Happy Little Readers discussion
Books about Celebrating Differences
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Some kids are short, and some are tall. Some like to swim, and others like to hike. Some may be different from you and me. Some kids may have disabilities, and some may not talk the same way we do, but we accept them, because it’s ok to be different, and we celebrate that.
Reason for recommendation: Winner of the Literary Titan Gold Award. This book talks to children about being different. With simple pictures, concise language, and the perfect message, children are sure to love this book.


The first day you begin at a new school, you won’t know anyone. Everyone is different from you. You feel alone and unaccepted. This story follows 3 main characters: Rigoberto, Angelina, and another girl. When the teacher asks Rigoberto to tell the class his name, the class laughs and wrinkles their noses at him, laughing about his name. When the teacher asks everyone about what happened over their summer breaks, every kid had an interesting story to share. “I went to Paris!” said one kid. “I went to the beach and collected the coolest shells ever!” another one said. Angelina wasn’t sure what she should say. All she did was read to her little sister and comfort her. The story suddenly cuts to the third girl. Everyone laughed at what her mother had packed for her lunch. Even her best friend Nadja said, “What’s that?” Nobody sees the rice beneath the meat and kimchi. Rice is the most popular food! The story then cuts back to Angelina, who after thinking about the times she had with her sister, decided to tell her story. The class loves the story, and Angelina finds out to celebrate differences. Today is the day you begin to find the places inside your laughter, and tell your stories, where every new friend has something a little like you, and something so fabulously not quite like you.
Reason for recommendation: #1 New York Times Bestseller! This book teaches kids that everyone is different in some way or another, and we celebrate that. With astounding pictures by two time Pura Belpre Award winning illustrator Rafael Lopez’s illustrations, this book will have children reading it again and again.


AR Level: 2.9
Interest Level: Lower Grades (LG K-3)
AR Quiz No.: 136816 EN
Word Count: 609
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Topic - Subtopic: Character Traits-Tolerance; Food-Misc./Other; Interpersonal Relationships-Friendship;
Salma and Lily are best friends. They do everything together, from drawing to using the swings to even jumping rope! At lunch, Lily always has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and Salma always has a hummus sandwich. However, Lily and Salma have always thought that the other’s sandwich looks gross. One day, Lily blurted out that she thought that Salma’s sandwich was gross. Salma then recoiled by telling Lily that her sandwich looked gross. They broke into an all out fight, and they didn’t sit next to each other a lunch the next day. Other children were picking sides with hummus or PB&J, and the children started shouting insults at each other. Then, one kid shouted, “FOOD FIGHT!!!!” After the fight, Lily and Salma had to clean up the cafeteria, and had to meet with the principal. The next day, they sat next to each other at lunch, and Lily had a great idea. They would swap sandwiches! They took a bite of the other’s sandwich, and they were DELICIOUS! They saw the principal again, but this time, they had an idea: a sandwich-fest with sandwiches from all over the world.
Reason for recommendation: Winner of the New York Times Bestseller. This book teaches kids that other people might be different from you are, but you can learn to accept them. With simple and beautiful watercolors, this book will have kids loving it.


Nick just got new glasses, and he’s afraid that his classmates won’t like the new Nick anymore. However, on his way to school, his best friend Sarah said that the glasses look very nice. Nick points out that he and Sarah walk to school. Some other kids take a bus, ride a bike, or use a skateboard! At school, Nick sees all the different things people are wearing, from hearing aids to wheelchairs to all sorts of different clothes. Nick then sees the children’s lunches. They eat PB&Js, rice, empanadas, and even lobster! Nick concludes that we are all different, and that makes us stronger.
Reason for recommendation: New York Times Bestseller! This book teaches kids that diversity is a good thing, and that we are all different. This book has been recommended by teachers all over the world and has amassed over 5,000 5-star reviews on amazon.


In a classroom that we all share, everyone is welcome. We wear different things, eat different foods, and play different things. You could be absolutely perfect any way you were. You could eat strange foods, or wear strange clothes, or play with strange things, but that would be perfectly okay, because all are welcome here. #1 New York Times Bestseller.
Reason for recommendation: This book tells kids that no matter who you are, you are welcome. With amazing poetry and simple pictures, this book is guaranteed to be a favorite.


AR Level: 3.6
Interest Level: Lower Grades (LG K-3)
AR Quiz No.: 195318 EN
Word Count: 1068
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Topic - Subtopic: Award Winners-Skipping Stones Honor Award; Award Winners-ALA Notable/Best Books; Community Life-Celebrations; Holidays-Ramadan (including Eid al-Fitr & Laylat al-Qadr); Life Experiences-Moving to a New Area; Social Issues-Emigration/Immigration;
Lailah is finally old enough to fast, or not eat lunch, during Ramadan! It is a special tradition that her family has, and she is very excited. However, she misses her friends back home. On the first day of school, she twirled around with no lunchbox in her hand, feeling so light she could float. Her mother gave her a note to give to her teacher, though, about the tradition. By lunchtime, she still hadn’t given it to Mrs. Pensworth, her teacher, yet. As she sneaked into the lunchroom with the other students, her teacher noticed that she brought no lunch. People offered to share their lunches with Lailah, but she refused. She quietly sneaked out of the cafeteria and went to the library. She talked to the librarian, who understood Lailah, and told her to write her thoughts down. She wrote down an entire poem about Ramadan, and slipped it onto Mrs. Pensworth’s desk, hoping that she would like the poem. The next day, Mrs. Pensworth told Lailah that her poem was amazing, and that she would have a lot of fun at her new school. 2019 Daybreak Children’s Book Award.
Reason for recommendation: This book teaches kids that some people have different traditions from us, and that is absolutely OK, and we can be friends with them. This book has a gentle and touching story that kids will absolutely love.
Books mentioned in this topic
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story (other topics)All Are Welcome (other topics)
Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger (other topics)
{ [ THE SANDWICH SWAP ] } Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah ( AUTHOR ) Apr-27-2010 Hardcover (other topics)
The Day You Begin (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Reem Faruqi (other topics)Alexandra Penfold (other topics)
Elizabeth Cole (other topics)
Kelly DiPuccho Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah (other topics)
Jacqueline Woodson (other topics)
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If you could write a recommendation for the book along with the title and author, that would be very much appreciated!