New Releases by Karen English

Zydeco—pure and beautiful and stomping good—takes the stage in a joyous celebration of extended family, community, and Louisiana culture. Every year on the last Saturday in July, Broussard-Bouchard folks come from near and far to the Big Once-a-Year Broussard-Bouchard Family Reunion. Alaine’s Auntie Yvette comes with the blanket she’s always crocheting. Uncle Malik brings photos from his last trip to Africa. Daddy and the uncles play dominoes under the live oak tree while Bill Jr. carries a watermelon up from the creek where’s it’s been cooling. Cousin Neecy has organized the biggest Double Dutch game ever, but Alaine—who let Big Boy, the fluffy orange indoor cat, slip outside to certain doom—sits alone and worries. Until the first note sounds: zydeco, drawing her in with outstretched arms. Allons danser. When the music and dancing finally stop—until next year—who’s waiting all curled up on the front porch, furry and orange and as safe as Alaine’s secret? Brimming with Louisiana music, culture, and color, this vibrant and gorgeously illustrated portrait of family tradition will have you two-stepping in a heartbeat.

It's tough being the new kid at Carver Elementary. Gavin had lots of friends at his old school, but the kids here don't even know that he's pretty good at skateboarding, or how awesome he is at soccer. And when his classmate Richard comes over and the boys end up in trouble, not only does Gavin risk losing his one new friend, he has to take care of his great aunt Myrtle's horrible little dog as punishment. To make matters worse, Gavin seems to have attracted the attention of the school bully. Will he be able to avoid getting pounded at the skate park? And how is he ever going to prove he's cool with a yappy little Pomeranian wearing a pink bow at his side?

It's tough being the new kid at Carver Elementary. Gavin had lots of friends at his old school, but the kids here don't even know that he's pretty good at skateboarding, or how awesome he is at soccer. And when his classmate Richard comes over and the boys end up in trouble, not only does Gavin risk losing his one new friend, he has to take care of his great aunt Myrtle's horrible little dog as punishment. To make matters worse, Gavin seems to have attracted the attention of the school bully. Will he be able to avoid getting pounded at the skate park? And how is he ever going to prove he's cool with a yappy little Pomeranian wearing a pink bow at his side?

See below for English description. Lorsque sa Nana lui offre la merveilleuse paire de souliers rouges dont elle rêvait, Malika est ravie. Les souliers l'accompagnent dans tous les moments importants de sa vie, comme son premier jour d'école, le mariage de sa tante, les jours de Noël et les fêtes d'anniversaire. Mais le temps passe. Malika grandit et ses pieds grandissent eux aussi. Un jour, les souliers rouges sont trop petits. Malika doit accepter de s'en séparer et de les laisser s'envoler vers de nouvelles aventures... Malika is elated when her Nana gifts her a dazzling pair of red shoes that she wanted. The red shoes accompany her through life: her first day of school, her aunt's wedding, Christmas, and birthday parties. But as all these moments pass, so does something else: time. And with time, Malika grows, and her feet grow too. One day, the red shoes are too small for her feet, and they take a special journey of their own right to a little girl living in Africa. A captivating story that highlights the shared experiences we hold, no matter who or where we are in the world. Original title: Red Shoes

Third-grader Gavin and his friends aren't sure what to make of the new boy in their class, Khufu. He sure doesn't look or act like the other kids... and they suspect that he stole Gavin's bike!

Third-grader Richard and his friends are just four days away from setting a record for excellent behavior and earning a classroom pizza party when disaster strikes--their beloved teacher is out sick, and the strictest, meanest substitute has taken he

Red shoes glowing--Perched on a pedestal in the shop windowas if on a throne."I want those, Nana," Malika says, as they pass the shop."We'll see," Nana says with a wink. "Looks like you could use a new pair." Malika is delighted when Nana surprises her with a beautiful new pair of red shoes! And with a click-clack-click and a swish, swish, swish, Malika wears her wonderful new shoes everywhere she goes. But one day, the shoes begin to pinch Malika's toes. And alas, they don't let her forget that her feet have grown! Soon Malika and Nana are off to the Rare Finds Resale Shop, where the shoes can be resold -- so somebody else can enjoy them!Who will be the next to wear the red shoes? Malika wonders.Then Inna Ziya buys the shoes, and readers follow the shoes all the way across the world to Ghana in Africa, where Amina, another little girl, who has fasted her first time for Ramadan is about to get an amazing gift!Karen English and Ebony Glenn have crafted a satisfying and heartwarming story about a pair of shoes, two girls, and a connection they share across continents.

When Nadia is chosen to be a flower girl in Auntie Laila's traditional Pakistani wedding, her hands are decorated with beautiful designs made with mehndi, and she comes to understand the rich culture she has inherited.

It's tough being the new kid at Carver Elementary. Gavin had lots of friends at his old school, but the kids here don't even know that he's pretty good at skateboarding, or how awesome he is at soccer. And when his classmate Richard comes over and th

Third-grader Richard and his friends are four days from earning a pizza party for good behavior when a very strict substitute suspects that some of them have been cheating.

After having a fight, two friends spend the day ignoring each other, until the lure of a game of jump rope helps them to forget about being mad.

It’s 1965, Los Angeles. All twelve-year-old Sophie wants to do is write her book, star in the community play, and hang out with her friend Jennifer. But she’s the new black kid in a nearly all-white neighborhood; her beloved sister, Lily, is going away to college soon; and her parents’ marriage is rocky. There’s also her family’s new, disapproving housekeeper to deal with. When riots erupt in nearby Watts and a friend is unfairly arrested, Sophie learns that life—and her own place in it—is even more complicated than she’d once thought. Leavened with gentle humor, this story is perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia.

"Third-grader Gavin and his friends aren't sure what to make of the new boy in their class, Khufu. He doesn't look or act like other kids. When Gavin's bike goes missing, they think Khufu stole it, but did he?"--

Richard can't wait to show off his skills at a friend's skateboard birthday party, but a note home from his teacher threatens to ruin his plans. This charming second book in a new series about third grade boys by Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winner Karen English offers spot-on storytelling, relatable characters and situations, and plenty of action.

What will Nikki and Deja do when their beloved teacher is out and a clueless substitute takes her place? Deja is dismayed to learn that her teacher has had an accident and a substitute will be taking her place. Under the new sub's care, nothing is the same in Room Ten. A few of the class troublemakers plot to take advantage of the situation, and soon other students join in. Should Nikki and Deja go along with the rest of the kids in tormenting him? Should they help him out by tattling on their classmates? Or is there another way to handle the situation? Here is another charming entry in a chapter book series praised for its accessibility, authenticity, and humor.

Meet Nikki and Deja, who live next door to each other and are best friends. They do everything together—watch Saturday morning cartoons, play jacks, jump double dutch at recess, and help each other with their homework for Mrs. Shelby's third-grade class. But when an arrogant new girl arrives and Nikki and Deja form a club that would exclude her, the results are not what they expect. This warm, easy-to-read chapter book from an award-winning author captures all the joys and complexities of elementary school life—particularly friendships and cliques—with finesse and humor.

Gavin wants to make a good impression at Carver Elementary, where no one knows he excels at soccer and skateboarding, but an annoying big sister, a bully, and his great aunt's Pomeranian are not helping.

While Ms. Shelby-Ortiz is recovering from an injury, substitute Mr. Willow takes over Nikki and Deja's third-grade class with disastrous results.

Wedding drama brews when Nikki and Deja's beloved teacher announces her plans to be married! Ms. Shelby is getting married! As the girls in Nikki and Deja's class compete over who can plan the best imaginary wedding for their teacher, Nikki excitedly throws herself into preparations for the real thing. But Deja is not so enthusiastic. Her Auntie Dee has been temporarily laid off from her job, and Deja is worried. What will happen now that Deja can no longer afford a new dress and special hairdo? Will Nikki leave her best friend behind while she shops and primps? Will Deja be able to get over her jealousy and enjoy the celebration anyway? This accessible chapter book series shines with emotional depth and humor, perfectly capturing the complexities and joys of elementary school girls' friendships.

When Carver Elementary holds school-wide elections for the first time, third-grader Deja puts all her efforts into running for school president, ignoring her best friend Nikki's problems.

When Nikki and her best friend, Deja, start a newsletter about what is happening on their street and in their school, they focus more on writing exciting stories than on finding the truth.

The second popular book about Nikki and Deja, two third-grade girls who are best friends. Deja’s birthday is coming up, and she’s been talking about it for weeks. But just before the big day, Auntie Dee gets called away on a business trip and Deja must stay with an elderly neighbor . . . who cooks turnips for dinner and doesn’t even have a color TV! Worse, the machinations of spoiled Antonia, Deja’s new nemesis, threaten to ruin Deja’s birthday party plans. Like the first book, this story captures with subtlety and humor all the small betrayals and triumphs of young girls’ relationships. Readers will get a wider view of the girls’ diverse neighborhood and will recognize themselves and their classmates in the colorful, deftly drawn school scenes. A more serious theme is also introduced (with a light touch) in a subplot concerning Deja’s absent father.

A distinctive new voice in children's fiction Francie lives with her mother and younger brother, Prez, in rural Alabama, where all three work and wait. Francie's father is trying to get settled in Chicago so he can move his family up North. Unfortunately, he's made promises he hasn't kept, and Francie painfully learns that her dreams of starting junior high school in an integrated urban classroom will go unfulfilled. Amid the day-to-day grind of working odd jobs for wealthy white folks on the other side of town, Francie becomes involved in helping a framed young black man to escape arrest -- a brave gesture, but one that puts the entire black community in danger. In this vivid portrait of a girl in the pre--Civil Rights era South, first-time novelist Karen English completes Francie's world using lively vernacular and a wide array of flesh-and-blood characters. Francie is a 2000 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book.

A young boy asks his grandmother if she was ever a baby, she tells him the story of how she was born.

Describes events of one day at a San Francisco Bay Area school as perceived by different second-graders, from the observations of first to arrive on the playground to the walk home.

Marisol is the only member of her family who can speak English, and spends much of her time translating for her relatives and friends who cannot speak English. Ideal for bilingual children living in America. Full-color illustrations.