Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics, by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López -- Day 92

Cuban American poet and novelist Margarita Engle addresses readers in what at first seems a cautionary introductory note: “This is not a book about the most famous Hispanics.” But what follows is a gloriously rich compendium of biographical poems about remarkable Hispanic Americans from many walks of life, some of whom were born in the United States and others who came as immigrants, refugees or exiles. Each is celebrated in free verse, chronologically by birth date, and artist Rafael López superbly depicts each in bold and colorful portraits. Carefully chosen words quietly convey the subjects' hopes and accomplishments, providing wonderful insight into the multifaceted legacy of their lives — sports, music, activism, science; Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Venezuela… Included are Juan de Miralles, Félix Varela, Juana Briones, Paulina Pedroso, José Martí, Ynés Mexía, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Aída de Acosta, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Arnold Rojas, Pura Belpré, George Meléndez Wright, Baruj Benacerraf, Tito Puente, César Chávez, Roberto Clemente, and Tomás Rivera. Fuller biographical notes end the book, and “more and more amazing Latinos” are mentioned, inviting further exploration. Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics is a true gift, ideal for ages 8-12 but enjoyable for anyone who loves to learn about interesting individuals.

Margarita Engle writes about her first fourteen years in Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings. Her life, then and later, spanned two cultures which often collided over the decades as Cuba and the United States navigated a difficult relationship. Beautifully composed, Engle’s memoir invites readers to travel with her as she strives to connect the threads: “May this little book of childhood memories serve as one of José Martí’s white roses — a poetic plea for a chance to treat neighbors like friends.” Age 11 up.

What a Wonderful World, by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele, illustrated by Ashley Bryan -- Day 91

When most adults think of the song “What a Wonderful World,” written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele, they hear Louis Armstrong’s unique voice intoning it. And what a pleasure that is. Artist, poet, writer and storyteller Ashley Bryan captures the spirit of this celebratory song in colorful words and images in a book with the same name. In What a Wonderful World, Bryan envisions the song as a puppet show performed by children, with the brilliant colors of nature, of the rainbow, of life in the busy world around us. Yes, it is a heartwarming expression of the best we have to offer: “The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people passing by…I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.’ ” The words speak of the future, alluding to the experience and wisdom today’s children will gain as they grow. Bryan grew up with a mother who loved to sing, and through his storytelling and art he shares that joy with us. Ages 4-8.

Hear Louis Armstrong sing “What a Wonderful World”

Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White, by Melissa Sweet -- Day 90

Many young readers are familiar with Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan. Charlotte, Fern and Wilbur; Stuart and Margalo; Louis, Serena and Sam – these are characters not soon forgotten once met in E. B. White’s fiction. Themes of affection, friendship, loss, optimism, personal dignity and nature’s cycles – all evoke a quiet lust for life and are among the enduring elements that mark White’s books. Just who was this well loved American writer? In Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White, author and artist Melissa Sweet provides a superb introduction through copious artifacts, letters and photos as well as numerous excerpts from White’s writings over much of his life. Sweet weaves episodes from White’s life together in her own perceptive narrative; every page is rich with artwork that draws us to a closer observation of just what it was White was considering. We learn that White was in love with words from the very beginning, even winning awards for pieces he submitted for publication as a lad. That passion never abated throughout his career writing for The New Yorker and other publications, his books for adults and those for young people. He also had a passion for Maine, rooted in the summers he spent as a child with his family in the Belgrade Lakes region. E. B. White did not love speaking or attending events, preferring time spent with his writing or with family, farm or friends. In learning the origins of his three classic novels for children, readers will find at the core a great affection for his home turf and his imaginary characters. White wrote, he said, for an audience of one: himself. The integrity of that process is, perhaps, what makes his work so universal and so appealing. An author’s note from Sweet, an afterword by White’s granddaughter Martha White, and a timeline complete a wonderful biography of a modest man who said that when he was a child he considered an author “a mythical being…The book was the thing, not the man behind the book.” Sweet chose this quote from White to head her final chapter: “All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world. I guess you can find that in there, if you dig around.” Ages 9 to adult.

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain, by Russell Freedman -- Day 89

Angel Island, in San Francisco Bay in California, was the official entry point to the United States for numerous Chinese, Japanese and Korean people as well as those from other nations, for thirty years during the early part of the twentieth century. Sometimes referred to as “The Ellis Island of the West,” the immigration center presented a formidable hurdle for many immigrants who, in addition to undergoing the standard health and welfare assessments, were detained unduly for extensive questioning about relatives in the States and their own ability to provide for themselves. Chinese in particular had a difficult time entering: they were affected by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892 that limited immigration to members of exempt classes, native-born citizens, or wives and foreign-born children of citizens. Overall, it was an unwelcoming situation, particularly frustrating when so many Chinese in earlier decades had been indispensable workers in the construction of western railroads and other endeavors in the States. Always, they came to our western shores specifically to make a better life in the country known as Gold Mountain. Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain begins as author Russell Freedman recounts how a California state park ranger noticed Chinese characters inscribed on the walls of an abandoned building on Angel Island in 1970. Feeling sure these writings were a significant record of prior times when immigrants inhabited the building, he advocated for their preservation. Years later with the support of Asian American groups and others, reclamation efforts moved forward until finally, in 2009, Angel Island Immigration Station opened to the public as a National Historic Landmark. Freedman draws extensively on memoirs, diaries, letters and photos to bring the Angel Island experience into sharp focus. Ages 10-14.

The immigration facility on the east coast of our continent, Ellis Island in New York Harbor, may be well known to many Americans; its walls saw thousands upon thousands of deeply personal stories unfold as newcomers arrived on our shores in the years between 1892 and 1954. Gwenyth Swain’s Hope and Tears: Ellis Island Voices is a superb introduction to the varied fabric of this place – capturing the perspectives of immigrants and detainees, nurses and doctors, officials and volunteers in short poetic essays and monologues, supplemented by revealing archival photographs. On both sides of the continent, newcomers were subject to changing laws and regulations, biases, and unpredictable circumstances even as our nation strove to welcome them. Reading about the history of immigration can only shed more light on present-day issues, which remain complicated at best. Ages 10 to adult.

Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land by John Coy brings the experience of immigrants to America up-to-date for young readers, simply and empathetically conveyed through photos and brief testimonies of newcomers from around the world. Ages 6-9.