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Diverse Voices SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2025 |
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Adela's Mariachi Band by Denise Vega, illustrated by Erika Rodriguez MedinaFilled with funny instrument sounds and Spanish vocabulary, this celebration of Mexican music follows Adela as she tries to prove she's ready to join her family's mariachi band, which results in musical--and magical--mayhem! (Ages 3-5)
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A Bright Light in Buenos Aires by Santiago Nader, illustrations by Paula WegmanFeliz cumpleąnos! It's Dani's birthday. He should be excited, but he's nervous. Will his classmates come to his party or will they think the strange bright light that follows him everywhere is just too annoying? Dani wishes he could be like the other kids, but he realizes that he's perfect just the way he is. After all, when he was born, God decided that the world needed someone just like him. (Ages 6-9)
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Bunso Meets a Mumu
by Rev Valdez
Introducing kids to Filipino culture and words, this entertaining story follows Bunso as he fights back against the Mumu, a Boogeyman-type monster who punishes children who misbehave by sucking the fun out of everything, and learns surprising things about the Mumu — and himself, (Ages 6-9)
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Emergency Quarters by Carlos Matias, illustrated by Gracey ZhangA young boy in the city tries his best to avoid spending his precious quarters on tempting local treats in case of an "emergency." A poignant, cheeky tale perfect for fans of Matt de La Pena, Antwan Eady, and Jacqueline Woodson. (Ages 6-9)
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Mamiachi & Me : Mamiachi y Yoby Jolene Gutierrez and Dakota Gutierrez; Illustrated by Mirelle OrtegaBefore Rosa takes the stage next to her mami to play with her mariachi band, she worries she isn't ready, but her stage fright is soothed away, in a book centered on the power of sisterhood, community and music. Also available in Spanish. (Ages 6-9)
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The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Salina AlkoA fire at New York's Jewish Theological Seminary library in 1966 destroyed thousands of books, but a neighborhood came together to save the stories within, in an uplifting true story of community and the essential role libraries and books play. (Ages 6-9)
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The Mango Tree : La Mata de Mango by Edel RodriguezThis captivating wordless picture book and moving reflection on the author's childhood experience as an immigrant to the U.S. follows a boy who spends his days in a mango tree until he's swept away by a huge storm and finds himself alone in a strange new land. (Ages 3-6)
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On Our Way! What a Day! by JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Tamisha AnthonyThe grandkids can't wait to celebrate Gram's birthday but they need a gift and spot interesting things to make it a special day, in a story that shows the big impact a thoughtful gift from the heart can have. (Ages 0-6)
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The Rock in My Throat
by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Jiemei Lin
In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a Hmong refugee child navigating life at home and school in America while carrying the weight of her selective mutism. (Ages 6-9)
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Sammy Spider's Big Book of Jewish Holidays by Sylvia A. Rouss, illustrated by Katherine KahnSammy Spider watches the Shapiros hang the calendar that will show them all the Jewish holidays of the year. From Rosh Hashanah to Shavuot, Sammy watches-and asks Mrs. Spider lots of questions. (Ages 3-9)
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Sundust : Polvo Solarby Zeke PenaA look at the author's hometown of El Paso, where the sun reigns over the vast desert and shapes all that it touches. Also available in Spanish
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The Together Tree by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by LeUyen PhamRumi's family has moved to a new town and he is feeling lonely and left out at school because one of the other kids, Asher, is a bully--until Hans joins him, drawing in the dirt under the old willow tree. (Ages 3-6)
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We Are a Class by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Hannah AbboThis joyful declaration of what it means to be part of a diverse class of students is an inclusive, aspirational story meant to be read aloud responsively, collectively or as a spoken-word performance. (Ages 3-6)
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Afia in the Land of Wonders by Mia AraujoSixteen-year-old Afia leaves her beloved twin sister to embark on a journey of self-discovery in a magical land with a beguiling queen and dangers untold (Ages 9-14)
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On the Block : Stories of Home Edited by Ellen OhA collection of twelve stories about the residents of the Entrada apartment building and how their lives are linked as multigenerational immigrant families (Ages 9-12)
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Extra Large
by Tyler Page
Tyler Page returns with a middle grade memoir-ish graphic novel, which is about a boy dealing with weight gain, bullying, and gendered expectations all while starting a new school year. (Ages 9-14)
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Halfway to Somewhere by Jose PimientaAve, their mom and their younger brother make a life in the US while Ave's father and older sister stay in Mexico because of a divorce, in a story about exploring identity, understanding family and making friends despite a language barrier. (Ages 9-14)
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Neshama
by Marcella Pixley
Anna sees ghosts. The spirits of her ancestors call to her from the shadows, and no matter where she is, Anna always answers. Kids in her middle school tease her. Teachers and parents are worried by her strange behavior. The only one who seems to understand is Anna's beloved grandmother, Bubbe, who has always treasured Anna's shayna neshama, her beautiful soul. Spending Shabbos with Bubbe is the only thing that gives Anna the sense of love and belonging that she needs. But when a ghost named Ruthie appears at Bubbe's house by the sea, Anna begins to uncover long-hidden secrets that reveal the mystery of her family's troubled past. As Anna and Ruthie get closer, Anna must decide for herself whether being connected to a restless ghost is worth the risk. When it becomes clear that Bubbe's life is in danger, Anna must face the horrible truth: She alone has the ability to save her family and heal the wounds that follow them from one generation to the next. (Ages 9-12)
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Barefoot Skateboarders
by Rina Singh, illustrated by Sophie Casson
In this nonfiction picture book, the tiny village of Janwaar in Madhya Pradesh, India, gets a new skatepark, which inspires Ramkesh and all the local kids to learn how to skateboard, putting them on the map and uniting their community (Ages 3-9).
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The Girl Who Wore Pants by Susanna Isern, illustrated by Esther Gilli, translated by Cecilia RossMany years ago, women were not allowed to wear pants. Luisa Capetillo was young when she realized that this was unfair. Luisa dared to defy the rules, and her pants sparked a revolution (Ages 6-9)
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Lunch Across Cultures : Recipes from Around the World
by Chelsey Luciow
Get a taste of the world when you cook up lunches from cultures around the globe! From Peruvian pesto pasta to Finnish fish soup to Egyptian cucumber salad, these easy-to-make recipes are sure to make your afternoon brighter. Dive deeper into the recipes and the cultures they come from with sidebars featuring cultural fun facts and vocabulary (Ages 6-9)
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Mystery Driver : the Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby by Elizabeth Tracy, illustrated by Anna AronsonAlice is determined to build the fastest car in the boys-only soap box derby and works with Daddy to build a car with an airplane's nose cone, in an empowering true tale of ingenuity, engineering and joy of creating one's dreams. (Ages 6-9)
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Wanda Hears the Stars : a Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe by Amy Hansen, illustrated by Rocio Arreola MendozGrowing up in Puerto Rico, Wanda Diaz Merced wanted to study the stars. But when she lost her sight, she had to find a new way to work. Through the use of sonification, which turns data into sound, she was able to make a path for herself and other scientists with disabilities,
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Children are invited to explore more than forty countries through the universal language of food. Through fun facts and fascinating information, unique ingredients, and culinary customs from across all five continents are celebrated. A World of Flavor is so much more than a cookbook: it's a mouth-watering road trip for the mind and the taste buds, teaching curious kids about the many ways cultures and cuisines are unique -- and how much they have in common. (Ages 6-12)
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Brownstone by Samuel TeerLeft alone with her Guatemalan father for the summer while her mom goes on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, Almudena struggles to adjust to this new reality by getting to know the residents of his Latin American neighborhood while helping his dad fix his broken-down brownstone — and their relationship.
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Danilo Was Here by Tamika BurgessDanilo's baseball talent lands him the opportunity to train in the States and find his absentee father, who may be the key to saving the family he abandoned as they deal with the devastating effects of the US's military invasion of Panama.
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The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin FranklinTwo girls meet in Estrella Roja, a relatively unknown Texas town with a history of witchcraft, strange sightings, and "devil lights"--glowing red stars that appear above the town's hills every night. As the two girls grow closer not only to each other, but to uncovering the dark legacy that the town was built on, they discover that something hungry lurks beneath the strange stars and that in the hills of Estrella Roja, some secrets should stay buried.
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Seventeen-year-old Deedee's life is full of family ghosts and questions she can't ask. She longs to escape her stifling home, but guilt holds her back - that, and the fact that her strict Filipino single mom won't let her learn to drive. But one sleepless night leads Deedee down a road she never thought possible: secret driving lessons with the new boy next door, Jay, whose turbulent family life also keeps him up until sunrise. Together, these two must decide if the pain they've both inherited has the power to choose their fate, or if they have the power to choose for themselves. . |
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Sixteen-year-old Niarah's perspective on life changes when she joins a hiking/camping club and befriends Mac Torres and his wanderlust-driven friends, but as summer draws to a close and her new friends leave, existential dread challenges her new outlook.
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Solis by Paola Mendoza and Abby SherTold in four voices, four prisoners, including undocumented seventeen-year-old Rania, rebel against the corrupt and xenophobic government of the New American Republic that exploits undocumented immigrants in deadly labor camps to mine a world-changing chemical
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American Ghoul
by Michelle McGill-Vargas
With nothing remaining for either woman in in post-Civil War Georgia,
Lavinia, a recently freed slave, and Simone, a recently undead vampire,
form a fast friendship and head north.. As she is forced to repeatedly compromise her morals and struggles to make lasting human connections, Lavinia begins to wonder, is she truly free or has she merely exchanged one form of enslavement for another?
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But Not Too Bold by Hache PueyoWhen Dália becomes the keeper of keys for Anatema, a monstrous spider-woman with a deadly appetite for laudanum and human brides, she must uncover the truth behind her predecessor's death before she becomes her next victim.
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The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen : a Novel by Yuta TakahashiIn a remote seaside town near Tokyo, Kotoko discovers the Chibineko Kitchen, where kagezen meals promise reunions with departed loved ones, and where she meets the young chef Kai and embarks on a magical journey of eating and remembrance. .
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Deja Brew by Celestine MartinAfter making a wish for a second chance to fix her life, an ex-celebrity chef and witch discovers she can redo the entire month of October, in the third novel of the series following Kiss and Spell.
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No Place to Bury the Dead : a Novel
by Karina Sainz Borgo
In an unnamed Latin American country, a mysterious plague quickly spreads, erasing the memory of anyone infected. Angustias Romero flees with her family, but their flight is tragically cut short when she loses both her children. Consumed by grief, she finds herself within the hallucinatory expanse of Mezquite--a town corrupted by greed and populated by storytellers, refugees, and violent, predatory gangs. Here, Angustias is finally able to lay her children to rest at the Third Country, a cemetery run bythe larger-than-life Visitación Salazar and a refuge beyond suffering and fear. While Visitación remains defiant in her mission to care for the dead, the cemetery she oversees is the focal point of a bitter land dispute with Alcides Abundio, the most feared landowner of the border. Caught in this power struggle, Angustias and Visitación--friends and sometimes rivals--stand their ground on a frontier where the law is dictated by violence; a surreal territory whose very nature blurs the boundaries between life and death.
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Same Bed Different Dreams : a Novel in Three Novels by Ed ParkAn alternative spin on Korean history meets American pop culture and our tech-fraught lives. Weaving together three distinct narrative voices, Park twists reality like a kaleidoscope, forging connections and reinterpreting the past.
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When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley"Benigno "Benny" Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can't call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny's work earns him an invitation to join the show's eclectic crew of performers--his first welcome in the city--and share in their astonishing secret: the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon. The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know R'o as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he's ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny's heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of R'o's captivity--and his own. A cage is no place for a merman to survive. Though releasing R'o means betraying his new family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate forever, Benny must look within for the courage to do what's right, and find a love strong enough to free them both"
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Bear Witness : the Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land
by Ross Halperin
The vast majority of Hondurans would have never dared to set foot in Nueva Suyapa, a mountainside barrio that was under the thumb of a gang whose bravado and cruelty were the stuff of legend. But that is precisely where Kurt Ver Beek, an American sociologist, and Carlos Hernandez, a Honduran schoolteacher, chose to raise their families. Kurt and Carlos were best friends who had committed their lives to helping the poor, and when they accepted that nobody else-not the police, not the prosecutors, not the NGOs-was ever going to protect their neighbors from the incessant violence they suffered, they decided to take matters into their own hands. A remarkable and dangerous feat of reportage, Bear Witness shows what happens when altruism, faith, and an obsession with justice are pushed to the extreme.
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Every Sound Is Not a Wolf
by Alberto Rios
Told entirely in couplets, this collection balances the harmonies and disharmonies found between people and the natural world, life and death, spirit and body. What does it mean for a speaker to house two languages? And what is "the very real imaginary line between countries"? From Rios's backyard to the Sonoran Desert, from mining towns to lavish rivers, this collection journeys through grief and joy, turned to the "small buzzing of a live world." That the world keeps moving forward, this is miracle enough.
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What Goes with What : 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities
by Julia Turshen
From bestselling cookbook author Julia Turshen comes an original, inspired, and interactive approach to cooking that takes the guesswork out of everyday meals. Julia offers readers a new way to think about cooking, one that focuses on mastering the alchemy of a meal-and then offers endless iterations. 20 charts and 100 recipes teach them how to build a successful dish, while making ample room for creativity and personal preference.
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Prince George's County Memorial Library System
9601 Capital Lane
Largo, Maryland 20774
301-699-3500www.pgcmls.info/ |
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