author results for Johnson, Sisi Aisha

Grandma's Tiny House

Brown-Wood, JaNay — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

In rhyming text, when the whole family and guests show up for the big dinner at Grandma's house, it becomes clear that the house is much too small to hold them all.

Ways to Make Sunshine

Watson, Renée — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"Ryan's name means 'king', that she is a leader, and she is determined to keep growing into the name her parents gave her. She is all about trying to see the best in people, to be a good daughter, sister, and friend. But Ryan has a lot on her mind. For instance: Dad finally has a new job, though money is still tight. That means moving into a new (old) house, and Dad working the night shift. And with the fourth-grade talent show coming up, Ryan wonders what talent she can perform on stage in front of everyone without freezing. As even more changes and challenges come her way, Ryan always finds a way forward and shows she is a girl who knows how to glow"--back cover.

Kaia and the Bees

Boelts, Maribeth — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"Kaia is the brave type. Like hottest-hot-pepper brave. But there is one thing that scares her: Bees! And right now, thousands of bees live on her roof because Kaia's dad is a beekeeper. Her dad says that the world needs bees and that's why they are beekeepers. But only he goes on the roof, not Kaia - unless she can find a way to be the brave girl she always says she is. " --Provided by publisher.

Out of My Mind

Draper, Sharon M. — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.

Out of My Mind

Draper, Sharon M. — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The Love Simulation

Easton, Etta — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A passionate vice principal and a guarded science teacher compete for a grand prize, only to realize their budding relationship might be the real jackpot. Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn’t count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman Major: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good. Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he’s been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school’s actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it’s clear the feeling is mutual, she can’t shake the sense that he’s hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she’s dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.

Out of My Dreams

Draper, Sharon M. — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Melody flies to London to speak at a convention about differently abled kids in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novels Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart . When Melody saves an elderly back-in-the-day actress's life, the woman is so grateful—and impressed by Melody—that she nominates Melody to be a US spokesperson at an international symposium for kids with different abilities. To Melody's utter shock and delight, she and two friends of her choice are chosen to participate—and this year's symposium is in England! Melody finally gets to fly on an airplane, and even the airline's somewhat clumsy handling of her wheelchair can't dampen her excitement to be in London. There, Melody meets kids from all over the world who are rallying for greater accessibility and more thoughtful planning on how to make the world more equal for every kid, no matter the unusual challenges they face. As Melody's time to speak approaches, she hopes she can find a way to make every word count and make an impact.

Out of My Heart

Draper, Sharon M. — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Melody faces her fears to follow her passion in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novel Out of My Mind . Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind , is a year older, and a year braver. And now with her Medi-talker, she feels nothing's out of her reach, not even summer camp. There have to be camps for differently-abled kids like her, and she's going to sleuth one out. A place where she can trek through a forest, fly on a zip line, and even ride on a horse! A place where maybe she really can finally make a real friend, make her own decisions, and even do things on her own-the dream! By the light of flickering campfires and the power of thunderstorms, through the terror of unexpected creatures in cabins and the first sparkle of a crush, Melody's about to discover how brave and strong she really is.

Ways to Make Sunshine

Watson, Renée — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

From Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson, the first book in a young middle grade series about Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit, kindness, and sunshine. Ryan Hart can be and do anything. Her name means "king", that she is a leader, and she is determined to keep growing into the name her parents gave her. She is all about trying to see the best in people, to be a good daughter, sister, and friend. But Ryan has a lot on her mind. For instance: Dad finally has a new job, but money is still tight. That means some changes, like moving into a new (old) house, and Dad working the night shift. And with the fourth-grad talent show coming up, Ryan wonders what talent she can perform on stage in front of everyone without freezing. As even more changes and challenges come her way, Ryan always finds a way forward and shows she is a girl who knows how to glow. Acclaimed author Renée Watson writes her own version of Ramona Quimby, one starring a Black girl and her family, in this start to a charming new series. Acclaim for Ways to Make Sunshine : A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year

Hair Love

Cherry, Matthew A. — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her-and her hair-happy. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair-and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.

Before She Was Harriet

Cline-Ransome, Lesa — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

A biography of Harriet Tubman written in verse, in which poem and watercolor come together to honor a woman of humble origins whose courage and compassion make her larger than life.

Unashamed

Vernon, Leah — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

A searingly honest memoir of one young woman's journey toward self-acceptance as she comes to see her body as a symbol of rebellion and hope and chooses to live her life unapologetically. Ever since she was little, Leah Vernon was told what to believe and how to act. There wasn't any room for imperfection. Good Muslim girls listened more than they spoke. They didn't have a missing father or a mother with mental illness. They didn't have fat bodies or grow up wishing they could be like the white characters they saw on TV. They didn't have husbands who abused and cheated on them. They certainly didn't have secret abortions. In Unashamed, Vernon takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, race, weight, mental illness, domestic violence, sexuality, the millennial world of dating, and the process of finding her voice. She opens up about her tumultuous adolescence living at the poverty line with her fiercely loving but troubled mother, her deadbeat dad, and her siblings, and the violent dissolution of her 10-year marriage. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, Vernon reflects on her experiences with hustling paycheck to paycheck, body-shaming, and redefining what it means to be a "good" Muslim. Irreverent, youthful, and funny, Unashamed gives anyone who is marginalized permission to live unapologetic, confident lives.

The Skin I'm in

Flake, Sharon G. — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Award-winning author Sharon G. Flake crafts a remarkable story of one girl's struggle to accept herself. Maleeka Madison is a dark-skinned African-American girl. She feels uncomfortable and wishes she had lighter skin. When her teacher, Miss Saunders, who suffers from a rare skin condition, shows that there is more to people than the color of their skin, Maleeka learns to appreciate and accept who she truly is. Sisi Aisha Johnson's gripping narration makes this story come alive.

Hidden

Frost, Helen — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Award-winning poet Helen Frost received the Michael L. Printz Honor for her acclaimed debut novel, Keesha's House. Written in free verse, Hidden is a compelling tale about an unlikely friendship between two girls. Darra Monson and Wren Abbott first cross paths when Darra's deadbeat dad is arrested for theft and kidnapping after he steals a car-unaware that Wren was sitting in the back. Years later, the girls-now teens-attend the same summer camp, and are forced to confront the fateful event that changed their lives.

P. S. Be Eleven

Williams-Garcia, Rita — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Things are changing in the Gaither household. After soaking up a "power to the people" mind-set over the summer, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern return to Brooklyn with a newfound streak of independence. Pa has a girlfriend. Uncle Darnell is home from Vietnam, but he's not the same. And a new singing group called the Jackson Five has the girls seeing stars.But the one thing that doesn't change? Big Ma still expects Delphine to keep everything together. That's even harder now that her sisters refuse to be bossed around, and now that Pa's girlfriend voices her own opinions about things. Through letters, Delphine confides in her mother, who reminds her not to grow up too fast. To be eleven while she can.An outstanding successor to the Newbery Honor Book One Crazy Summer, P.S. Be Eleven stands on its own as a moving, funny story of three sisters growing up amid the radical change of the 1960s, beautifully written by the inimitable Rita Williams-Garcia.

All I Want Is Everything

Poole, Daaimah — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Daaimah S. Poole is an Essence best-selling author who pens gripping tales that enthrall with the ups and downs of life in today's culture. In All I Want Is Everything, Kendra Michelle Thomas boasts pipes that bring tears to the eyes, but a musical career seems a million miles away when your family life is in tatters. With an absentee father, alcoholic mother, and a trip to foster care, Kendra might have given up on her dreams-but there's a spark inside her that just won't die.

One Crazy Summer

Williams-Garcia, Rita — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern travel to Oakland to meet their mother, Cecil, who abandoned their family years earlier. But even when Cecil gets them to her house, she shows no interest and seems to view them as nothing but a nuisance. Cecil's cold, unloving attitude leaves the girls wishing for the mother-daughter connection they've never had. But Cecil acts remarkably different after she sees her daughters at the Black Panther rally, where they recite a poem Cecil herself had written. At that point, Cecil's attitude toward her daughters begins a remarkable change.Rita Williams-Garcia has been a finalist for the National Book Award, and her novel One Crazy Summer was recognized as a New York Times Editor's Choice. Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson relates the story with the refreshing honesty of a tale told through young Delphine's innocent eyes.

Between the Lines

Grimes, Nikki — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This thought-provoking companion to Nikki Grimes' Coretta Scott King Award-winning Bronx Masquerade shows the capacity poetry has to express ideas and feelings, and connect us with ourselves and others. Darrian dreams of writing for the New York Times. To hone his skills and learn more about the power of words, he enrolls in Mr. Ward's class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Everyone in class has something important to say, and in sharing their poetry, they learn that they all face challenges and have a story to tell-whether it's about health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. As Darrian and his classmates get to know one another through poetry, they bond over the shared experiences and truth that emerge from their writing, despite their private struggles and outward differences.

Zoe in Wonderland

Woods, Brenda — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods introduces Zoe-an endearing eleven-year-old who's afraid her real life will never be as exciting as her imaginary one. Zoe Reindeer has a very big imagination, but in real life she considers herself "just Zoe"-not measuring up to her too-perfect older sister and her smarty-pants little brother. Truthfully, though, she'd rather just blend in with the plants at the family business, Doc Reindeer's Exotic Plant Wonderland. That is until a tall astronomer from Madagascar comes into the nursery looking for a Baobab tree, and starts a ball rolling that makes Zoe long for real adventures, not just imaginary ones. When her family is suddenly forced to relocate, they find themselves heading to a place reindeer have never gone before-and to Zoe, it feels like her first real adventure is finally beginning.

Bronx Masquerade

Grimes, Nikki — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Acclaimed poet, novelist, journalist, and educator Nikki Grimes was born and raised in New York City. Each of the 18 kids in Mr. Ward's inner city classroom has something important to say, but some don't even realize it. Then Mr. Ward begins to have "open mic" poetry slams once a month on Fridays. Young adult listeners will identify with the characters in Bronx Masquerade as they explore questions about life and self-expression. "As always, Grimes gives young people exactly what they're looking for-real characters who show them they are not alone."-School Library Journal

Crystal

Myers, Walter Dean — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Sixteen-year-old Crystal knows she's blessed. She is drop-dead gorgeous and in the beginning stages of a glamorous career as a model in New York City. At first, modeling is exciting. But soon, her life becomes less and less about her, and more and more about her body. Crystal wonders if her new life is worth giving up everything — her friends, her beliefs, and her self-respect.

Ninth Ward

Parker Rhodes, Jewell — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Acclaimed novelist Jewell Parker Rhodes is an American Book Award winner. Rhodes' Ninth Ward is a stunning tale set against the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. Orphaned 12-year-old Lanesha lives with Mama Ya-Ya, the midwife who birthed her, in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. Although Lanesha is different-able to see ghosts like that of her dead mother-she never feels unloved, an empowerment that helps her survive the devastating storm. "If there are awards for books that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit, this one is a clear contender."-Children's Literature

One Crazy Summer

Williams-Garcia, Rita — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults
ALA Notable Children's Book
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award (Author)
In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita WilliamsGarcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading—take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy it at home.
This moving, funny novel won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and the Coretta Scott King Award and was a National Book Award Finalist. Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern's story continues in P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama.
Readers who enjoy Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming will find much to love in One Crazy Summer. Rita Williams-Garcia's books about Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern can also be read alongside nonfiction explorations of American history such as Jason Reynolds's and Ibram X. Kendi's books.
In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when thesisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.
While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.

Parable of the Talents

Butler, Octavia E. — Thu, 31 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Best-selling author Octavia E. Butler's acclaimed novels have won numerous awards, and she is a recipient of a "genius" grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Parable of the Talents was selected as one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of horrifying depravity. Assault, theft, sexual abuse, slavery, and murder are commonplace. Taking advantage of the situation, a zealous, bigoted tyrant wins his way into the White House. Directly opposed is Lauren Olamina, founder of Earthseed—a new faith that teaches "God Is Change." Persecuted for "heathen" beliefs as much as for having a black female leader, Earthseed's followers face a life-and-death struggle to preserve their vision. Butler's fluid writing and keen observations about race, gender, politics, and religion make for a moving parable that will be pondered for generations. A powerful reading from three standout narrators captures the multi-generational sweep of this poignant tale.

Lulu The Llamacorn

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Lulu is a llamacorn, which means she's half llama, half unicorn, and 100% glamorous magic. She's also 100% sure that she's the most glamorous creature in all of Magic of Meadows...until she spots a mermaid with a shiny, sparkly, shimmery tail. Lulu decides she must have one of those in order to protect her title as most glamorous. With some help from her best friend, Karen the Flower Fairy, Lulu learns what it truly takes to make her glamour wishes come true. Lulu the Llamacorn will remind everyone who meets her to let their own magic shine!