| August/September Giant Steps to Change the World by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee Pursuing one's own path in life takes courage, strength, and perseverance, as demonstrated by such inspirational leaders as Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, and Muhammad Ali. | |
| October Jazzy Miz Mozetta by Brenda C. Roberts On a beautiful evening, Miz Mozetta puts on her red dress and blue shoes and dances the jitterbug just like she did many years before. | |
| November Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Weatherford A biography of John Coltrane that focuses on his childhood and adolescent years and discusses his inspirations, influences, family, the development of his musical talent, and more. | |
| December/January Grades 3-5 Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom by Chris Van Wyk Nelson 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. Now the youngest readers can discover the remarkable story of Mandela's long walk from ordinary village boy, to his dynamic leadership of the African National Congress, to his many long years in prison-and, at last, his freedom and astonishing rise to become the leader of his country. Grades PreK-2 Around the World We Go by Margaret Brown “Around the world we go, To learn what we don't know...” It's time to travel the world! Sing, dance, and play with children of other cultures in this story from the hidden treasures of Margaret Wise Brown, author of the children's classics Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. Summary retrieved from www.barnesandnoble.com/w/around-the-world-we-go-margaret-wise-brown/1112632726?ean=9781445493275 on 10/21/14. | |
| February Sienna's Scrapbook by Toni Trent Parker A young girl's parents take her and her brother on a summer trip to visit the sites of African American history. | |
| March You Can Be a Friend by Lauren and Tony Dunsy In this story, Jade has been planning to have her birthday party at a water park, but her new friend, Hannah, is in a wheelchair. Now Jade has a decision to make: is it more important to keep her party where she planned, or to make sure all her friends have fun? Tony and Lauren Dungy present this subtly beautiful story, which will help any parent explain that having limitations can never limit the boundaries of friendship. Retrieved from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-can-be-a-friend-tony-dungy/1100260589?ean=9781416997719 on 10/20/14. | |
| April/May Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen Unusual from the day she is born, Thunder Rose performs all sorts of amazing feats, including building metal structures, taming a stampeding herd of steers, capturing a gang of rustlers, and turning aside a tornado. | |