This year the non-profit multicultural children’s magazine Skipping Stones celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. Each year, the magazine highlights the best children’s books and educational resources about diverse cultures around the world and nature and the environment through its Skipping Stones Honor Awards. The list appears in the June-September 2018 issue and the www.SkippingStones.org, which include annotations of all the winning books and teaching resources.
The books come from both major publishers and small presses, and one of the most useful features of the Skipping Stones list is that all books have an equal chance regardless of the size of the publisher or their marketing budget. In that way, the awards differ from most of the annual awards, such as those of the American Library Association, which primarily consider the output of large and medium-sized corporate publishers, with their limited range of content and perspectives. While it’s great to see Big 5 publishers’ books like Angie Thomas’sThe Hate U Give dominate both best-seller lists and awards (and soon to be a major motion picture), quieter books and books with international settings are rarely seen or recognized in the realm of literature for children and teens – and that’s where the Skipping Stones awards come in.
Many of the multicultural and international books on this year’s list explore the journey of refugees, past and present, in many places throughout the world. They show that the movement of people due to war, dictatorship, and environmental degradation is not restricted to a single country or continent, and they explore the lives of children and their families, who have little choice but to flee in order to survive.
For each category, the list is arranged from youngest to oldest readers:
Multicultural and International Books:
Picture Books:
Baccelliere, Anna. I Like, I Don’t Like. Illus. by Ale + Ale. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.
Williams, Maggy. I’m Mixed! Illus. by Elizabeth Hasegawa Agresta. Loving Healing Press.
Ma, Eden. Travel, Learn and See Your Friends: Mandarin Immersion Adventure. Translated by Eddie Liu. Illus. by Irfan Budhiharjo. Dr. Ma Publishing.
Halfmann, Janet. Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School. Illus. by London Ladd. Lee & Low.
Bao Phi. A Different Pond. Illus. by Thi Bui. Capstone Press.
Parker, Kate T. Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves. Workman Publishing.
Leatherdale, Mary Beth. Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees. Illus. by Eleanor Shakespeare. Annick Press.
Cristina, Henriqueta. Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World). Translated by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Illus. by Yara Kono. Enchanted Lion.
Milway, Katie Smith. The Banana-Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. Kids Can Press.
Hong, Nari. Days with Dad. Enchanted Lion.
Ventura, Mae. Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat. Illus. by Beidi Guo. Capstone Press.
Hubbard, Rebecca J. Kindness in a Scary World: A Children’s Book about Terrorism. Illus. by Becca Johnson. Title Town Publishing.
Books for Older Readers:
Nuchi, Adah. Bunk 9’s Guide to Growing Up: Secrets, Tips, and Expert Advice on the Good, the Bad, and the Awkward. Illus. by Meg Hunt. Workman Publishing.
Alberti, Enigma and Tony Cliff. Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring. Workman Publishing. Grades 4-7.
Haas, Stacie. Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee. 50/50 Press. Grades 4-8.
Camlot, Heather. Clutch. Red Deer Press. Grades 4-8.
Noble, Diana J. Evangelina Takes Flight. Arte Público/Piñata Books. Grades 5-8.
Kristofic, Jim. Black Sheep, White Crow and Other Windmill Tales: Stories from Navajo Country. Illus. by Nolan Karras James. University of New Mexico Press. Grades 5-8.
Masih, Tara Lynn. My Real Name Is Hanna. Mandel Vilar Press. Grades 5-12.
Pearl, Sydelle. Wordwings. Guernica Editions. Grades 6 and up.
Charleyboy, Lisa and Mary Beth Leatherdale, eds. #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women. Annick Press. Grades 7-11.
Mixon, Donovan. Ahgottahandleonit. Cinco Puntos Press. Grades 9-12.
Graphic Novel:
Medina, Tony. I Am Alfonso Jones. Illus. by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings. Lee & Low. Grades 7-12.
Nature and Ecology Books:
Argueta, Jorge. Agua, Aguita/Water, Little Water. Illus. by Felipe Ugalde Alcántara. Bilingual. Arte Público/Piñata Books. Picture Book.
González, Xelena. All Around Us. Illus. by Adriana M. Garcia. Cinco Puntos Press. Picture Book.
Ruurs, Margaret. The Elephant Keepers: Caring for Orphaned Elephants in Zambia. Illus. by Pedro Covo. Kids Can Press. Grades 3-7.
Eamer, Claire. What a Waste! Where Does Garbage Go? Illus. by Bambi Edlund. Annick Press. Grades 4-9.
Drake, Jane and Ann Love. Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance. Annick Press. Grades 5-9.
Moor, Robert. On Trails: An Exploration. Simon & Schuster. Grades 10 and up.
Teaching Resources:
Barbian, Elizabeth, Grace Cornell Gonzales, and Pilar Mejía. Rethinking Bilingual Education: Welcoming Home Languages in Our Classroons. Rethinking Schools. All educators.
Christensen, Linda. Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word, 2nd ed. Rethinking Schools. All educators.
Shuster, Kate, Bethany Jay, and Cynthia Lynn Lyerly. Teaching Hard History: American Slavery. Teaching Tolerance. Middle and high school educators.
Mooney, Carla. Racism and Genocide in World War II. Illus. by Tom Casteel. Nomad Press. Middle school educators.
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