Ning never knew her father, but anyone who sees her can tell that he was a foreigner. Her strange looks combined with her unbound feet make her an outcast and guarantee that she will never find a husband. Her mother hides her away so she's barely experienced life outside her small home and her only friend is her mother's servant. One day she makes a rare trip to a temple and makes a wish for her father to return. Little does she know that wish would change her life forever. Soon she's all alone in a foreign land filled with people who distrust her. How can she build a new life for herself and still be true to her roots? Where can she run when home is thousands of miles and an ocean away?

This story, based on the life of the author's great-great-grandmother, is an engaging and unique immigration tale. From Ning's life in Shanghai to her trip across the ocean and her life in America her bold spirit shines through as she's thrown into daunting situations and has to handle them all on her own. I love how she borrows courage from tales of her favorite pirate queen. An author's note in the back details more about the life of the author's family.

View from Pagoda Hill by Michaela MacColl 

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​tags: character driven, family life, global perspectives, historical fiction, People of Color

Ailey knows he has the moves to make the Scarecrow in his school's production of The Wiz really shine. But at his audition, his mind goes blank and he completely chokes. He isn't looking forward to telling his family, but when he gets home there's much bigger problems: his grampa is in the hospital. Grampa tells Ailey about the time he met Bojangles and was given a pair of tap shoes and invited to audition, but he never worked up the courage to try. It's his biggest regret in life. When Ailey finds the tap shoes in the closet and makes a wish, he's transported back in time. He has the chance to change his grampa's life, and maybe his own too.

The author's love for history shines through. I love how the characters are named after Alvin Ailey, Benjamin Banneker, Mahalia Jackson and more (there's a list in the back with brief bios of their real-life counterparts). Henderson also does an amazing job conveying the tap sequences through onomatopoeia (I would love if it was made into a movie just so I can see the dances). Ailey's love for his family is the moving force behind the novel and a great warmth radiates from that. It' would make an excellent read-aloud with plenty of jumping off points for discussion.

The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson 
2nd - 4th
Erica's Picks
​tags: family life, historical fiction, People of Color, SEL

After living a life terrified of being turned in by a neighbor for not being patriotic enough, Twelve year old Sora and her family make the dangerous decision to try and escape to South Korea as the front line of the war moves closer to their village. Fleeing into a war zone with limited resources is dangerous enough without having to worry about being caught by their own country men and punished for trying to defect. In the chaos of a bombing Sora is separated from her parents and left with her eight year old brother to protect. As they struggle through the hunger, cold, and war happening around them they wonder if they will ever see their family again, or if they are even alive.

This harrowing journey is incredibly moving. The resilience of Sora to push on and care for her brother despite everything is astonishing. While appropriate for a middle grade audience, the realities of life at the time are not sugarcoated and you should be prepared for a tear-jerker. The ultimate message though is one of hope and empathy.

Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee 
Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
tags: family life, fast-paced, global perspectives, historical fiction, people of color, survival, tear-jerker

Nannerl Mozart loves to lose herself in music. Her father allows her to perform at the piano, at least until she reaches a marriageable age, but he doesn't allow her to compose. It's not proper for a lady. Meanwhile her younger brother Wolfgang Amadeus is given free reign to compose and quickly begins to outshine his older sister. Nannerl and Wolfgang have always been close, playing together and making up elaborate fantasy worlds to pass the time. But the injustice of how they are treated differently due to their sex begins to grate on Nannerl. When an elven prince from one of their stories appears to Nannerl in real life, he offers her the fame she deserves; a guarantee her name will live on forever. But what seems like a fairy tale happy ending is twisted when Nannerl discovers the price she'll have to pay.

I loved this combination of fantasy and historical fiction. I had never heard of Wolfgang Mozart's older sister before and was intrigued by her story. I was equally enthralled by the fantasy world coming to life and the twists and turns of figuring out the truth of it. Most of all I was moved by the relationship between the siblings Highly recommended.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu 
Erica's Picks
6th - 8th
tags: fairy tales, family life, fantasy, historical fiction

Every day, King Bheema opens up his court to his subjects. Some come with complaints about a neighbor, some with tricky problems to solve. King Bheema deals with each fairly. Prince Veera watches his father and is excited when his chance finally comes to take over for a day. But some of the problems present unique challenges and puzzling circumstances. Will Prince Veera and his best friend Suku be able to solve them all?

This story is excellent for fans of folklore and traditional puzzle stories. Each chapter presents a classic dilemma for Prince Veera to solve. Children will enjoy trying to solve the puzzles before Veera and it would make a great class read-aloud so students can work together to try and solve them. The Indian setting only adds to the appeal, as does the sense of humor present throughout. Short chapters and ample illustrations make it great for young readers.

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy
Erica's Picks
2nd - 4th grade
​tags: fairy tales, global perspectives, historical fiction, People of Color

When Sunflower is orphaned, the poorest family in the village adopts her. They may not have much, but they shower sunflower with love and work hard to give her the best they can. No one is more excited to have her join the family than her new brother, Bronze. He has been mute ever since a horrible fire, but communicates with sign language. The two of them are inseparable, but when the crops are devastated by locusts they are forced to make hard sacrifices to survive.

It's easy to tell why this story is so beloved in China and I'm glad it was finally translated into English. Even though Sunflower and her family go through serious hardships, their love shines through so strongly and the simple joys of childhood are depicted so clearly that the ultimate effect is a sweet, heart-warming story. The language is simple but vivid and displays great wisdom through accessible stories and languages as the very best children's books do. Highly recommended.

Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan
Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
tags: 

After three years of traveling in a wagon, Hanna is excited when they pull up to the frontier town of LaForge. She hopes that she and her father can finally settle down and open a dress shop. She even dares to dream that she can fulfill her mother's dying wish of graduating from school. But when she shows up to the one-room school house, the town is scandalized. Most of them have never met an Asian person before and don't want their children going to school with one. Will Hanna's dreams finally come true? Or will she never find a place that will accept her?

This novel is Park's answer to Little House on the Prairie and set in the same time and place. Fans of the series will recognize much and think about the series in a new light. I particularly enjoyed reading about Hanna's dress-making and designing. Hanna is a strong heroine and easy to root for with her sense of humor and determination to fight for what is right. 

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
5th - 7th grades
​tags: character driven, family life, historical fiction, People of Color, SEL, social justice

 When the Great Depression hits, Ellie and her family are forced to sell their house full of all their nice things and make a life for themselves in the woods on Echo Mountain. They build their own house and learn to hunt and grow their own food. Ellie, her younger brother, and her father thrive in their new environment but her mother and older sister are reluctant transplants and miss their fine city ways. Then, tragedy strikes and Father ends up in a coma. Without him to hunt, they struggle to feed themselves. Ellie tries everything to wake her father, even venturing to the top of the mountain where the old hag lives. The mountain has always provided for her before, but will it be able to give her the cure she seeks?

I loved this lyrical novel about the wonders of nature and the strength required to follow your own path. Ellie's voice is wise and wonderful. Even as she faces gruesome situations, she describes them in ways that are somehow both matter-of-fact and beautifully embellished. Ellie is a tender-hearted animal lover, but she is also capable to doing hard things if she has to. I particularly enjoyed reading about her relationships to her family and how her understanding of them changes over time. The old hag is one of my favorite characters and a great lesson in first impressions. This story is great for animal lovers too with dogs playing a big role. 

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
4th - 8th grades
​Tags: animals, character driven, family life, historical fiction, SEL