Fiction books
Blackberry Blue and Other Fairy Tales - Jamila Gavin
Prepare to enter a world of magicians, enchanted forests, talking animals and wicked witches . . . Here are six magical stories to thrill and enchant you. Watch Blackberry Blue rise from the bramble patch; follow Emeka the pathfinder on his mission to save a lost king; join Princess Desire as she gallops across the Milky Way on her jet-black horse. These beautifully written and original stories will delight readers of all ages, and the stunning illustrations by Richard Collingridge will take your breath away.
Slave Girl - Patricia C McKissack
In the slave quarters of Virginia's cruel plantations, Clotee's people pray for freedom. But when will it come? To Clotee, freedom is the greatest word in the world.
Tall Story - Candy Gourlay
Be careful what you wish for . . . Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long lost half brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London, where he belongs. Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as mad as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. But he's not just tall ... he's a GIANT. In a novel packed with humour and quirkiness, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures
Grandpa’s Indian Summer - Jamila Gavin
This is the second book about the lovable Grandpa who invites his grandchildren back to Calcutta. The author draws the reader into the colour and magic of India while her funny and poignant stories and adventures cross every culture and boundary.
Indian Myths - Shahrukh Husain and Bee Willey
Aimed at readers at Key Stages 2 & 3, this volume contains an illustrated collection of retold myths from the Indian tradition. The stories are simply told, whilst retaining the flavour of the original myths, and are superbly illustrated.
The Emperor’s Dan-Dan - John Agard
This verse is a rendition of the traditional story of "The Emperor's New Clothes", with the tailor played by Anancy Spider Man. It is of course the children who point out that the Emperor is naked and highlight the gullibility and readiness to please of those who surround a man in power.
Show Way - Jacqueline Woodson
Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. This beautifully illustrated picture book describes the making of 'show ways' or quilts which served as secret maps for escaping slaves, a family tradition passed from mother to daughter.
Misoso: Once Upon A Time Tales from Africa - retold by Verna Aardema
A collection of 12 African folktales. "Kindai and the Ape" is a tale of kindness remembered. In "The Sloogey Dog and the Stolen Aroma" a stingy man gets his come-uppance. These are examples of the stories of justice and revenge, greed and generosity, trickery and kindness in this collection.
Dad, Jackie and Me - Myron Uhlberg
Jackie Robinson is the first black player in Major League Baseball and a young boy shares the excitement of Robinson's first season with his deaf father. A lovely picture book about prejudice and triumph.
Mississippi Morning - Ruth Vander Zee
A boy learns of racial hatred and the activities of the Klu Klux Klan from his friends and then faces the uncomfortable truth that his own father is a member.
Something Beautiful - Sharon Dennis Wyeth
A young girl is disheartened by the things in her neighbourhood: the trash on the streets, the graffiti on the walls, and the homeless woman that sleeps in a box. When she learns the word "beautiful" at school, she sets out to find "something beautiful" in her surroundings. In her search, this little girl learns to see beyond the barren ugliness of her environment to find beauty in her friendships, her family, and herself.
Circle Unbroken - Margot Theis Raven
A grandmother tells the tale of Gullahs and their beautiful sweetgrass baskets that keep their African heritage alive.
The Time of the Lion - Caroline Pitcher
When Joseph hears a lion's roar he decides to go and find him. He makes friends with the lion and his family and joins in their way of life. One day traders come looking for the cubs and Joseph learns that danger is not always where you think.
I Have Heard of a Land - Joyce Carol Thomas
National Book Award-winning author Joyce Carol Thomas draws on family history for this lyrical account of a little-known event in America's past. She tells the story of how, in the late 1880s, many African-Americans raced to the Oklahoma Territory.
