Celebrated from December 26 to January 1 each year, Kwanzaa is a Pan-African and African-American cultural holiday that was established in 1966. The seven-day holiday was created as a celebration of the African-American family and community by Dr. Maulana Karenga.

	Kevin’s Kwanzaa By: Lisa Bullard Illustrated by: Constanza Basaluzzo Kevin is excited for his turn to light the candles on the last night of Kwanzaa, and as he narrates through the week of Kwanzaa, readers learn about the origins, purpose, and rituals of this holiday.
	Imani’s Gift at Kwanzaa By: Denise Burden-Patman Illustrated by: Floyd Cooper Imani learns about Kwanzaa, the African American harvest festival, from her grandmother and makes friends with Enna, a girl who has never been to a Kwanzaa celebration before.
	Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa By: Donna L. Washington Illustrated by: Shane W. Evans L’il Rabbit searches for a gift for his grandmother when she is sick during Kwanzaa and surprises her with the best gift of all. Includes “The Nguzo Saba – The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa.”
	My First Kwanzaa By: Karen Katz A girl describes how she and her family celebrate the seven days of Kwanzaa.
	Seven spools of thread : a Kwanzaa story By: Angela Shelf Medearis Illustrated by: Daniel Minter When they are given the seemingly impossible task of turning thread into gold, the seven Ashanti brothers put aside their differences, learn to get along and embody Kwanzaa’s principles. Includes information on Kwanzaa, West African cloth weaving, and instructions for making a belt.
	The Sound of Kwanzaa By: Dimitrea Tokunbo Illustrated by: Lisa Cohen Hear the words, sing the songs, dance to the beat, and shout “Harambee!” as you jump into this joyful celebration of the sounds of Kwanzaa! Lively verse and colorful illustrations guide you through the seven principles of this festive holiday.

Families are anything but perfect, but the stories they share are what makes the world beautiful and vibrant. Under the right circumstances, family members confide deep-rooted truths in one another, allowing them to connect more deeply than they could have done before. Often, these connections grow between adult caregivers and their wards, but sometimes they occur between siblings, as well. This book list includes titles for teens ages 13-18 and highlights various family relationships in several unique circumstances. Through these novels, readers can learn more about themselves and the world around them.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	13 Little Blue Envelopes By: Maureen Johnson When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
	I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade By: Diane Lee Wilson In early fourteenth-century China, Oyuna tells her granddaughter of her girlhood in Mongolia and how love for her horse enabled her to win an important race and bring good luck to her family.
	Lock and Key By: Sarah Dessen When her alcoholic mother abandons her, high school senior Ruby winds up living with Cora, the sister she has not seen for ten years. There, Ruby learns about Cora’s new life, what makes a family, how to allow people to help her when she needs it, and that she too has something to offer others.
	Mare’s War By: Tanita S. Davis Teens Octavia and Tali learn about strength, independence, and courage when they are forced to take a car trip with their grandmother, who tells about growing up Black in 1940s Alabama and serving in Europe during World War II as a member of the Women’s Army Corps.
	McKendree By: Sandra Belton In 1948, while spending the summer with her aunt in West Virginia to find her family roots, Tilara begins visiting the “colored” old folks’ home called McKendree, makes new friends, and learns to love herself.
	Our Wayward Fate By: Gloria Chao Seventeen-year-old Ali is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves into tiny, predominantly-white, Plainhart, Indiana.
	Secrets of the Casa Rosada By: Alex Temblador Sixteen-year-old Martha’s life is transformed when her mother leaves her in Laredo, Texas, in 1990 with a grandmother she never knew, who is a revered curandera.
	Shadows on the Sea By: Joan Hiatt Harlow In 1942, fourteen-year-old Jill goes to stay with her grandmother on the coast of Maine, where she is introduced to the often gossipy nature of small-town life and discovers that the war is closer than she thought.
	We Walked the Sky By: Lisa Fiedler Seventeen-year-old Victoria escapes an abusive father by joining the VanDrexel Family Circus in 1965. Fifty years later, her writings guide her granddaughter, sixteen-year-old Callie, in facing the uncharted waters of public high school.
	What the Moon Saw By: Laura Resau Fourteen-year-old Clara Luna spends the summer with her grandparents in the tiny, remote village of Yucuyoo, Mexico, learning about her grandmother’s life as a healer, her father’s decision to leave home for the United States, and her own place in the world.
	Witch & Curse By: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié Holly Cather is sent to her aunt’s home in Seattle after the death of her parents, and there she and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole, become caught up in an intergenerational feud between rival clans of witches.
	You Can Pick Me Up at Peggy’s Cove By: Brian Doyle When Ryan’s father leaves the family during a midlife crisis, his mother sends him to spend the summer with his aunt in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, where he learns to fish and gets into trouble.

Every culture in the world has its own heritage and history. No matter where one lives, their unique heritage remains important and deserves to be celebrated! Whether or not it is officially recognized in a national month or day, heritage is vitally important to the complexity and depth of human society. Learning about different cultures and why they are special prepares children to interact with others who may come from different backgrounds and do so from a place of respect and understanding. This book list is designed to help with this learning and includes books from a variety of cultures that celebrate each one’s unique heritage. These books are best suited to readers ages 4-7.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Dim Sum for Everyone! By: Grace Lin A child describes the various little dishes of dim sum that she and her family enjoy on a visit to a restaurant in Chinatown.
	Dreamers By: Yuyi Morales An illustrated picture book autobiography in which award-winning author Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story.
	First Laugh: Welcome Baby By: Rose Tahe and Nancy Bo Flood Illustrated by: Jonathan Nelson A Navajo family welcomes a new baby into the family with love and ceremony, eagerly waiting for that first special laugh. Includes a brief description of birth customs in different cultures.
	Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race By: Margot Lee Shetterly Illustrated by: Laura Freeman Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA’s African American women mathematicians to America’s space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them despite their groundbreaking successes.
	Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji By: F. Zia Illustrated by: Ken Min Aneel and his grandfather, Dada-ji, tell stories, use their imaginations, and make delicious roti, a traditional Indian flatbread.
	Islandborn By: Junot Díaz Illustrated by: Leo Espinoza Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage.
	Lin Yi’s Lantern: A Moon Festival Tale By: Brenda Williams Illustrated by: Benjamin Lacombe When his mother sends him to the market to buy necessities for the upcoming festival, Lin Yi is certain his bargaining skills will get him the best prices, and he will have money left over for his coveted red rabbit lantern.
	Peekaboo the Poi Dog By: Wendy Kunimitsu Haraguchi Illustrated by: Kat Uno One rainy day, Peekaboo, the poi dog, is feeling restless and is looking for a new game to play. She asks her mother for guidance, leading her on an unexpected imaginary journey across the state of Hawaii. Along the way, Peekaboo encounters wonderful people and creatures while visiting many well-known Hawaiian landmarks: From the Pali lookout to the snowy mountain top of Mauna Kea, Big Island’s highest volcano, her adventures are filled with excitement, discoveries, and enjoyment.
	Pepe and the Parade: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage By: Tracey Kyle Illustrated by: Mirelle Ortega Pepe wakes up energized to attend his first Hispanic Day parade. With new food to taste, music to dance to, and a parade to watch, Pepe couldn’t be more excited to celebrate and share his Hispanic heritage. Many of Pepe’s friends also attend the festival, celebrating their own Hispanic ties. Mexican, Dominican, Panamanian, Colombian, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Chilean, Puerto Rican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Cuban cultures are all represented in the parade. A day filled with joy and pride, Pepe and the Parade is a jubilant celebration of culture and identity.
	Suki’s Kimono By: Chieri Uegaki Illustrated by: Stéphane Jorisch After a wonderful summer spent visiting her grandmother, Suki decides to wear her blue cotton kimono on her first day of school, where she also shares with her class tales of going to the street festival with her beloved obachan.
	This is the Rope: A Story of the Great Migration By: 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.
	Thunder Boy Jr. By: Sherman Alexie Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales Little Thunder wants a name that separates him from his father, Big Thunder, and considers such options as “Touch the Sky” and “Drums, Drums, and More Drums” before his father helps him find the perfect alternative.

The 5 O’Clock Band
By: Troy Andrews
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier
Reviewer: Mary Lanni

Music is the focal point of life in New Orleans; for one boy growing up in the neighborhood of Tremé, it is the heart of his life, as well. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews guides the reader through the story of a day in his life as a young musician in this autobiographical companion to his 2015 book, Trombone Shorty. Every day after homework is done, Shorty and his friends meet to play music and parade around their neighborhood in keeping with a tradition that has been practiced for over one hundred years. One day, however, Shorty loses track of time while practicing alone and misses their 5 o’clock rendezvous. Beside himself, he navigates his neighborhood trying to catch up to them, encountering important figures in his life who tell him the things he needs to be a successful band leader. Similar to A Christmas Carol, Shorty takes these words of wisdom to heart and improves himself from then on. Colorful, vibrant illustrations adorn each page, bringing the sights, sounds, and smells of New Orleans into the reader’s mind. Author’s and illustrator’s notes at the back of the book provide more history and backstory to accompany the main text, introducing the reader to the Trombone Shorty Foundation and how it is working to keep the music tradition alive in New Orleans. This book is a necessary accompaniment to autobiographical library collections for elementary school students.

Children’s Literature is a division of CLCD, LLC.