Hi!
I am still working on my annotated bibliography on books to inspire
compassion and social/political consciousness. Still, I thought
enough time has passed to post the informal listing. Thank you to
everyone who sent in suggestions! Enjoy!
Agostinelli, Maria Enrica. On wings of love : the United Nations
Declaration of the rights of the child. New York : Collins, 1979.
An illustrated interpretation of the 10 principles of the United
Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
Anzaldua, Gloria. Friends from the other side. San Francisco:
Children's Book Press, 1993
A young American girl befriends an immigrant boy from Mexico. He
lives with his mother in a shed. When the police come she hides them
so they won't be taken away. This story is in English and Spanish.
(Tina Obradovic, 1996 for the Children's Picture Book Database at
Miami University.)
Aylesworth, Jim. The full belly bowl. New York: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers, 1999
After being captured by a fox, a wee man is rescued and nurtured by a
very old man for three days. In appreciation of the old man's
kindness, a bowl is left on his porch with a note about its special
powers. The beautiful full, belly bowl multiplies any item placed in
it. This brings both happiness and trouble to the old man. (Amber
Lakes, 2001 for the Children's Picture Book Database at Miami
University)
Marjorie Barker. Magical Hands. Picture Book Studio 1989.
When his friends wish that someone would relieve them of their daily
tasks on their birthdays so they can celebrate, William the cooper
merely smiles. But as each birthday comes, he gets up early and
secretly completes each friend's chores.
Brisson, Pat. The summer my father was ten. Honsdale, Pa. :
Caroline House/Boyds Mills Press, 1998.
A father tells his son the story of how he damaged a neighbor's
tomato garden when he was a boy and what he did to make amends.
Jeff Brumbeau. The Quiltmaker's Gift. New York: Scholastic, 2001.
A charitable seamstress makes beautiful quilts that she gives to the
needy and poor. When a greedy king hears of the marvelous creations,
he demands that she sell him one. She refuses, but says that she will
give him one if he gives away all of his possessions.
Eve Bunting . Smoky Night. San Diego : Harcourt Brace, c1994.
When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their
neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the values of getting
along with others no matter what their background or nationality.
Bunting, Eve. Night tree. San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
c1991.
A family makes its annual pilgrimage to decorate an evergreen tree
with food for the forest animals at Christmastime.
Bunting, Eve. Summer wheels. San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
Publishers, 1990.
The Bicycle Man fixes up old bicycles and offers both his friendship
and the use of the bikes to the neighborhood kids.
Cohn, Janice. The Christmas menorahs : how a town fought hate.
Morton Grove, Ill. : A. Whitman, 1995.
Describes how people in Billings, Montana joined together to fight a
series of hate crimes against a Jewish family.
Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. New York : Viking Press, [1982]
As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up
she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and
do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those
things, the last being the most difficult of all.
Davis, Aubrey. Bagels from Benny. ? : Kids Can Press, 2003
Benny loves his grandfather's bagels so much, he wants to thank God
for them. But how? One morning, he asks his Grandpa if he could be
paid for his work with a big bag of bagels. So equipped, he heads for
the synagogue, takes a deep breath, opens the big wooden cupboard
that is the Holy Ark, and places the steaming bag inside: "King of
the Universe," he whispered. "I brought You some bagels. I know You
make them. But You never taste them, because Grandpa sells every last
one." Benny keeps this up week after week until he discovers, to his
dismay, that a poor man in a tattered coat has been eating his
bagels, and not God. How will God know he is thanking Him if someone
else is eating the bagels? Grandpa reassures him that by making the
world better, he is indeed thanking God. Dusan Petricic's expressive,
cross-hatched illustrations, each one as round and warm and brown as
a freshly baked bagel, illuminate all of the story's best moments
with humor and emotion. This simple, touching Jewish folktale from
Spain transcends Judaism as a story of human kindness and generosity
of spirit that will resonate with all children. (Karin Snelson,
amazon.com)
Demi. The empty pot. New York : H. Holt, 1990.
When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a
flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for
his honesty.
DiSalvo-Ryan. Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. New York : Mulberry
Books, 1997.
A boy spends the day with Uncle Willie in the soup kitchen where he
works preparing and serving food for the hungry.
Fox, Mem. Whoever you are . San Diego : Harcourt Brace, 1997.
Despite the differences between people around the world, there are
similarities that join us together, such as pain, joy, and love.
Gikow, Louise. For every child, a better world [New York] : Muppet
Press/Golden Book, 1993.
Gregory, Nan. How smudge came. Red Deer, Alberta, Canada: Red Deer
College Press, 1995.
A developmentally challenged girl named Cindy finds love and
companionship in a puppy she names Smudge. However, the home where
Cindy lives does not allow pets, so the puppy is taken away. With the
help of her friends at Hospice, a perfect solution is thought of so
that Smudge is taken care of and everyone can benefit from his
companionship. (Lynne-Ann Bell, 1998 for the Children's Picture Book
Database at Miami University.)
Hartt-Snowbell, Sarah. Yesterday's Santa and the Chanukah miracle .
Toronto : Napoleon Pub., 2002.
Illustrator, Patty Gallinger.
A story of acceptance, religious freedom, and the act of giving.
Houk, Randy. Hope. Fairfield, CT : The Benefactory, 1995.
Hope, a factory farm pig tossed into a dumpster after injuring her
leg, is rescued by Farm Sanctuary. Based on a true story.
Houk, Randy. Jasmine : a true story from the Northeast Animal
Shelter . Fairfield, CT : The Benefactory, 1993.
Jasmine, an abandoned cat locked in an apartment for 4 1/2 months,
survives on a big bag of birdseed, a leaky faucet, and courage.
Rescued by a shelter, she is adopted by a family.
Knight, Margy Burns. Who belongs here? : an American story.
Gardiner, ME : Tilbury House, 1993.
Describes the new life of Nary, a Cambodian refugee, in America, as
well as his encounters with prejudice. Includes some general history
of U.S. immigration.
Leedy, Loreen. The great trash bash. New York : Holiday House, 1991.
The animal citizens of Beaston discover better ways to recycle and
control their trash.
Helen Lester. Hooway for Wodney Wat
McBrier, Page. Beatrice's goat. New York, N.Y: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers, 2001.
Illustrator, Lori Lohstoeter
A young girl's dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village
is fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat.
Based on a true story about the work of Project Heifer.
McCain, Becky Ray. Nobody knew what to do : a story about
bullying. Morton Grove, Illinois : Albert Whitman & Company, 2001.
Illustrator, Todd Leonardo.
When bullies pick on a boy at school, a classmate is afraid, but
decides that he must do something.
David McPhail
The Teddy Bear
Mollele, Tolowa M. Subira subira. New York: Clarion Books 2000.
Illustrator,
Set in contemporary Tanzania, this variation on a traditional tale
describes how a young girl learns a lesson in patience when a spirit
woman sends her to get three whiskers from a lion.
Patricia Polacco. Mrs. Katz and Tush. New York : Dell, 1992.
A long-lasting friendship develops between Larnel, a boy, and Mrs.
Katz, a lonely, Jewish widow, when Larnel presents Mrs. Katz with a
scrawny kitten without a tail.
Rael, Elsa. What zeesie saw on Delancey Street. New York : Simon &
Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1996.
Illustrator,
A young Jewish girl living on Manhattan's Lower East Side attends her
first "package party" where she learns about the traditions of
generosity, courage, and community among Jewish immigrants in the
early 1900s. (C/WMARS database).
Rappaport, Doreen. Martin's big words : the life of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. / Doreen Rappaport ; illustrations by Bryan Collier. New
York : Hyperion Books for Children, c2001.
Rosenberg, Liz. The silence in the mountains. New York: Orchard
Books, 1999.
When his family leaves their war-torn country to come to live in
America, a young boy has trouble adjusting, until his grandfather
helps him find what he had missed most.
San Souci, Robert D. The talking eggs : a folktale from the American
South
New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, c1989.
A Southern folktale in which kind Blanche, following the instructions
of an old witch, gains riches, while her greedy sister makes fun of
the old woman and is duly rewarded.
Sanderson, Ruth. Papa Gatto : an Italian fairy tale . Boston :
Little, Brown, c1995.
Seeking someone to care for his motherless kittens, Sir Gatto,
advisor to the Prince, hires a beautiful, but lazy girl, and then her
plain, but loving stepsister.
Scholes, Katherine. Peace begins with you. San Francisco ; Boston
Sierra Club Books ; Little, Brown, 1990.
Explains, in simple terms, the concept of peace, why conflicts occur,
how they can be resolved in positive ways, and how to protect peace.
Seuss, Dr. The butter battle book. New York : Random House, 1984.
Engaged in a long-running battle, the Yooks and the Zooks develop
more and more sophisticated weaponry as they attempt to outdo each
other.
Seuss, Dr. The Lorax. New York, Random House [1971]
The Once-ler tells the tale of how the Truffula trees, and all of the
animals that depended upon them, disappeared as a result of his greed.
Spalding, Andrea. Me and Mr. Mah. Custer, WA, USA : Orca Book
Publishers, 1999.
When Ian's parents divorce and he and his mother move to the city, he
is homesick for both his father and the farm on which they used to
live. His special friendship with an elderly neighbor, Mr. Mah, helps
him. Later, when misfortune befalls Mr. Mah, Ian finds the courage to
help.
Eileen Spinelli
Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch
Waldman, Neil. The never-ending greenness. New York: Morrow Junior
Books 1997. When his family comes to live in Israel after the end of
World War II, a young boy begins planting and caring for trees, a
practice that spreads across the whole country.
Williams, Margery. The classic tale of the Velveteen Rabbit, or, How
toys become real
Philadelphia, Pa. : Courage Books, 1984.
By the time the Velveteen Rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be
burned, he has almost given up hope of ever finding the magic called
Real.
Wyeth, Sharon Dennis. Something beautiful. New York: Bantam Doubleday
Dell, 1998
A little girl looks out her window only to see broken glass and trash
in the courtyard. She remembers her mother once told her everyone
should have something beautiful. She sets out to look for something
beautiful in her neighborhood. (Kyle-Leigh Berry, for the Children's
Picture Book Database at Miami University.)
Robin Shtulman
Erving Elementary School
28 Northfield Rd.
Erving, MA 01344
413-423-3326
shtulman@erving.com
http://www.erving.com/library/erving_library.htm
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