Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Multicultural Stories

In Spanish Florida during the nineteenth century, one man shaped the course of Black Seminoles—descendants of Seminole Indians and free Blacks and escaped slaves—more than any other. A political and military leader of both Seminole and African heritage, John Horse valiantly defended his people from slave hunters, other tribes, and the U.S. government. After fighting in the Second Seminole War—one of the longest and most costly Native American conflicts in United States history—Horse negotiated territory for the Black Seminoles and became a guide and interpreter.

On her first day of school in a brand-new country, a gift from Mexico alights on María’s windowsill: “¡Una mariposa!” And with the butterfly, in comes magic. Filled from her toes to her new butterfly wings with memories of home, María knows exactly who she is. But when everything at school is different and strange, doubt begins to fade María’s confidence away. The place she comes from, the community she loves, the magic inside her … does any of it really belong in her new life in the United States?

Assalamu Alaikum, Sister. Welcome. Ameena feels invisible. Ever since she arrived at her school a few months ago, kids look at her like she’s something strange. Is it because of the twists in her hair? Or her brown skin? Then, one day, there’s a new new kid in class. Ameena sees her. Sees her brownness. Sees her hijab. Sees her in ways that the other kids do not. Ameena wants to be her friend … but she doesn’t know how. She can’t seem to find the right words … until one day, when they find those words together.

Fabio flies through the streets of Bogotá on his bicycle, the children of his neighborhood trailing behind him. It is there that life feels right - where the world of adults, and their lies, fades away. But then one day, he simply forgets. Forgets how to ride his bicycle. And Fabio will never be the same again.

It’s Rashin’s first day of school in America! Everything is a different shape than what she’s used to: from the foods on her breakfast plate to the letters in the books! And the kids’ families are from all over! The new teacher asks each child to imagine the shape of home on a map. Rashin knows right away what she’ll say: Iran looks like a cat! What will the other kids say?

Nara loves nothing more than her bread days with Papa. Together, they mix, fold, and score dough, and eagerly watch as it rises to a delicious loaf in the oven. But one day, Papa is no longer there, and Nara’s bread days are suddenly empty. Instead, she’s left with feelings and memories that sadden and confuse her. But when Nara starts to take care of the sourdough starter she and Papa once made, she finds solace in bread days again—and, together with Mama, is able to keep a family tradition alive in memory of past loved ones.

From Misty Copeland to Rosa Parks to Nina Simone, this companion to Hair Like Obama’s, Hands Like Lebron’s is a celebration of Black history and excellence from powerhouse author Carole Boston Weatherford.

Fry Bread meets Bilal Cooks Daal in this story about a girl and her mom introducing a school friend to curry—and discovering all the things that curry means to them as they learn to make it together.

Told in the rhythms of traditional oral narrative, this powerful telling of the history of the Native/Indigenous peoples of North America recounts their story from Creation to the invasion and usurpation of Native lands. As more and more people arrived, The People saw that the new men did not respect the land. The People witnessed the destruction of their Nations and the enslavement of their people. The People fought hard, but eventually agreed to stop fighting and signed treaties.

Sissy's younger brother Chooch isn't a baby anymore. They just celebrated his second birthday, after all. But no matter what Chooch does—even if he's messing something up! Which is basically all the time!—their parents say he's "helping." Sissy feels that Chooch can get away with anything!

It’s winter break and Marya and Hanna are joining Alexa and her aunt at a luxurious ski resort. A fancy, snowy vacation may sound like a dream to most kids, but not Marya. She hates being cold, and five days with her frenemy Alexa might be too much to handle. There’s only one thing that can save this vacation: finding the Abominable Snowman. Cue Operation Catch a Monster! Marya is set on proving the Snowman exists—especially to her bossy older sister, Aliyah, who thinks Marya’s a baby. But with Marya’s friends set on sledding, hiking, and board games, Marya starts to worry the trip is a bust.

Zander and his friends, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi start their own newspaper, The Cruiser, as a means for speaking out, keeping the peace, and expressing what they believe. When the school launches a mock Civil War, Zander and his friends are forced to consider the true meaning of democracy and what it costs to stand up for a cause. The result is nothing they could have expected, and everything they could have hoped for.

Hip‚ hip, hooray! It’s Hairiette’s Birthday! With her glowy hair done and the perfect dress picked out, Hairiette is ready for her special seventh birthday present. But on the big day, there is no bike in sight! But on the big day, there is no bike in sight! All she gets is a stinking barrette and comb. It looks like it isn’t going to be a hip, hip, hooray day after all … until a class unit on imagination changes everything!

When Mavasta Honyouti was a boy he would go with his grandfather to their cornfield, watching him nurture every plant. During breaks, his grandfather would take out a piece of paako root and use his pocketknife to whittle away. He made beautiful carvings that Mavasta would later learn to do himself. But Mavasta would often wonder: what was his kwa’a like when he was a boy? And one day, he heard the story.

Marcenia “TOMBOY” Stone loved nothing more than baseball. But her parents wanted her to twirl in ice skates, not steal bases in cleats. When their local priest convinced Tomboy’s parents she could play for the church team, she got her chance! Her coaches and teammates made her feel unwelcome because she was Black and a girl. But unstoppable Tomboy ignored their taunts, learned the rule book better than her teammates, and scored runs. When Tomboy grew up, she changed her name to Toni, and her passion for baseball never faded.

Sissy’s younger brother, Chooch, isn’t a baby anymore. They just celebrated his second birthday after all. But no matter what Chooch does—even if he’s messing something up, which is basically all the time!—their parents just say he’s “helping." Sissy feels that Chooch can get away with anything! When Elisi paints a mural, Chooch helps. When Edutsi makes grape dumplings, Chooch helps. When oginalii gigs for crawdads, Chooch helps. When Sissy tries to make a clay pot, Chooch helps.

August Wilson grew up open to the creative inspiration in everything he encountered: in library books, in music, in artworks, in the lively conversations overheard in the restaurants and barbershops lining the Pittsburgh neighborhood of his childhood. August paid attention. He listened. And when he got older, he got ideas about what to do with everything he’d seen and heard—ideas that would make him one of the greatest playwrights in American history.

Little Jesús has a new job! He’s in charge of Mamá's beloved plantitas. He’ll be their big brother! On the agenda: water them, tell them jokes, have a dance party … Oh no! Mamá's favorite plantita crashes to the floor. Did he kill it? How will Jesús break the news to Mamá? Or could the plantita be okay after all?

When Joo Hong harvests a beautiful persimmon from her mom’s garden, she can’t wait to give it to her Grandma who is visiting from far away. However, the days leading up to her arrival feel like forever—and the persimmon is looking less and less perfect as time passes by. What can Joo Hong do to make sure it’s perfectly ripe—and not mushy and wrinkly—for Grandma’s visit?

Florence Beatrice Price was always breaking barriers—especially when it came to music. Raised in the Deep South, Bea broke through the barriers of racism and prejudice to master the piano and excel at school. And when opportunity came to study at the New England Conservatory of Music, Bea traveled north, one of only two Black students to attend. Bea continued to break barriers when she returned to the South to teach and find inspiration for her music, drawing from many different genres. Bea fought hard to have her works played.