mendez & her family's fight for desegregation / Duncan Tonatiuh. 
"Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California" 

Pancho Rabbit and the coyote : a migrant's tale / Duncan Tonatiuh.
When Papa Rabbit does not return home as expected from many seasons of working in the great carrot and lettuce fields of El Norte, his son Pancho sets out on a dangerous trek to find him, guided by a coyote.  

A piece of home / Jeri Watts ; illustrated by Hyewon Yum.
A child-friendly story about the trials and triumphs of starting over in a new place while keeping family and traditions close.

Let's talk about race / by Julius Lester ; illustrated by Karen Barbour.
The author introduces the concept of race as only one component in an individual's or nation's "story."


The case for loving : the fight for interracial marriage / written by Selina Alko ; illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko.
The story of interracial couple Mildred and Richard Perry, who got married in Washington, D.C., and were arrested after they returned to Virginia, and took their legal case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thunder Boy Junior, by Sherman Alexie...coming soon!

#safetypin  #missaudreysays

 

Stuffed Animals Cause Mischief and Mayhem in the Easton Area Public Library's Main Branch!

On Friday afternoon, 21 stuffed animals (and their owners) attended a very special Teddy Bear Sleepover storytime with Miss Berry at the Easton Area Public Library.

The stuffed friends listened to stories, sang songs, went on a special parachute ride, and got tucked in while their owners ate brownies. After the snack, the children said goodbye to their stuffed animals and left them for a weekend sleepover in the library.

After the humans left the library, the mischief began!

The stuffed animals climbed into the book drop slot, piled onto the book carts, and scaled the library book shelves. They broke into the storytime room, knocked over the shakers, and played with the puzzles. The fuzzy friends played on the computers and with the trains at the train table, put on a puppet show, and even made themselves their own special library cards!

When Miss Berry opened up the Children's Room on Saturday morning she had quite a mess to deal with. All the fuzzy friends had a blast, and here are the pictures to prove it!