September Book Readings

Enjoy our September book readings about Hispanic Heritage, Dot Day, the International day of peace, Talk like a Pirate, and Banned Books Week!

A special book reading to celebrate the life of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

I Dissent.mp4

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Alma.mp4

Alma and How She Got Her Name

Written and Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month we start off with a book about Alma. Alma doesn't like her name until she learns about the ancestors that she was named after!

"What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be."

Cezar Chavez.mp4

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Written by Kathleen Krull

Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

and read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

Lets read the biography of Cesar Chaves a famous Hispanic American who changed the world we all live in!

"Cesar Chavez is known as one of America's greatest civil rights leaders. When he led a 340-mile peaceful protest march through California, he ignited a cause and improved the lives of thousands of migrant farm workers. But Cesar wasn't always a leader."

*Story contains violence, may not be suitable for younger readers.

Dona Flor.mp4

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart

Written by Pat Mora and Raul Colon

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

Dona Flor is a tall tale about a giant woman with a giant heart!

"Doña Flor is a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. Popular with her neighbors, she lets the children use her flowers as trumpets and her leftover tortillas as rafts. Flor loves to read, too, and she can often be found reading aloud to the children. "

Dreamers.mp4

Dreamers

Written and Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Read by Ms. Amanda

The story of how Yuyi Morales came from Mexico to the United States.

"We are resilience. We are hope. We are dreamers.

Yuyi Morales brought her hopes, her passion, her strength, and her stories with her, when she came to the United States in 1994 with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn't come empty-handed."

The Ish.mp4

Ish

Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

Ramon loves to draw, but is drawings aren't perfect, but they are ish!!!

"A creative spirit learns that thinking “ish-ly” is far more wonderful than “getting it right” in this gentle fable. "

Pablo's Tree.mp4

Pablo's Tree

Written by Pat Mora

Illustrated Cecily Lang

Read by Ms. Amanda

"Each year on his birthday, a young Mexican American boy looks forward to seeing how his grandfather has decorated the tree he planted on the day the boy was adopted. "

Dalia's Wondrous Hair.mp4

Dalia's Wondrous Hair

Written and Illustrated by Laura Lacámara

Read by Ms. Amanda and Raul Rios-Sotto

"This is the story of a young Cuban girl with remarkable hair. The book was selected by School Library Journal as one of the top ten Latino books of 2014. "

Where are you from.mp4

Where Are You From?

Written by Yamile Saied Méndez

Illustrated by Jaime Kim

Written by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"When a girl is asked where she’s from—where she’s really from—none of her answers seems to be the right one.

Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving Abuelo for help. He doesn’t give her the response she expects. She gets an even better one."

Planting Stories.mp4

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré

Written by Anika Aldamuy Denise

Illustrated by Paola Escobar

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

An inspiring picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature.

Islandborn.mp4

Islandborn

Written by Junot Díaz

Illustrated by Leo Espinosa

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"Every kid in Lola's school was from somewhere else.

Hers was a school of faraway places.

So when Lola's teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can't remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby. But with the help of her family and friends, and their memories—joyous, fantastical, heartbreaking, and frightening—Lola's imagination takes her on an extraordinary journey back to The Island. As she draws closer to the heart of her family's story, Lola comes to understand the truth of her abuela's words: “Just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you.”

Sonia Sotomayor.mp4

Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx

Written by Jonah Winter

Illustrated by Edel Rodriguez

Read by Ms. Amanda

"The inspiring and timely story of Sonia Sotomayor, who rose up from a childhood of poverty and prejudice to become the first Latino to be nominated to the US Supreme Court. "

Abuela.mp4

Abuela

Written by Arthur Dorros

Illustrated by Elisa Kleven

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"Come join Rosalba and her grandmother, her Abuela, on a magical journey as they fly over the streets, sights, and people of New York City which sparkles below. "

Happy International Dot Day

September 15

The Dot.mp4

The Dot

Written and illustrated by Peter H Reynolds

Lets read the book that started the International Day!!

"With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark — and follow where it takes us. "

Ahoy! It's Talk Like A Pirate Week!

September 14-19

How I Became a Pirate.mp4

How I Became a Pirate

Written by Melinda Long

Illustrated by David Shannon

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"A swashbuckling adventure with fantastically silly, richly textured illustrations that suit the story to a T."

Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates.mp4

Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates

Written by April Jones Prince

Illustrated by Steven Salerno

Red by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"A fun and clever picture book retelling of Goldilocks―with pirates!"

Henry and the Bucccaneer Bunnies.mp4

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies

Written by Carolyn Crimi

Illustrated by John Manders

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"Step aboard, buccaneers and book lovers! On the Salty Carrot sails a wild, rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies, led by Barnacle Black Ear, the baddest bunny brute of all time. His son, Henry, would rather read books than shout "Shiver me timbers!" or make prisoners walk the plank, even if it means swabbing the decks as punishment. But when a crashing, thrashing, bashing wildcat of a storm threatens them all, will Henry and his landlubbin’ library save the day?"

Tomas and the Library Lady.mp4

Tomas and the Library Lady

Written by Pat Mora and Raul Colón

"Tomás is a son of migrant workers. Every summer he and his family follow the crops north from Texas to Iowa, spending long, arduous days in the fields. At night they gather around to hear Grandfather's wonderful stories. But before long, Tomás knows all the stories by heart. "There are more stories in the library,"Papa Grande tells him. The very next day, Tomás meets the library lady and a whole new world opens up for him. "

Treasure Island.mp4

Treasure Island

Written by Robert Louis Stevenson

Retold by Peter Clover

Illustrated by Carles Arbat

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest—

Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”

For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. "

Sloop John B.mp4

Sloop John B -A Pirate's Tale

Written by Alan Jardine

Illustrated by Jimmy Pickerling

A short tale based on the Beach Boys song, Wreck of the John B.

Lets Celebrate International Day of Peace

The Peace Book.mp4

The Peace Book

Written and illustrated by Todd Parr

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

"The Peace Book delivers positive and hopeful messages of peace in an accessible, child-friendly format featuring Todd Parr's trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes. Perfect for the youngest readers, this book delivers a timely and timeless message about the importance of friendship, caring, and acceptance. "

It's Banned Books Week!

Celebrate your freedom and read Banned Books!

September 28-October 2

What is Banned Books Week?

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries.

Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

It is a week that we celebrate intellectual freedom and your right to read what you like!

All week long we will be reading and celebrating Banned Books! We hope you enjoy!

Banned Book Week.mp4

Strega Nona.mp4

Strega Nona

Written and Illustrated by Tomie de Paola

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

Strega Nona was voted "Top 100 Best Picture Books of All Time" in 2012, despite this honor, it has been placed on Banned Book lists multiple times throughout American history. This is because it talks about magic. Many books have been banned throughout American history because of magic, such as Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time, Lord of the Rings, and The Witches.

Goodnight Moon.mp4

Goodnight Moon

Written by Margaret Wise Brown

Illustrated by Clement Hurd

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

The classic bedtime story Goodnight Moon was banned for two reasons. First, it was banned in all New York City Libraries because the head Librarian, Anne Carroll Moore, couldn't stand the book! Anne was very influential in the library world, so all librarians held out on buying the book until she retired. It was finally available for check out in New York in 1972, 25 years after the book first came out!

It was also banned because of the authors photograph on the back cover of the original book-it was considered inappropriate.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear.mp4

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Written by Bill Martin Jr.

Illustrated by Eric Carle

Read by Ms. Amanda, 2020

Poor Brown Bear, Brown Bear! It was the victim of mistaken identity! The State Board of Education in Texas accidentally banned the book in 2010 due to a simple mistake. The board didn't approve of books written by the adult book author Bill Martin. They banned all books by Mr. Martin and accidentally added Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see to the list because its author is named Bill Martin, JR. OOPS!

Where the Wild Things Are.mp4

Where the wild things are

Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Read by Ms. Amanda

This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations! Unfortunately, it was banned for being psychologically damaging, traumatic, and dark. We think it is just a fun tale about a boy falling asleep and dreaming of becoming king of the monsters!

And Tango Makes Three.mp4

and Tango makes three

Written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Illustrated by Henry Cole

Read by Ms. Amanda

And Tango Makes Three is a true story about two male penguins that fall in love and adopt an egg. It is one of the most Banned Books in the country and has been on the Top Ten Most Banned list for over 13 years!

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