The holiday season is a great time to gift books to the young people in your life. But how to find books that promote intercultural awareness and understanding and respect for the environment? Each year, the nonprofit multicultural children’s magazine Skipping Stones releases its Honor Awards, recognizing two to three dozen books for young readers and teaching resources published in the past two years that “foster respect for multiple viewpoints and closer relationships within human societies.” This year, 30 titles received this coveted award: 19 in the Multicultural and International Books category; 8 in the Nature and Ecology category; and 3 Teaching Resources. Arranged alphabetically by author within each category, the books are as follows:
Multicultural and International Books
Acosta, Daniel. Iron River. Cinco Puntos Press. Ages 12-17.
Bhaksar, D.K. and Alladi Jayasri. Illus. Yathi Siddakatte. Balarama’s Story: An Elephant’s Journey. Peppertree Press. Ages 7-12.
Bowles, David. They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems. Cinco Puntos Press. Ages 9 and up.
Brenna, Beverley. Fox Magic. Red Deer Press. Ages 11-15.
Charles, Norma. Runner: Harry Jerome, World’s Fastest Man. Red Deer Press. Ages 11-15.
Desai, Anita. The Village by the Sea. New York Review of Books. Ages 9-14.
García, Nasario. Illus. Dolores Aragón. Grandma Lale’s Magical Adobe Oven/El horno mágico de Abuelita Lale. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ed. Rio Grande. Ages 5-9.
George, Joanne. Illus. by the author. Smiley: A Journey of Love. Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Ages 6-10.
González Pérez, Alma. Illus. by the author. Todos a celebrar! A Hispanic Customs and Traditions Alphabet Book. Bilingual (Spanish/English) ed. Del Alma Publications. Ages 5-9.
Harrison, Troon. Illus. François Thisdale. The Birdman. Red Deer Press. Ages 5-9.
Latour, Francie. Illus. Ken Daley. Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings. Groundwood. Ages 4-8.
Melleby, Nicole. Hurricane Season. Algonquin Books for Young Readers. Ages 9-12.
Ntshingila, Futhi. We Kiss Them with Rain: A Novel. Catalyst Press. Ages 15 and up.
Ramírez-Christensen, Esperanza, trans. Illus. Tracy Gallup. My First Book of Haiku Poems: A Picture, a Poem, and a Dream. Bilingual (Japanese/English) ed. Tuttle. Ages 5-9.
Subramanian, Mathangi. A People’s History of Heaven: A Novel. Algonquin Books. Ages 15 and up.
Suneby, Elizabeth. Illus. Rebecca Green. Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet. Kids Can Press. Ages 8-12.
Vecchione, Patrice and Alyssa Raymond, eds. Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience. Seven Stories Press. Ages 12 and up.
Waboose, Jan Bourdeau. Illus. François Thisdale. The Spirit Trackers. Fifth House. Ages 6-9.
Zepeda, Gwendolyn. Illus. by Thelma Muraida. Maya and Annie on Saturdays and Sundays/Los sábados y domingos de Maya y Annie. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ed. Piñata Books. Ages 5-9.
Nature and Ecology Books
Brunelle, Lynn. Illus. Anna-Maria Jung. Turn This Book into a Beehive! And 19 Other Experiments and Activities That Explore the Amazing World of Bees. Workman Publishing. Ages 8-12.
Contreras, Kathleen. Illus. Gary Undercuffler. Harvesting Friends/Cosechando amigos. Piñata Books. Ages 5-8.
Fyvie, Erica. Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle. Kids Can Press. Ages 8-12.
Galat, Joan Marie. Illus. Georgia Graham. Stories in the Clouds: Weather Science and Mythology from Around the World. Whitecap Books. Ages 8-12.
Iturralde, Edna. Trans. by Jessica Powell. Green Was My Forest. Manuel Vilar. Ages 8 and up.
Marull, Yana. Illus. by the author. The Last Jaguar of the Savanna. Terra Books. Also available in Spanish. Ages 5-10.
Thornhill, Jan. Illus. by the author. The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow. Groundwood. Ages 7-10.
Welldon, Christine. Everyone Can Be a Changemaker: The Ashoka Effect. Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Ages 8-13.
Teaching Resources
Hart, Melissa. Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens. Sasquatch Books. Grades 4-12.
Mooney, Carla. Illus. Sam Carbaugh. Globalization: Why We Care About Faraway Events. Nomad Press. Grades 4-8.
Watson, Dyan, Jesse Hagopian, and Wayne Au, eds. Teaching for Black Lives. Rethinking Schools. All grades.
For reviews of the winning books and past lists, go to https://www.skippingstones.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019.BookAwards.reviews-1.pdf