Recommended Reads from the Children's Collection @ the Education Library
Booklists of children's literature in support of IUB School of Education coursework
Titles
Babu's Song by ISBN: 1584300582Publication Date: 2003-04-01Bernadi loves to play football and would love to go to school too, but he and his grandfather, Babu, cannot afford to pay for schooling. One night, Babu gives Bernadi a special gift - a handmade music box that plays a song Babu used to sing when he still had his voice.
Baby Goes to Market by ISBN: 9780763695705Publication Date: 2017-09-05Join Baby and his doting mama at a bustling southwest Nigerian marketplace for a bright, bouncy read-aloud offering a gentle introduction to numbers.
The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela by ISBN: 9780823418589Publication Date: 2006-04-17Long ago in the mountains of Ethiopia, the bees arrived in Lalibela, and people poured in from all around to procure their sweet honey. A young girl named Almaz vows one day her honey will be the best of all. When she shares her dream with the current beekeepers, they laugh her away and tell her it's men's work. Almaz is determined to prove them all wrong, but she can barely climb the trees to reach the hives. The men think she's learned her lesson, but they don't know Almaz. She's steadfast in her pursuit of the honey.
B Is for Baby by ISBN: 9781536201666Publication Date: 2019-03-12Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa.
Catch That Chicken! by ISBN: 9781536212686Publication Date: 2020-07-07Lami is the best chicken catcher in the whole village. That is, until the day when Lami chases a little too fast, up the baobab tree, and reaches a little too far. Award-winning author Atinuke celebrates Nigerian village life.
The Day Gogo Went to Vote by ISBN: 0316702714Publication Date: 1999-09-01Illustrated in rich pastels, this child's-eye view of an important milestone in South African history allows young readers to experience every detail of this eventful day.
Desmond and the Very Mean Word by ISBN: 0763652296Publication Date: 2012-12-03Based on a true story from Archbishop Desmond Tutu's childhood in South Africa, Desmond and the Very Mean Word reveals the power of words and the secret of forgiveness.
From the Heart of Africa by ISBN: 9781770497191Publication Date: 2018-01-02Aphorisms are universal. They give guidance, context and instruction for life's issues, and they help us understand each other and the world around us. We use them every day, yet never think about where they came from or why they exist. Ashanti, Sukuma, Akan and Kikuyu: all of these cultures use the portable and easily shared knowledge contained in aphorisms, and from these cultures and more this communal knowledge spread.
Galimoto by ISBN: 0688087892Publication Date: 1990-03-21Daily life in a contemporary African village is perfectly captured in these watercolor illustrations as Kondi works at making a toy vehicle, or a "galimoto", out of scraps of wire.
Grandpa Cacao by ISBN: 9781681196404Publication Date: 2019-05-21This beautifully illustrated story connects past and present as a girl bakes a chocolate cake with her father and learns about her grandfather harvesting cacao beans in West Africa.
My Name Is Sangoel by ISBN: 9780802853073Publication Date: 2009-06-01Sangoel is a refugee. Leaving behind his homeland of Sudan, where his father died in the war, he has little to call his own other than his name, a Dinka name handed down proudly from his father and grandfather before him.
My Rows and Piles of Coins by ISBN: 0395751861Publication Date: 1999-08-23The market is full of wonderful things, but Saruni is saving his precious coins for a red and blue bicycle. Determination and generosity are at the heart of this satisfying tale, set in Tanzania and illustrated with glowing watercolors that capture the warmth of Saruni's family and the excitement of market day.
Room for Everyone by ISBN: 9781534431393Publication Date: 2021-11-09A young boy on a crowded bus discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there's room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book set in Zanzibar.
Sulwe by ISBN: 9781534425361Publication Date: 2019-10-15Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.
Olu and Greta by ISBN: 9780593384909Publication Date: 2022-02-15The geographical and cultural distance between two cousins is counteracted by the universalities of childhood and the dream of uniting. Olu lives in Lagos, Nigeria; his cousin, Greta, lives in Milan, Italy. Though their lives may be different, their ways of living and playing are quite similar.
The Well of Truth by ISBN: 9780874838800Publication Date: 2008-12-16The Well of Truth is a humorous Egyptian folktale about three great friends, Goat, Rooster, and Donkey. All three friends love the sweet taste of clover. One day, they decide to try their hand at farming, and they plant an entire field of clover. They patiently tend to the field and wait for the crop to grow large enough to harvest. Unfortunately, Donkey becomes impatient and one night sneaks out into the field to taste the clover. However, he can't stop at just a taste and eventually eats the entire field. The friends wake up to find the field wiped out and accuse Donkey, who of course denies eating the clover. They all agree to go to the Well of Truth to find out who actually ate the clover, and the Donkey's guilt is exposed.
Illegal by Call Number: COLISBN: 9781444934007Publication Date: 2017This is a powerful and timely story about one boy's epic journey across Africa to Europe, a graphic novel for all children with glorious colour artwork throughout. Ebo: alone. His sister left months ago. Now his brother has disappeared too, and Ebo knows it can only be to make the hazardous journey to Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his sister.
When Stars Are Scattered by ISBN: 9780525553915Publication Date: 2020-04-14Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.
Africa Is My Home by ISBN: 9780763650384Publication Date: 2013-10-08Inspired by a true account, here is the compelling story of a child who arrives in America on the slave ship Amistad --and eventually makes her way home to Africa.
Burn My Heart by ISBN: 9780061432972Publication Date: 2008-12-23What does it mean to be loyal? Mathew and Mugo, two boys--one white, one black--share an uneasy friendship in Kenya in the 1950s. They're friends even though Mathew's dad owns the land and everything on it. They're friends despite the difference in their skin color. And they're friends in the face of the growing Mau Mau rebellion, which threatens British settlers with violence as black Kenyans struggle to win back their land and freedom. But suspicions and accusations are escalating, and an act of betrayal could change everything.
Children of Blood and Bone by ISBN: 9781250170972Publication Date: 2018-03-06Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy.
The Deep Blue Between by ISBN: 9781728442884Publication Date: 2022-03-01Twin sisters Hassana and Husseina have always shared their lives. But after a raid on their village in 1892, the twins are torn apart. Taken in different directions, far from their home in rural West Africa, each sister finds freedom and a new start.
Hector by ISBN: 9781624146916Publication Date: 2019-06-04On June 16, 1976, Hector Pieterson, an ordinary boy, lost his life after getting caught up in what was supposed to be a peaceful protest. Black South African students were marching against a new law requiring that they be taught half of their subjects in Afrikaans, the language of the White government. The story's events unfold from the perspectives of Hector, his sister, and the photographer who captured their photo in the chaos.
A Long Way Gone by ISBN: 9780374105235Publication Date: 2007-02-13In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.
The Mzungu Boy by ISBN: 0888996535Publication Date: 2005-04-07For Kariuki, life in a small village in Kenya is one great adventure. One day Kariuki meets Nigel, a boy from England who has come to visit his grandfather, the fearsome Bwana Ruin, who owns the farm where the villagers work. The villagers call Nigel the mzungu boy (westerner), and view him with suspicion and fear; but not Kariuki.
Out of Bounds by ISBN: 0060507993Publication Date: 2003-01-21For almost fifty years apartheid forced the young people of South Africa to live apart as Blacks, Whites, Indians, and "Coloreds." This unique and dramatic collection of stories -- by native South African and Carnegie Medalist Beverley Naidoo -- is about young people's choices in a beautiful country made ugly by injustice.
The Red Pencil by ISBN: 9780316247801Publication Date: 2014-09-16Finally, Amira is twelve. Old enough to wear a toob, old enough for new responsibilities. And maybe old enough to go to school in Nyala-- Amira's one true dream. But life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when the Janjaweed arrive. The terrifying attackers ravage the town and unleash unspeakable horrors. After she loses nearly everything, Amira needs to dig deep within herself to find the strength to make the long journey-- on foot-- to safety at a refugee camp. Her days are tough at the camp, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind-- and all kinds of possibilities.
Soldier Boy by ISBN: 9780374305635Publication Date: 2017-06-13An unforgettable novel based on the life of Ricky Richard Anywar, who at age fourteen was forced to fight as a soldier in the guerrilla army of notorious Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.
Too Small Tola by ISBN: 9781536211276Publication Date: 2021-03-02Three delightful tales from a renowned Nigerian storyteller introduce a chapter-book heroine who is every bit as mighty as she is small.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by ISBN: 9781368039932Publication Date: 2019-10-15Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend Eddie when they were in a bus accident together. But on his first night at his grandparents' farm, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. When Tristan chases after, he finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi to come out of hiding. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
The World Beneath by ISBN: 9780763678562Publication Date: 2016-05-24South Africa, 1976. Joshua lives with his mother in the maid's room, in the backyard of their wealthy white employers' house in the city by the sea. He doesn't quite understand the events going on around him. But when he rescues a stranger and riots begin to sweep the country, Joshua has to face the world beneath--the world deep inside him--to make heartbreaking choices that will change his life forever.
Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country by ISBN: 9781536205374Publication Date: 2021-11-16Discover the exhilarating diversity of the African continent in storyteller Atinuke's kaleidoscopic nonfiction guide to the people, flora, and fauna of all fifty-five countries.
Africa Counts by ISBN: 1556523505Publication Date: 1999-04-01This fascinating study of mathematical thinking among sub-Saharan African peoples covers counting in words and in gestures; measuring time, distance, weight, and other quantities; manipulating money and keeping accounts; number systems; patterns in music, poetry, art, and architecture; and number magic and taboos.
Africa Is Not a Country by ISBN: 0761312668Publication Date: 2000-07-10Demonstrates the diversity of the African continent by describing daily life in some of its fifty-three nations.
African Icons by ISBN: 9781616209001Publication Date: 2021-10-19Through portraits of ten historical figures - from Menes, the first ruler to be called Pharaoh, to Queen Idia, a sixteenth-century power broker, visionary, and diplomat -African Icons takes readers on a journey across Africa to meet some of the great leaders and thinkers whose ideas built a continent and shaped our world.
African Proverbs for All Ages by ISBN: 9781250756060Publication Date: 2021-11-30African Proverbs for All Ages is a beautifully-illustrated, engaging picture book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by ISBN: 9780803735118Publication Date: 2012-01-19When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba's Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone's crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library . . . and figured out how to bring electricity to his village.
Emmanuel's Dream: the True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by ISBN: 9780449817445Publication Date: 2015-01-06Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people--but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability.
Hands Around the Library by ISBN: 9780803737471Publication Date: 2012-08-30In January 2011, in a moment that captured the hearts of people all over the world, thousands of Egypt's students, library workers, and demonstrators surrounded the great Library of Alexandria and joined hands, forming a human chain to protect the building. They chanted "We love you, Egypt!" as they stood together for the freedom the library represented.
Mama Africa! by ISBN: 9780374303013Publication Date: 2017-10-10Miriam Makeba, a Grammy Award-winning South African singer, rose to fame in the hearts of her people at the pinnacle of apartheid--a brutal system of segregation similar to American Jim Crow laws. Mama Africa, as they called her, raised her voice to help combat these injustices at jazz clubs in Johannesburg; in exile, at a rally beside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and before the United Nations. Set defiantly in the present tense, this biography offers readers an intimate view of Makeba's fight for equality.
Mistaking Africa by ISBN: 9780813349831Publication Date: 2017-07-25For many Americans the mention of Africa immediately conjures up images of safaris, ferocious animals, strangely dressed "tribesmen," and impenetrable jungles. Although the occasional newspaper headline mentions authoritarian rule, corruption, genocide, devastating illnesses, or civil war in Africa, the collective American consciousness still carries strong mental images of Africa that are reflected in advertising, movies, amusement parks, cartoons, and manyother corners of society. Few think to question these perceptions or how they came to be so deeply lodged in American minds. Mistaking Africa looks at the historical evolution of this mind-set and examines the role that popular media plays in its creation.
Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom by ISBN: 9781596435667Publication Date: 2009-09-01Nelson Mandela's autobiography, LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, offers a glimpse into the mind of a great leader, admired across the globe for his dedication to the struggles against apartheid in South Africa.
One Plastic Bag by ISBN: 9781467716086Publication Date: 2015-02-01In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change. Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world.
Seeds of Change by ISBN: 9781600603679Publication Date: 2013-04-01Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace brings to life the empowering story of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Engaging narrative and vibrant images paint a robust portrait of this inspiring champion of the land and of women's rights.
Wangari Maathai by ISBN: 9781580896269Publication Date: 2015-01-06Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her efforts to lead women in a nonviolent struggle to bring peace and democracy to Africa through its reforestation. Her organization planted over thirty million trees in thirty years. This beautiful picture book tells the story of an amazing woman and an inspiring idea.
