A Boy Becomes A Man At Wounded Knee by Ted Wood with Wanbli Numpa Afraid of Haw. Walker. The authentic and moving story of the tragic massacre of the Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee in 1890, and of a young boy's experience one hundred years later, as he rides with his people to commemorate the event.

A Gathering of Days by Joan W. Blos. Scribner. This Newbery Award winner is a journal kept by a fourteen-year-old girl from 1830-1832, detailing life on a New Hampshire farm. Catherine suffers many hardships, including the death of her mother, the death of a best friend, and her father's remarriage, but she perseveres nonetheless.

A Long Way from Chicago: A novel in Stories by Richard Peck. Dial. In 1929, Joey and sister Mary Alice, two city slickers from Chicago, make the first of their summer visits to Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town-where they meet eccentric, often hilarious, sometimes poignant characters and have unexpected adventures in America's heartland. A Newbery Honor Book.

A Real American by Richard Easton. Clarion. Life for new immigrants a hundred years ago wasn't all that different than today. They often faced harsh, sometimes dangerous working conditions and bigoted attitudes. Defying his prejudiced father, eleven-year-old Nathan McClelland befriends Arturo Tozzi, an immigrant boy his own age.

A School For Pompey Walker by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. Harcourt. A former slave tells about his repeated escapes and resellings out of and back into slavery in this fact-based story of courage and friendship and endurance of the human spirit.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. Clarion. Watching a master potter at work, a poor young boy decides to make his own masterpiece. Set in 12th century Korea, this 2002 Newbery Medal winner has much to say to today's readers about fortitude, honor, courage and compassion.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Farrar. Meg and her brother travel through time to save their father and confront both the forces of good and evil. A modern classic.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck. Dial. Because of hard economic times following the Depression (the year is 1937), fifteen-year-old Mary Alice has to leave her family in Chicago to spend a year in rural Illinois with her formidable Grandma Dowdel. This year's Newbery Medal winner is filled with memorable characters that will delight you with their humor, heart and wisdom.

A Young Patriot: The American Revolution As Experienced By One Boy by Jim Murphy. Clarion. The American Revolution is brought to life in this true account based on the journal of fifteen-year-old Joseph Plumb Martin.

Ain't Gonna Study War No More by Milton Meltzer. HarperCollins. A thought provoking, comprehensive treatment of the Peace Movement in America, from colonial days to the present.

Always To Remember: The Story of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by Brent Ashabranner. Photographs by Jennifer Ashabranner. Dodd. The story behind the Vietnam War Memorial - the man who conceived it, the woman who designed it, the controversies surrounding it and the lives it honors.

Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart: The Story of Amber and Essie Told Here in Poems and Pictures by Vera B. Williams. HarperCollins. Through good times and bad times these sisters stick together. Presented through short poems and drawings, their story is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always heartwarming.

America: A Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Simon and Schuster. An inspirational and informative trip through America, from A to Z. With side bars, end notes, and lots of lively illustrations.

Bad Stuff in the News: A Guide to Handling the Headlines by Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman. SeaStar Books. The headlines in today's newspapers can be pretty grim. Here's some advice from a rabbi and a priest about how to put it all in perspective-from school violence to terrorism.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick. An abandoned dog with a magnetic personality helps Opal adjust to her new home in Florida. A winning down-home story filled with larger than life characters. A feel-good book.

Blizzard! by Jim Murphy. Scholastic. The riveting story of the famous blizzard of 1888 that raged for three days and nights and paralyzed the entire Northeast is dramatically told. With archival photos.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Delacorte. Will motherless 10-year old Bud find a home? Armed with his rules on life, Bud runs away from his foster home to search for the jazz musician he believes to be his father. This feisty kid is sure to win a home in your heart. Newbery Medal winner-2000.

Bull Run by Paul Fleischman. Woodcuts by David Frampton HarperCollins. A slave, a doctor, and a soldier's sister are among the sixteen characters who bring the Civil War to life as they share their stories in brief vignettes. The 1994 winner of the Scott O'Dell Award, and an Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award winner.

Celebrating Ramadan by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Holiday House. A colorful photo-essay of an Arab-American family's practices during the month of Ramadam. Very informative, with a short general description of Islam at the beginning of the book.

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. HarperCollins. The special friendship between a young pig and spider who has a way with words has enchanted generations of children. Provides an unsentimental, yet comforting lesson on loss.

Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph. HarperCollins. Will 12-year old Ana Rosa's words have any effect when government troops come to evict villagers from their homes? A young writer's struggle is set against the oppressive regime of the Dominican Republic and her own family's hopes.

Cool Melons-Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa by Matthew Gollub, illustrated by Kazuko G. Stone. Lee & Low. A spare text, delicate watercolors, and evocative haiku blend together to present the life of 18th Century Japanese Haiku writer Issa. Beautifully crafted.

Confucius: The Golden Rule by Russell Freedman. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. Renowned biographer Freedman introduces the wisdom of Confucius in this fascinating and enlightening biography of the man whose words and ideals continue to inspire.

Cracking the Wall: Struggles of the Little Rock Nine by Eileen Lucas, illustrated by Mark Anthony. Carolrhoda. An inspiring account of the nine high school students who were the first Black teens to attend Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas. In easy-to-read format.

Don't You Know There's a War On? by Avi. HarperCollins. Howie Crispers and his 5th grade class must take action to save their beloved teacher Miss Gossim from being fired by Dr. Lomister, the principal-who, Howie suspects is a Nazi spy. Set in 1943 Brooklyn, it gives a great picture of the war effort at home. Funny and moving.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. Scholastic. When her wealthy father is murdered, Esperanza and her mother flee to America where they work as farm laborers. Set during the Depression, this gripping novel is based on the real-life experiences of the author's Mexican grandmother.

F is for Freedom by Roni Schotter. Dorling Kindersley. When 10-year-old Amanda is awakened by strange noises in the night, she discovers that her home is a stop along on the Underground Railroad. Heartfelt and powerful historical fiction by an award-winning Westchester author.

Faraway Summer by Johanna Hurwitz. Morrow. Dossi, a young Jewish immigrant, travels to northern Vermont to spend two weeks with the Meade family in the summer of 1910 - clutching her journal and a copy of Anne of Green Gables.

Freedom's Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories by Ellen Levine. Putnam. These unsung young heroes of the 1950s and 1960s contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and made a difference. Inspiring.

From Sea To Shining Sea: A Treasury Of American Folklore And Folksongs edited by Amy Cohen, illustrated by fifteen award-winning artists. Scholastic. A giant anthology of over 140 folk songs and stories that cover the span and diversity of America from the beginning-through the voices of ordinary people who passed these folk stories from generation to generation. Something for everyone.

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road by Julius Lester, illustrated by Rod Brown. Dial. A history of slavery- from the Middle Passage to freedom- told in a series of magnificent paintings-with commentary that responds to the art and reflects the agonies and horrors, humiliations and grief of the slaves' experiences.

From the Bellybutton of the Moon and Other Summer Poems/ Del Ombligo de la Luna y Otros Poemas de Verano by Francisco X. Alarcon, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children's Book Press. The poet's childhood summers in Mexico are celebrated in these 22 evocative, bilingual poems, visualized through luminous and dynamic artwork. A read-aloud treat for the ears and eyes!

Full Steam Ahead: The Race To Build A Transcontinental Railroad by Rhoda Blumberg. National Geographic. A richly detailed account of the race to build the first transcontinental railroad. An abundance of photographs and illustrations bring history alive. Written by an award-winning Westchester author.

Give Me Liberty: The Story of the Declaration of Independence by Russell Freedman. Holiday House. Freedman makes you feel as if you were actually there-witnessing the events that led to the American Revolution as he brings the people, politics, and specific events to life with entertaining and anecdotes and enlivening details.

Gold Dust by Chris Lynch. HarperCollins. Twelve-year-old Richard loves baseball and he dreams that he and new friend Napoleon (a recent immigrant from the Caribbean) will become star rookies together. But racism and Napoleon's own dreams come into conflict with his vision. Great sports story.

Gracie's Girl by Ellen Wittlinger. Simon and Schuster. Sixth-grader Bess longs to be popular, but she worries that her involvement with the soup kitchen where her mom volunteers and her friendship with a bag lady (Gracie) she meets there will somehow make Bess seem uncool.

Haroun And The Sea by Salman Rushdie. Viking. An adventure fantasy in the tradition of The Phantom Tollbooth, about Haroun's attempt to rescue his father and return to him his power to tell stories. Multi-layered tale with enjoyment at all levels. Rich, textured language make this perfect for reading aloud.

Home to Me: Poems Across America by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Orchard. Fifteen commissioned poems by contemporary writers from different parts of the country capture the essence of America.

How Do You Spell God? Answers To The Big Question From Around The World by Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman. Morrow. A Rabbi and a Catholic Priest bring their knowledge, compassion & good humor to answer questions about the major religions of the world. How should we live? What happens after we die? Find out how various religions would answer those and many other questions.

How I Became an American by Karin Gundisch. Cricket. Ten-year-old Johann relates his journey from the old country to his life in American where he struggles to learn the language and ways of his new home--and become Johnny. A Batchelder Award book.

How Tia Lola Came to Visit Stay by Julia Alvarez. Knopf. Ten-year-old Miguel is having trouble fitting in to his new home in Vermont until his lively aunt from the Dominican Republic comes to visit. Warm and wonderful and funny.

I, Too, Sing America: Three Centuries of African American Poetry by Catherine Clinton, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Houghton. An amazing collection of African American poetry- from Lucy Terry to Rita Dove-36 poems by 25 of America's best poets.

Ida B. Wells: Mother of the Civil Rights Movement by Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin. Clarion. A child of southern slaves, Ida B. Wells was an important figure in American Civil Rights-crusading against Jim Crow laws, fighting to stop lynching and for women's suffrage. Well-documented and compelling biography.

In The Beginning: Creation Stories From Around The World by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Barry Moser. Harcourt. Twenty-five creation myths from the far corners of the globe are retold by master storyteller Hamilton in her spare and powerful prose. Personal notes accompany each tale. Named an outstanding book by the National Science Teachers Association, these stories make an excellent introduction to cross-culturalism and universality of spiritual and literary themes. Deeply satisfying.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. HarperCollins. Shirley Temple Wong and her family emigrate from China to America in 1947, and Shirley's attempts to adapt to a new culture are ultimately successful-with a little inspiration from baseball hero Jackie Robinson.

Into A Strange Land by Brent and Melissa Ashabranner. Dodd. The plight of unaccompanied refugee children and their struggle to make a new home in the United States is explored in this moving and insightful book.

Jip: His Story by Katherine Paterson. Lodestar. Pre Civil War Vermont is the setting for this compelling tale of slave catchers, mental illness, justice, courage, and unlikely friendships. Unforgettable characters in a story you can't put down.

Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend by Will Moses. Philomel. This skillful, fictionalized biography of John Chapman-the man who traveled through pioneer America planting thousands of apple trees-combines facts, tall tales and charming folk art paintings to tell the story behind the legend.

Journey to Jo'burg by Beverly Naidoo. Lippincott. To save their sick baby sister, thirteen-year-old Naledi and her nine-year-old brother Tiro set off on an arduous and dangerous 200 mile trek to Johannesburg during the days of apartheid to fetch their mother-who is a maid for white family.

Let It Shine! The Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Harcourt. Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm and Ida B. Wells-a collection of inspiring biographies that celebrate ten heroic African American women and their importance to American civil rights.

Lies, Deceptions And Truth by Anne E. Weiss. Houghton. Does a good cause justify a lie? Would you lie to help a friend or save a life? A thought-provoking look at lies - the different types and the reasons behind them. A book that raises issues that affect the lives of each of us, everyday.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman. Clarion. This Newbery Medal winner is a well-researched and lavishly illustrated account of the 16th President of the U.S.A.

Lost & Found: A Kid's Book for Living Through Loss by Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman. Morrow. Sound advice about coping with different kinds of loss-from losing at competition, loss of trust, health and death.

Making a New Home In America by Maxine B. Rosenberg, photos by George Ancona. Lothrop. 1986 Westchester author Maxine Rosenberg tells the story of five children from foreign countries adjusting to life in America. Food for thought about the feelings of kids who, are not only new to the block, but to the culture. Insightful and compelling.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Little, Brown. Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee, a white boy with amazing athletic skills, becomes the stuff of legends as he helps to heal racial discord. Funny and insightful.

Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories by Rosemary Wells. Dial. Trained as a nurse during World War I, Mary Breckinridge, went to the isolated mountains of Appalachia, where she started a medical service-on horseback- eventually to become the Frontier Nursing Service. Three moving short stories show how Mary's determined spirit saved hundreds of lives.

Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park. Knopf. Her brother's fatal bicycle accident turns thirteen-year-old Phoebe's life inside-out. A slim, but compelling book that will make you laugh as well as cry.

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant. Orchard. Twelve-year-old Summer and Uncle Ob learn that life can still be sweet even though they miss May, Ob's wife. The 1992 Newbery Medal winner.

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor. Dial. A ten-year old white boy witnesses a bus driver forcing black riders off the bus to make room for white passengers. He also witnesses the tragedy that follows.

Moon Over Tennessee: A Boy's Civil War Journal by Craig Crist Evans. Houghton. A 13-year old boy and his father leave their Tennessee farm to join the Confederate Army on its way to Gettysburg. A compelling story, told in easy-to-read, free verse journal entries.

My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Simon and Schuster. Travel the USA in this wonderful collection of 51 poems that bring the spirit of the country and the diversity of its landscape to life. Brilliantly selected by award-winning Westchester poet.

My Heroes, My People: African Americans and Native Americans in the West by Ruth Katcher. Farrar. A portrait gallery of famous and infamous, well-known and little-known men and women of African, Native American and mixed heritage who played a role in the shaping of the American West. The gallery includes fur traders, cowboys, soldiers, nurses and mail-order brides.

My Name Is Not Angelica by Scott O'Dell. Houghton. The hardships suffered by Raisha, a young woman sold into slavery, and her resettlement on the island of St. John in the 1700s, are powerfully chronicled.

Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff. Delacorte. A Young girl struggles to feed herself and her loved ones during the 1845 potato famine in Ireland. A grim picture of what it feels like to have no food to eat, but Nory's heroism shines throughout the story.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowery. Houghton. Ten-year-old Annemarie learns about bravery and fear when she helps save Jewish friends in Nazi-occupied Denmark. This Newbery Award winner, based on true events, celebrates courage and heroism.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Scholastic. Billie Jo endures the death of her mother, baby brother and her own disfigurement in depression-ridden Oklahoma. Read past the grimness and grief of this short poetic novel to find something wondrous rising out of the dust. The Newbery Medal winner.

Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee. Lee and Low. The true story of how one man, the Japanese consul in Lithuania, saved the lives of thousands of Polish Jews during World War II.

Preacher's Boy by Katherine Paterson. Clarion. While waiting for the end of the world in turn-of-the-century Vermont, 10-year old Robbie decides to give up religion. A boy's relationship with his father, his retarded older brother and with God are handled with insight and lots of laughter.

Reaching Dustin by Vicki Grove. Putnam. Carly is assigned to interview Dustin, a 6th grade bully and outcast, for a class project. As she gets to know more about him, Carly's curiosity turns to concern and caring.

Rescue: The Story of How Gentiles Saved Jews in the Holocaust by Milton Meltzer. Harcourt. Individual acts of heroism and stories about non-Jews who defied the Nazis and risked their lives to help Jews is told with passion in this compelling and inspiring book.

Sacred Places by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Giles Laroche. Putnam. An introduction to some of the world's most sacred and spiritual places- with brief remarks about the sites and stunning three-dimensional cut-paper illustrations.

Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carm. Scholastic. When Samir, a young Palestian boy, is sent to an Israeli hospital for knee surgery, he makes friends with Yonatan, an Israeli boy. Friendship and computer games cross cultural divides to help Samir deal with the loneliness and grief over his brother's death. A Batchelder Award winner.

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. HarperCollins. A young girl plants some lima beans and more than the vegetable seeds take root as the transforming power of the garden brings community members together.

Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples. Knopf. Eleven-year-old Shabanu, daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert, is pledged in marriage to a wealthy, but much older man. If she rebels and refuses the marriage, Shabanu would shame her family and betray her culture. A Newbery Honor book.

Shh! We're Writing The Constitution by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Tomie de Paola. Putnam. Westchester's beloved Jean Fritz does it again! History is brought to life and readers gain insight into the problems facing the delegates in their struggle to write the Constitution during that long, hot Philadelphia summer.

Silent Thunder: A Civil War Story by Andrea Pinkney. Hyperion. Eleven-year old Summer and older brother Roscoe recount what it was like being a child under slavery and having to hide your feelings and longings as silent thunder. Compelling reading!

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell. Houghton. Bright Morning, a young Navaho girl, is forced, along with her tribe to resettle in Fort Sumner.

Sisters In Strength: American Women Who Made A Difference by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Malcah Zeldis. Holt From Pocahontas to Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt-these 11 short biographies of American women who made a difference are accompanied by vibrantly colored illustrations.

Soul Looks Back in wonder, illustrated by Tom Feelings. Exquisite artwork surrounds the verses of African American poets Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Lucille Clifton, and ten others. This wonderful collection of Poetry celebrates a heritage of strength, endurance, beauty and love for the next generation.

Stand for Children by Marian Wright Edelman. Quilts by Adrienne Yorinks. Hyperion. The words from Edelman's inspirational speech and call to stand for children is brilliantly illustrated with Adrienne Yorinks' amazing quilts. An inspiration.

Streets of Gold by Rosemary Wells. Dial. Inspiring picture book biography of poet Mary (Masha) Antin, who fled from Russia's harsh treatment of Jews to find freedom and educational opportunity in America. Deftly written & illustrated by award-winning Westchester author and artist.

The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell. HarperCollins. A lonely hunter first meets a mermaid, then a bear, a lynx and boy and…they become a family. Whimsical and reassuring.

The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle. Atheneum. Spring 1942 brings thirteen-year old Robert, his mother and younger sister to his father's childhood home-a small coastal town in Rhode Island where Robert must confront his hot-tempered grandfather and simmering family secrets.

The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck. HarperCollins. While Jiya grieves for his family (drowned by the big wave that destroyed his entire village), his best friend Kino struggles with his fear of living in such an uncertain world-where a big wave can take away everything. A wise and loving father helps both boys to face life again-with courage and serenity.

The Bus Ride by William Miller, illustrated by John Ward. Lee & Low. Sara, an African American child, decides not to give up her seat on the bus to a white person. Inspired by the example of Rosa Parks.

The Dark Is Rising (series) by Susan Cooper. Atheneum. On his eleventh birthday, Will learns that he is the last of the Old Ones and is destined to fight the rising dark forces of evil. A wonderful fantasy series.

The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor, illustrated by Max Ginsburg. Dial. Cassie Logan, heroine of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is sent by her Aunt to the Wallace store (a place known to be unfriendly to blacks) to get medicine. There, she and her brothers witness a shocking event. Another story drawn from the experiences of her father which resonates with meaning for everyone, no matter what color their skin.

The Great Ancestor Hunt by Lila Perl. Clarion. This attractive, enthusiastic and immensely readable guide to genealogy will motivate everyone to trace their own roots.

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy. Scholastic. It is hard to imagine the devastation caused to the people of Chicago by the Great Fire of 1871. Murphy takes us through the smoke and flames and rubble to learn the facts and tell us stories of people who were there.

The Journey: Japanese Americans, Racism, And Renewal by Sheila Hamanaka. Orchard. Inspired by the twenty-five foot mural whose details are rendered in the book, the artists tells about the Japanese-American experience during World War II. Powerful.

The Key I Lost by Ida Vos. Morrow. Based on the true-life experiences of the author, this novel recounts the struggle of two Jewish-Dutch sisters, separated from their parents during World War II, to survive the Holocaust. Gripping.

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman. HarperCollins. The exciting saga of a nameless girl, born to poverty in medieval England, manages to make her way in the world and gain both a name and a place for herself.

The Moor Child by Eloise McGraw. McElderry Books. Half-fairy and half-human, Moql is an outcast in both the fairy realm of her birth and the human world-where she has been placed in exchange for a human family's baby. Will this changeling ever find a true home?

The Random House Book of Humor For Children selected by Pamela Pollack, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Random House. Thirty-four humorous stories from your favorite authors-including Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl, Bo & Ray, Isaac Bashevis Singer and even Mark Twain. A splendid collection promising laughs, guffaws, giggles, smirks and smiles. For reading aloud or alone.

The Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla. Crowell. Ten-year-old Sara Ida is not happy about spending the summer with Aunt Claudia and she makes sure no one else is happy either-until she gets a job at a shoeshine stand and learns that happiness is more than simply having money in your pocket.

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox. Bradbury. Thirteen-year-old Jessie learns about cruelty, harshness and horror when he is kidnapped aboard a slave ship. It is his job to make music for the slaves to exercise to. A Newbery Medal winner.

The Storyteller's Beads by Jane Kurtz. Harcourt. Two Ethiopian girls, one Christian and one a blind Jewish girl, struggle to leave the famine, chaos and prejudices of their country.

The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg. Atheneum. How did it happen that 6th grade teacher Mrs. Olinski chose the four least likely students to compete in the Academic Bowl? A lot of people were surprised. And so will you as you read about the twists and turns that brought these four together. The 1996 Newbery winner.

The Wall by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler. Clarion. A little boy and his father visit the Vietnam war Memorial to search for the grandfather's name. Moving and thought-provoking picture book.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. Delacorte. It is 1963 and when the Watsons leave Flint, Michigan for a trip back home to Birmingham, Alabama - no one in this close African American family is ready for what happens. Humor and drama unfold in this Coretta Scott King Award & Newbery Honor book about a time not so long ago.

This Place I Know: Poems of Comfort edited by Georgia Heard. Candlewick. A pairing of poetry with art (from a variety of children's book illustrators) offers poems of hope and comfort.

Through My Eyes by J. B. Bridges. Scholastic. In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to integrate the all-white schools of New Orleans. This is her story. With photos, newspaper clippings and most of all Ruby's own words. A remarkable child and a remarkable woman.

Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 by James Rumford. Houghton. As a boy in Morocco in the 1300s, Ibn Battuta dreamed of traveling to Mecca and then going on to see the world. His dreams came true and this book chronicles his adventures, including the people he met and the places he saw in the course of his 75,000 mile journey. Stunning illustrations make the book look like an illuminated map of his journey.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Farrar. Would you want to live forever? Ten-year-old Winnie Foster has the chance to choose for herself when she meets the mysterious Tuck family and learns about the magic spring.

Vision Of Beauty: The Story Of Sarah Breedlove Walker by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Nnekca Bennet. Candlewick the daughter of former slaves and a one-time resident of Westchester County, Sarah struggled through poverty and hard times before founding a business empire and becoming an advocate for the rights of black women. Inspiring and fascinating biography!

Visiting Miss Caples by Elizabeth Kimmel. Penguin Putnam. Thirteen-year-old Jenna's relationship with Miss Caples, the elderly shut-in she is assigned to read to for a school project, changes when the two begin talking and sharing feelings.

Voices of the Heart by Ed Young. Scholastic. Award-winning Westchester artist Ed Young explores words such as joy, sorrow, respect and rudeness by taking apart 26 Chinese words whose characters contain the symbol for heart. An exquisite, heartfelt book to ponder and to share.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. HarperCollins. While journeying by car from Ohio to Idaho, thirteen-year-old Sal entertains her grandparents with stories about her friend Phoebe Winterbottom. Underneath the stories, however, lie her own tale and her mother's. Entertaining and moving, this won the 1994 Newbery Medal.

War Boy: A country Childhood by Michael Foreman. Little, Brown. Fascinating details of the daily life of this artist who grew up in England during World War II are capture in the autobiographical text and accompanying illustrations.

We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David Catrow. Penguin Putnam. The stirring words to the Preamble of the Constitution are recast in modern lingo, helping young readers to think about the meaning behind the words to this important American document.

Weasel by Cynthia deFelice. Macmillan. Eleven-year-old Nathan learns about the nature of revenge and the power of evil when he confronts a renegade killer. Set in 1839 Ohio territory.

When Pirates Came to Brooklyn by Phyllis Shalant. Dutton. It is Brooklyn, 1959 and Lee Bloom has made an exciting new friend in Polly, who invites her into an imaginary game of Peter Pan and pirates and learning to fly. How Lee learns to fly above the prejudices she encounters from both her mother and Polly's-who both frown on this friendship between Jewish and Christian girls, is a riveting and heart-warming story by a Westchester author.

Who Said That? Famous Americans Speak by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by David Catrow. Holt. Who said, Time is money? Who said, Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity? These are the stories behind the famous sayings. Fascinating reading.

Words that Built a Nation edited by Marilyn Miller. Scholastic. 39 famous documents and speeches in American history- from the Mayflower Contract to The Emancipation Proclamation and Hillary Clinton's U.N. Address on Women. With interesting commentary on each.