cultural heritage
— A young immigrant mourns leaving Côte d'Ivoire, listing beloved foods, peoples, places, and memories of a father who called her 'cherie.'
— A half-Japanese, half-Chinese girl struggles to fit in at her new Japanese school until her kindness toward a cruel classmate transforms their relationship during a school musical.
— A Jordanian girl who refuses to make friends at her new American school learns that preserving her identity doesn't require isolation when a classmate reaches out.
— A girl recounts thirteen years with her beloved Barbadian babysitter Juan, from their first meeting through the bittersweet day Juan stops working for the family.
— A folk healer summons a mystical owl to save a dying girl when traditional remedies fail, then quietly departs after her recovery.
— A family's Saturday night visit to a Mexican bakery becomes a sensory journey through pastries, Spanish conversations, and anticipation of Sunday's church crowds.
— A slave girl named Min-Li discovers she is a Guardian of the Phoenix when a magical bird rescues her and reveals her destiny to heal villages.
— A boy discovers his grandparents' chest of diaries in the attic, reading accounts from a homeless man, a Japanese-American internment camp, and a 90-year-old woman, ultimately deciding to start his...
— A reluctant girl spends summer caring for her grandmother on Nantucket, discovering family heritage through lightship basket weaving and maritime stories, finding unexpected belonging.
— A Chinese-American girl struggles with her identity after moving from San Francisco to Boston, finding strength in her grandfather's wisdom about heritage and belonging.