An unlikely friendship between Miss Bandari and Mr Magarmach forms when the pair meet under the great plum tree, deep in the heart of India. Mr Magarmach is old and his hunting days are over but Miss Bandari loves hearing his stories as they munch plums together. One day their friendship is tested but with courage, trust and forgiveness they discover that living happily together tastes just as sweet as Miss Bandari's golden plums. The story of the monkey and the crocodile is a fable from the Panchatantra, an ancient Indian collection of animal fables dated to 300 BCE. But it's a tale from around the world and versions can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, China, Japan and the Caribbean.

"It's almost Three Kings Day, and while the grownups prepare a large meal, the kids prepare their shoe boxes for los Reyes to arrive later that night. Will they stay up late enough to wish the Kings a Feliz Día de los Reyes? Or will the magic pass them by?"-- Provided by publisher.

"How big is too big? Alex is excited when his Abuela comes from Cuba to stay with him and his parents. He's always wanted a big family. But then more family members start to arrive. Soon, the house is bursting at the seams. Will Alex get a bigger family than maybe he bargained for?"--

"Long, long ago in a village far, far away there grew a callaloo plant whose leaves made wishes come true. The villagers tenderly cared for their beloved callaloo, until one day, a greedy, selfish man wished to have the plant all to himself. In that village lived a husband and wife who desperately longed for a child, but without the callaloo to grant their wish, they remained childless. So when a wise old woman appeared from nowhere and told them how to find the plant, they bravely fought dragons and snakes until they reached the last remaining leaf, and their wish for a child finally came true. But as often happens in tales of magic, wishes are only the beginning . . . Creating a world of vivid Caribbean colors, Trish Cooke and Sophie Bass nurture and sow a contemporary retelling of Rapunzel sure to leave readers entranced. More about the practice of weaving patterns into cornrowed hair to function as maps leading to freedom can be found in a compelling note from the author."--Amazon.com.

Also available in Overdrive. "Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland ... and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage"--

Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Follows a young Cuban girl in the 1930s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there's never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters.

"Granny's trunk is full of treasures... When Ava finds a little cardboard suitcase and, inside it, an empty jar, a smooth gray pebble, a little blue hat, and a pair of lace gloves, her granny tells her a story...about leaving her home and family in Trinidad to travel by sea all the way to a new life in London, England. This ... tale shows how treasured objects connect us to our past and help us share the histories that shape our families, passing them down to future generations"--Dust jacket flap.

Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julian notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julian gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?

A party? Oh no! Parties are full of tías with their flashy fashions and boom-and-bellow laughter. It's far too much for Martina! At least with all the noise, no one notices when she slips away. She finds herself in a magical place: a warm, familiar island where she can finally play in peace and quiet. Martina is home at last--or is she? Lively and magical, this is a fresh retelling of the beloved Caribbean folktale 'La Cucaracha Martina'"--Dust jacket flap.

"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 picture book, drawn from the author's childhood memories, celebrates creativity, heroism, family, grandmothers, grandsons, Puerto Rican food, Latinx culture and more. With an author's note and the Velasquez family recipe for Octopus Stew!"--Provided by publisher.

Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters.

"Julie loves all kinds of fruit, but mangoes are her absolute favorite. One sticky summer afternoon, Julie goes to the big mango tree in her yard to ask for a snack. But no matter how nicely she asks or how patient she tries to be, the tree just won't drop a single sweet, juicy mango! Will Julie ever be able to convince the tree to let her have just a taste of her favorite treat?"-- Provided by publisher

"Twelve-year-old Misty and her mother have just moved from Trinidad to Brooklyn, New York, in time for the annual carnival celebrations over Labor Day weekend. Misty has plenty to deal with getting used to living with her cousins Aiden and Brooke in her new surroundings. On top of that, her mom is too busy trying to find a job and her aunts and uncles are too preoccupied with carnival preparations to pay any attention to her. Then really strange things begin to happen. A ball of feathers in the basement turns into a creature that squeaks and rolls around. When Misty and her cousins eat pieces of mango anchar, flames shoot out of their mouths. Most disturbing of all, Misty begins to see visions of the future--scary visions that soon come true. Misty discovers that she and her cousins come from a long line of mokos, people who have special powers meant to help them protect their community. Misty can see impending danger, Aiden can heal, and Brooke has crazy physical strength. The trio is just learning about their skills when Misty senses something watching her. And then each of the carnival events is disrupted by a different disaster. Some kind of evil force is clearly trying to stop the festivities. But why? And will moko magic be enough to save the day?"-- Amazon.com.

After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island.

On a small Caribbean Island, Albert must face middle school, where he is one of the shortest students, without his best friend who just moved away, but he is able to move past the teasing after getting involved in a troupe of Mocko Jumbies--Stiltwalkers--following a tradition brought by African slaves.

Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Twelve-year-old María Luisa O'Neill-Morales (who really prefers to be called Malú) reluctantly moves with her Mexican-American mother to Chicago and starts seventh grade with a bang--violating the dress code with her punk rock aesthetic and spurning the middle school's most popular girl in favor of starting a band with a group of like-minded weirdos.

Eleven-year-old (nearly twelve) Celi Rivera, who is a mix of Black-Puerto Rican-Mexican Indian is uncomfortable about her approaching period, and the changes that are happening to her body; she is horrified that her mother wants to hold a traditional public moon ceremony to celebrate the occasion--until she finds out that her best friend Magda is contemplating an even more profound change of life.

Also available in Hoopla. "Every winter, a young girl flies to Haiti to visit her Auntie Luce, a painter. The moment she steps off the plane, she feels a wall of heat, and familiar sights soon follow - the boys selling water ice by the pink cathedral, the tap tap buses in the busy streets, the fog and steep winding road to her aunt's home in the mountains. The girl has always loved Auntie Luce's paintings - the houses tucked into the hillside, colorful fishing boats by the water, heroes who fought for and won the country's independence. Through Haiti's colors, the girl comes to understand this place her family calls home."--

Salvar el restaurante. Salvar la ciudad. Conseguir a la chica. Hacer sentir orgullosa a su abuela. ÈPuede Arturo Zamora, de trece años, hacerlo todo o está por enfrentarse a un ÉPICO FRACASO? Para Arturo, el verano en Miami significa jugar a baloncesto hasta el anochecer, beber batidos de mango y mantenerse fresco bajo la sombra de los árboles. Y tal vez también hacer algún turno como lavaplatos en el restaurante de su abuela. Tal vez. Pero este verano también incluye a Carmen, una chica que ama la poesía y que se muda a los apartamentos de Arturo y que convierte su estómago en una freidora. Hasta el punto de que casi no se da cuenta del promotor inmobiliario que llega a la ciudad y amenaza con cambiarla. Arturo se niega a dejar que su familia y su comunidad caigan sin luchar, y mientras trama un plan de acción con Carmen, Arturo descubre el poder de la poesía y la protesta a través de historias familiares y de los textos de José Martí. Divertido y conmovedor, El épico fracaso de Arturo Zamora es la vibrante historia de una familia y el sorprendente retrato de una ciudad; y de la determinación de un niño por salvar a ambas.

Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Where is our historian to give us our side? Arturo asked. Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro-Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk's life's passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburg's collection became so big it began to overflow his house (and his wife threatened to mutiny), he turned to the New York Public Library, where he created and curated a collection that was the cornerstone of a new Negro Division. A century later, his groundbreaking collection, known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has become a beacon to scholars all over the world.

Songs about children playing in the schoolyard, sisters braiding each other's hair at the beach, and parents dancing late into the night mesh together thanks to the music. A wide array of styles--nursery rhymes from Gabon, lullabies from Cape Verde, and rumbas from the Congo--are performed in more than a dozen languages. Luminous artwork and homegrown instruments round off this wonderful celebration of history, language, and culture. Lyrics appear transcribed in their original language and in English, along with notes on culture, a world map, and a code for song downloads and print-outs.