Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me
Ann Grifalconi (Jump at the Sun / Hyperion Books for Children, c2007)
Shelf Number:  EASY/GRI

Two Caldecott Honor recipients join to bring you the incredible journey of one man, as he recounts the story of his passage on the Underground Railroad to his granddaughter.

The All-I'll-ever-want Christmas Doll
Pat McKissack (Schwartz & Wade Books / Random House, c2007)
Shelf Number:  EASY/MCK

It’s Christmas, and Nella is beside herself with excitement! She and her sisters have been given a "real "gift - a beautiful Baby Betty doll. But it's hard to share something you've waited your whole seven-year-old life for, and Nella grabs the doll for herself. It isn't long before she discovers that a doll can't do the fun things she and her sisters do together. So, as Christmas day fades, Nella shares it with her sisters. Set in the Depression era South, here's a heartwarming story that captures the essence of the holiday.

Always an Olivia:  a Remarkable Family History
Carolivia Herron (Kar-Ben 2007)
Shelf Number:  EASY/HER

An elderly black grandmother passes on the story of the family's Jewish origins to her young granddaughter, Carol Olivia. As family members flee the Spanish Inquisition, are kidnapped by pirates and eventually sail to America, one daughter in each generation is given the name Olivia, from the Hebrew Shulamit meaning “peace” to honor the Jewish part of their ancestry.

The Buffalo Soldier
Sherry Garland (Pelican Pub., c2006)
Shelf Number:  EASY/GAR

Freed slaves who headed West to start careers in the army after the Civil War were nicknamed "buffalo soldiers" by the Cheyenne Indians because of their hair and their displays of strength. This story, told from the imagined perspective of an original buffalo soldier, provides the details of his military career in a manner accessible to young readers.

Champions on the Bench: the Cannon Street YMCA All-stars
Carole Boston Weatherford (Dial Books for Young Readers, c2007)
Shelf Number:  EASY/WEA

In 1955, the Cannon Street YMCA in Charleston, South Carolina, chartered the only African-American Little League in the state. That same year, 61 all-white teams pulled out of the state tournament so they wouldn't have to play against the team. Inspired by true events, this picture book follows one young ballplayer through that fateful season.