Peppe The lamplighter by Elisa Bartone

The author wrote this book in honor of her grandparents life who emigrated from Avellino, near Naples. I placed this genre under realistic fiction and biography. The young boy Peppe knows the the importance of working of to support the family. This story will touch the hearts of anyone who reads it. More importantly, it teaches history. When there was no electricity little Italy had to be lit by hand. Peppe's family was poor and he became the lamp lighter for the town,providing a steetlight for the town to see.

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

This is an easy reader for children to understand. Faith Ringgold talks about segregation and how her father was not excepted into the union. She goes on to talk about her dreams of a better way of life for people who has faced segregation. Overall, I enjoyed the way she expressed the love of family and the community in which she lived as a child. This book can be placed in the genre of auto-biography and realistic fiction.

Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Palaco

This is another great book to have in your library. Patricia Palaco hit a home run with this story as she tells the tale of her learning disabilities and being teased by a bully. This book can be introduced to children who may have learning disabilities. More so, it can be a vital tool when teaching other children to express empathy with their peers who may seem different.

Abiyoyo by Peter Seeger

This is a great fantasy or folk literature book to have in your library. When I read this book to the Kindergarten class I sung the part of the song when the boy played the ukele. I used a magic wand I purchased from Toys-R-US, as a control device to hold their attention. Afterwards, we talked about real and fantasy.

Amelia's Road

The is a great book to introduce diversity. It also will help if you work in classrooms with students who come from other countries.