Wonder World Book Cafe'

Meet Mariam. She’s in sixth grade and starting at a new school in a small California farm town. It’s a Catholic school, and Mariam’s Muslim. Her mom thinks it’s fine, even helpful, to learn about a different religion. Mariam? Well, she’s not so sure.Transcript here

Set in San Diego, 1931. Based on a true story about a school board and local chamber of commerce pushing segregation by creating a separate school for the Mexican children. It’s filled with families with a fighting spirit, traditions and holidays, music, food, pinatas, and plenty of Spanish phrases. 

Sisters Mattie and Olive are inseparable but couldn't be more different. One thinks in words, and the other in pictures. This makes for a playful (yet serious) tale as each shares their part of the story differently: Mattie with doodles and drawings, graphic novel style, and Olive with free verse poetry and her specially created crossword puzzles.Transcript here

Hilariously written about a serious topic! J.J. is living with a hidden disease, Chron's. In this story, the disease is an actual character (funny and sarcastic) named Norm--a 7 foot ogre and motorcycle gang member. Filled with tons of illustrations, middle grade readers will LOVE it. Transcript here

Mira has ONE big goal for her 6th grade year: start talking at school. A talented stop motion film producer, Mira is comfortable creating in her bedroom/studio/sanctuary. But social situations cause anxiety and the inability to speak. A serious story with many comical moments. Readers gain insight into situational mutism. Transcript here