Washington Talking Book
& Braille Library

Administered by the Washington State Library

Recommended Reads for Youth - May 2010


Celebrate diversity and culture through reading!

  1. Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes selected by Alma Flor Ada
    A collection of nursery rhymes from Spain and Latin America. Ages birth-5. Available in audio RC058006.
  2. Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong
    A little girl discovers shapes around her neighborhood which remind her of her Chinese heritage. Ages birth-5. Available in audio CBA07232.
  3. The Golden Sandal: A Middle-Eastern Cinderella Story by Rebecca Hickox
    An Iraqi version of the classic fairytale. Ages 4-7. Available in audio RC047904.
  4. Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott
    This African folktale features Anansi the spider, a fun loving trickster. Ages 5 and up. Available in large print LP014633, audio CBA06726, and Braille BRW00711.
  5. In my Family/En mi Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza
    The author recounts her experiences growing up in a Mexican-American community in Texas. Ages 5-8. Available in large print LP013294.
  6. Bee-Bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park
    Join in and help make a traditional Korean dish! Ages 5-10. Available in Braille BR016048.
  7. The House of Wisdom by Florence Parry Heide
    A young boy goes in search of wisdom in 9th century Baghdad. Ages 5-10. Available in Braille BR013001.
  8. Akimbo and the Elephants by Alexander McCall Smith
    Akimbo, who lives on an African game reserve with his father, must save the animals on the reserve from poachers. Ages 7-10. Available in audio RC067045 and download DB067045.
  9. Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen
    Molly struggles with her Jewish heritage while  trying to fit in at school. Ages 7-10. Available in audio RC021685 and Braille BR013495.
  10. The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
    Pacy is a Taiwanese-American girl who applies the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog to her own life. Ages 8-12. Available in Braille BR016624.
  11. How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay by Julia Alvarez
    Miguel moves from the Dominican Republic to Vermont, and just when he thinks he’s going to fit in, his Spanish speaking aunt shows up. Ages 9-12. Available in audio RC053326 and Braille BR016969.
  12. The Birchbark House  by Louise Erdrich
    The is the story of one year in the life of Omakayas, a member of the Ojibwa tribe in 1840’s America. Ages 10-14. Available in large print LP016504, audio RC048991, and Braille BRW01074
  13. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
    Tree-ear lives is an orphan living in medieval Korea who longs to become a potter. Ages 10-14. Available in large print LP019082, audio RC053670, and Braille BR014214.
  14. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
    Parvana must come up with a plan to save her family after her father is arrested by the Taliban, the ruling government of Afghanistan. Ages 10 and up. Available in audio RC053938, Spanish audio RC058951, and Braille BRW01006.
  15. Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples
    Najmah is a war refugee in Afghanistan in 2001 and must disguise herself as a boy in order to escape to Pakistan. Ages 12 and up. Available in audio RC062301
  16. American Eyes: New Asian American Short Stories for Young Adults
    This collection of 10 short stories explores what it means to have Asian heritage and live in America. Ages 14 and up. Available in audio RC043701 and Braille BR010180.
  17. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    Junior is a Spokane Indian who decides to leave the reservation to attend an all white high school. Ages 14 and up. Available in large print LP023368, audio RC065403, and Braille BRW01271.
  18. Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai
    Anita and her brother struggle as they grow up with ultra conservative Indian parents. Ages 14 and up. Available in large print LP016999 and audio RC051278.
  19. When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
    Autobiographical story about the author’s experiences growing up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York. Ages 15 and up. Available in audio RC038181 or Spanish audio RC040892.
  20. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
    Gogol Ganguli must come to terms with his awkward name and his Indian-American heritage. Ages 16 and up. Available in Spanish download DB065987, large print LP020145, audio RC056937, Spanish audio RC065987, and Braille BRW01033.

WTBBL
2021 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121-2783
Phone: 206-615-0400 or 800-542-0866 or (TTY) 206-615-0418
Email: wtbbl@sos.wa.gov