Book Recommendations

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Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman's Dreams Took Flight written by Karyn Parsons and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie is a story about how Bessie Coleman became the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license. "Black bird. Black girl. Shine bright for the whole world. Show your spark, show your twirl. Let those beautiful wings unfurl!" Over a decade before Amelia Earhart took her famous solo flight across the Atlantic, Bessie Coleman was making headlines and inspiring others as a "straight shooting activist" who never let others define what she knew she was capable of. This is a great book for the 3-6 and 6-9 classrooms, and includes terrific teacher's notes for true stories, as well as a timeline of "Trailblazing Women in Flight" to inspire follow-up work for older children.

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In her book, Dim Sum for Everyone, Author Grace Lin shares several translations for Dim Sum. Dim Sum is translated as “touches the heart” and literally Dim is “point” and Sum is “heart”. Some folx might recall a Dim Sum cart from a visit to a Chinese restaurant; a cart is brought to the table so guests may point to the dish and “choose whichever dishes their hearts desire”. Another translation of Dim Sum is “little heart” because of their petite size. Grace’s Dim Sum for Everyone is like one of those small treats of savory egg tarts or sweet pork buns, it will satisfy any reader and leave them hungry for more.

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Tomatoes for Neela written by Padma Lakshmi and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal is a story about food as a means of connection. Just as the heirloom tomato grows perennially, Neela and her Amma prepare jars of tomato sauce each Summer. The tradition of cooking begins with a recipe book created by mother and daughter. Like her paati, Neela carefully notes the steps she and her Amma take to make her favorite tomato sauce. Primary and elementary aged children would find this sweet story including recipes, fun and historical facts about tomatoes a delightful read.