Karen Lynn Williams

Khadra Mohammed

Two young Afghani girls living in a refugee camp in Pakistan share a precious pair of sandals brought by relief workers. Includes author's note about refugees.

Four Feet, Two Sandals

How will Gregory find his way back to Dad? Swish-swoosh . . . Gregory draws a lion in the sand. "Don't go in the water, and don't leave Sandy," warns Dad. But the sandy lion grows a tail that gets longer and longer—and soon Gregory is lost on the beach. This wonderful read-aloud book brings to life a summer experience that is all too familiar for young children. Karen Williams's rhythmic text has been paired with Floyd Cooper's brilliant illustrations, revealing the trip down the beach entirely from a child's point of view. A gentle father-son bond is shown in both text and art, reassuring young readers even as they share in Greg's moment of worry at finding himself lost and alone.

A Beach Tail

Facing Fear

After selling oranges in the market, a Haitian mother and daughter have enough money to ride the tap-tap, a truck that picks up passengers and lets them off when they bang on the side of the vehicle.

Tap-Tap

After returning to the United States, Peter's whole family misses the warmth and friendliness of their life in Africa; so Peter's father looks for another job there.

When Africa Was Home

Beatrice is a thirteen-year-old orphan in Kibera, Nairobi - a Kenyan shantytown built on refuse and rubbish, and one of the biggest slums in Africa. In this book she describes her life: her walk to school, the dust that blows between her teeth and the mud she wades through, her teacher's down-to-earth encouragement, her fear of being alone, how safe she feels at school... This sensitive account in words and photographs reveals the realities of life for some of the world's most deprived people - and offers hope as Beatrice follows her dream.

Life in an African Slum

Beatrice's Dream

Jessica Betancourt-Perez

As if being new to the United States wasn't hard enough, Isabella's first day of school is canceled due to snow! Isabella has recently arrived from Colombia with her mother and abuela. She misses Papa, who is still in South America. It's her first day of school, her make-new-friends day, but when classes are canceled because of too much snow, Isabella misses warm, green, Colombia more than ever. Then Isabella meets Katie and finds out that making friends in the cold is easier than she thought!

A Thousand White Butterflies

Kondi is determined to make a galimoto -- a toy vehicle made of wires. His brother laughs at the idea, but all day Kondi goes about gathering up the wire he needs. By nightfall, his wonderful galimoto is ready for the village children to play with in the light of the moon.

Karen Lynn Williams

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