My Great-Aunt Arizona, by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb -- Day 94

Author Gloria Houston’s great-aunt Arizona was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains in a log cabin her father built. She was named by her older brother, a cavalryman out West who said: “Please name her Arizona, and she will be beautiful, like this land.” Arizona never saw the land for which she was named, but she did make a big difference right there in the mountains of her home. Arizona loved to explore, to read, and to attend lessons in their one-room school called a blab school because all the students read aloud at once. Eventually Arizona was able to go away to a school where she learned to be a teacher; then she returned to teach in the very community where she grew up. “She grew flowers in every window. She taught students about words and numbers and the distant places they would visit someday.”  When generation after generation of students asked if she had been to faraway places, she said “Only in my mind, but someday you will go.” This graceful picture book is based on a real person — a quiet and loving teacher who meant the world to her students. For fifty-seven years Houston’s great-aunt Arizona hugged, taught and encouraged students; the dedication for My Great-Aunt Arizona reads: “For all teachers, members of the most influential profession in the world.” Susan Condie Lamb’s illustrations convey the beauty of the Blue Ridge setting and Arizona’s warmth. Though today’s classrooms are vastly different one from another and the teaching profession may not seem as clement as it was for Arizona, it remains absolutely true that good teachers hold special places in students’ hearts. Ages 5-8.

Patricia Polacco’s Thank You, Mr. Falker is another true story of an important teacher. Polacco grew up in a book-loving family; she loved to draw and listen to stories. But she spent years as a child unable to decipher letters and numbers on a page, mercilessly teased by classmates for being dumb. That is, until fifth grade when tall, elegant, kind Mr. Falker figured out that she really could not read and, with the help of a reading specialist, unlocked the world of words for Trisha. “The rest of the year became an odyssey of discovery and adventure…” Polacco urges students to remember to say thank you to all the teachers they appreciate! Ages 5-9.

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth, by Rochelle Strauss, illustrated by Rosemary Woods -- Day 93

No matter how thoroughly you know the world of science, some basic facts continue to bring amazement and appreciation. One such fact is that all water on our planet Earth is connected: “There really is just one source of water—one global well—from which we all draw our water." Raindrops, lakes, rivers, oceans, icecaps, the atmosphere and all plants are part of the great water cycle that sustains life on the Earth. The view of Earth from space shows a largely blue globe, blue because almost seventy percent of its surface is covered with water. One Well: The Story of Water on Earth, written by Rochelle Strauss and illustrated by Rosemary Woods, elucidates the process by which water we can see—in flowing streams, clouds, coming out of our faucets—combines with the water we can’t easily see—in plants, groundwater beneath the surface, between grains of sand and inside organic beings—to supply the shared global well. Plants and animals, including humans of course, depend on the well and maintain a dynamic relationship to it through various processes. Natural habitats thrive or suffer depending on access to water. Our manmade world, through industry, agriculture and just daily living and the products we use, places a huge demand on the well. When you consider that almost 97 percent of water on Earth is saltwater yet we are dependent on fresh water for survival, and that in North America our average daily use of water far exceeds that of any other continent, our need to conserve water and to consider ways to use it better becomes very evident. This excellent book is part of Citizenkid, a collection of books that informs young readers about our global society and encourages active participation as global citizens. Ages 8-12.

Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water is a riveting novel based on the true story of a remarkable young man, Salva Dut, who, after escaping civil war in Sudan, emigrates to the United States and eventually identifies a way he can contribute to helping one of Sudan’s greatest crises: gaining access to clean water. Says author Park: "Meeting Salva was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. His story is both horrifying and uplifting, a testament to the strength of the human spirit against the worst adversities, and the generosity in people's hearts when we're at our best. I wrote this book because I want young readers to know that there are people like Salva in this world, to admire and maybe even to emulate however we can." Ages 10-12.

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.