Celebrate the Autumn with a Cornucopia of Books!
By Selene S. Vasquez

PICTURE BOOKS: AGES 8 THRU 12
Going North by Janice Harrington. Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. (Farrer, 32 pp., $16.00).
A 1960’s autobiographical saga of an African American family on a difficult move from southern Alabama to Nebraska. Obstacles include limited shopping in “Negro Stores.” A perfect choice for readers not yet ready for Christopher Paul Curtis’ lengthier chapter book “The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963.”

FOLK TALES: AGES 7 THRU 10
Basho and the River Stones by Tim Myers. Illustrated by Oki S. Han. (Marshall Cavendish, 32 pp., $16.95). In this original trickster tale, a magical fox offers Japan’s most revered poet Basho three gold coins if he agrees to share his cherry tree with neighboring foxes. Watercolor illustrations capture the beauty of the Japanese countryside, kimono-silk patterns, and other eye-catching details.

BIOGRAPHIES: AGES 8 THRU 12
Sequoyah: the Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing by James Rumford. (CIP, unpaged, $16.00). A gem of a read-aloud nonfiction book, Sequoyah’s life is made beautifully clear and culminates in his invention of the Cherokee syllabry. Reminiscent of the 19th century woodblock prints, these richly textured illustrations are executed in ink, watercolor, pastel and pencil.

Cesar: Si Se Puede! Yes, We Can! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand. Illustrated by David Diaz. (Marshall Cavendish, 48 pp., $16.95).
A collection of lyrical poems evoking the character and value of the famous Mexican labor leader Chavez. Stylized folk-art illustrations ranging from images of fruit picking to peaceful demonstrations.#

Selene S. Vasquez is a media specialist at Orange Brook Elementary School in Hollywood, Florida. She is formerly a children’s librarian for the New York Public Library.