Eric Velasquez

Ramsey dons his superhero cape to rescue Grandma from the huge octopus she is trying to cook--or is he simply telling a story? Includes author's note on the story's origin and a recipe for Octopus stew.

"The octopus Grandma is cooking has grown to titanic proportions. �Tenga cuidado! Ramsey shouts. Be careful! But it's too late. The octopus traps Grandma! Ramsey must use both art and intellect to free his beloved abuela. Then the story takes a surprising twist. And it can be read two ways. Open the fold-out pages to find Ramsey telling a story to his family. Keep the pages folded, and Ramsey's octopus adventure is real. This beautifully illustrated...

Traces legal clerk Arturo Schomburg's efforts to curate a collection of African books, letters, music, and art.

"Alemitu lives with her mother in a poor village in Ethiopia, where she must walk miles for water and hunger roars in her belly. Even though life is difficult, she dreams of someday knowing more about the world. When her mother has no choice but to leave her at an orphanage to give her a chance at a better life, an American family adopts Alemitu"--

"A picture biography of educator and politician Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 was the first Black woman elected to Congress and in 1972 was the first Black candidate from a major political party (the Democratic party) to run for the United States presidency. An afterword with additional information, photographs, and source lists are included"--

Jonas wants to keep the memory of his beloved Gullah grandfather alive by representing his family at the traditional storytelling contest, even though he feels like a nervous child trying to do a man's job.

"A collection of speeches that showcases the voices of those at the reins of power and of those who are not. Read the original words, sometimes abridged and sometimes in their entirety, that have shaped our cultural fabric. Introductions provide historical context and critical insights into the meaning and impact of every speech. For each speech, writer and history lover Tonya Bolden provides an introduction-- telling us what was going on at the time,...

Bare feet shouldn't fly. Long legs shouldn't spin. Braids shouldn't flap in the wind. 'Sit on the porch and be a lady,' Papa scolded Alice. In Alice's Georgia hometown, there was no track where an African-American girl could practice, so she made her own crossbar with sticks and rags. With the support of her coach, friends, and community, Alice started to win medals. Her dream to compete at the Olympics came true in 1948. This is an inspiring free-verse...

A young narrator tells readers about her friend Maya, who absolutely loves to dance. In this rhyming picture book, Maya attends a lively dance class. She can't get enough of dance: the costumes, the grand entrances, the pirouettes, the music, the final bow, and the magic of recitals. She even loves the hard work of practice. But why doesn't her friend dance, too? The pages themselves seem to dance, thanks to the charming verse of Cheryl Willis Hudson...

The bestselling classic set in South Africa during the apartheid era, in which two siblings must face the dangers of their divided country. Mma lives and works in Johannesburg, far from the village thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro, call home. When their baby sister suddenly becomes very sick, Naledi and Tiro know that they need to bring their mother back in order to save their sister's life. Bravely, secretly, they set off...