Books in this category include customs and traditions of people around the world. In some books the emphasis is on commonalties among people; in others, the focus is on the ways that people and groups of people can be different from one another.
The Ant and the Grasshopper Retold and Illustrated by Amy Lowry Poole A colony of industrious ants busily prepares for winter while a grasshopper makes no plans for the cold weather to come. [Grade Level: K - 3]
Antonio's Card/La Tarjeta de Antonio Rigoberto Gonzalez (Author), Cecilia Conception Alvarez (Illustrator) Mother's Day is coming soon, and Antonio is excited to make cards for both his mother and her partner, Leslie. But he's not sure what to do when his classmates make fun of Leslie, an artist, who towers over everyone and wears paint-splattered overalls. As Mother's Day approaches, Antonio must choose whether - or how - to express his connection to both of the special women in his life. [Grade Level: 2 - 4]
Babu's Song Aaron Boyd (Illustrator), Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen (Author) In Tanzania, Bernardi's grandfather who has lost the ability to speak, helps his grandson realize his dream of going to school. [Grade Level: K - 6]
Ballerino Nate Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Author), Robert W. Alley (Illustrator) After attending a student ballet performance with his kindergarten class, Nate decides he wants to become a ballet dancer, but is discouraged by his second-grade, sports-loving brother, who pronounces, "You can't... You're a boy," and reminds Nate at every turn that his dream is for girls' and will require him to wear pink shoes and a dress. Despite his parents’ reassurance, Nate is still apprehensive when he begins a ballet class and learns that he is the only boy enrolled. Nate's mother takes him to a real ballet performance, where he sees that half the dancers are men. Nate gets to meet one of the dancers, who agrees that a man can't be a ballerina, because that means "woman dancer." Instead, he tells Nate that he hopes some day to be a top ballerino, and Nate feels good about his new pursuit at last. [Grade Level: Pre-K - 3]
Baseball Saved Us Dom Lee (Illustrator), Ken Mochizuki (Author) When a Japanese-American boy and his family are interned in a camp during WWII, they decide to combat their depression by building a baseball field. During a game the boy channels his humiliation--both from being a prisoner and from being a bad player--to anger, giving him the strength to hit a game-winning home run. [Grade Level: 2 - 4]
