Facing the Lion : Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna
by Joseph Lemasolai-Lekuton and Herman Viola
Reading level: Young Adult

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a firsthand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centers around the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekutonâ??s first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition.

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Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport, Bryan Collier (Illustrator), Brian Collier (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

In this elegant pictorial biography of Martin Luther King Jr., author Doreen Rappaport combines her spare, lyrical text with King's own words for an effective, age-appropriate portrayal of one of the world's greatest civil rights leaders. From King's youth, when he looked up to his preacher father and vowed one day to "get big words, too," to his death at a garbage workers' strike ("On his second day there, he was shot. He died."), Rappaport imbues the story with reverence.

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Frida (English Language Edition) by Jonah Winter, Frida Kahlo, Ana Juan (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Beset by one shattering ordeal after another, world-renowned painter Frida Kahlo always managed to channel her anguish into creativity. Frida, by Jonah Winter and illustrator Ana Juan, is an exquisite and playful glimpse into the artist's life and work. Filled with the folk art icons of Frida's Mexican culture--monkeys, devils, smiling skeletons, and sympathetic jaguars depicted with acrylics and wax on paper--the book describes, in short streams of text, the feisty, irreverent, fierce nature of the artist.

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Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 (The Royal Diaries) by Carolyn Meyer
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Anastasia is a carefree young duchess, daughter of Nicholas Alexandrovitch Romanov, tsar of all the Russias in 1914. While her father attends to the turbulent affairs of a vast and complex country, Anastasia's major concerns are how to get out of her detested schoolwork to play in the snow, go ice skating, or have picnics. She wears diamonds and rubies, and every morning her mother tells her which matching outfit she and her three sisters shall wear that day. Slowly a hint of future trouble enters her happy, pampered life.

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Mary-Kate & Ashley Our Story: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's Official Biography by Mary-Kate Olsen, Damon Romine
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Here's your big chance to find out absolutely everything about the most famous twins on the planet! Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen give you the inside scoop on:What it's really like to be superstars!Their whole family-including big brother Trent and little sis Lizzie.How they got started in show business.Their fave things to do with their friends.What it's like being twins.Their secret crushes!(shhh...)
So get ready to get real with Mary-Kate and Ashley!

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Go Ask Alice by Anonymous, Beatrice Sparks (Editor)
Reading level: Young Adult

The torture and hell of adolescence has rarely been captured as clearly as it is in this classic diary by an anonymous, addicted teen. Lonely, awkward, and under extreme pressure from her "perfect" parents, "Anonymous" swings madly between optimism and despair. When one of her new friends spikes her drink with LSD, this diarist begins a frightening journey into darkness. The drugs take the edge off her loneliness and self-hate, but they also turn her life into a nightmare of exalting highs and excruciating lows.

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Snowflake Bentley by Mary Azarian (Illustrator), Jacqueline Briggs Martin (Author)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Most children are captivated by snow, but how many go on to make it their lifework? This beautiful biography, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, tells the true story of a Vermont farm boy who was mesmerized by snowflakes. Wilson Bentley was fascinated by the six-sided frozen phenomena, and once he acquired a microscope with a camera, his childhood preoccupation took on a more scientific leaning.

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DK Readers: George Washington -- Soldier, Hero, President (Level 3: Reading Alone) by Justine Korman, Ron Fontes, Justine Fontes
Reading level: Ages 4-8

This biography of one of the most famous and recognizable American presidents mark DK's commitment to bringing US history-based biographies to the DK Readers series. In George Washington, the young reader will learn about our first president's childhood, his life as a farmer, statesman, general, and his days as president. The 48-page Level 3 books, designed for children who can read on their own, contain more complex sentence structure and more detail.

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When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson: The Voice of a Century by Pam Munoz Ryan, Brian Selznick (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

As this skilled duo did with Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, Pam Muñoz Ryan and Brian Selznick bring to life the story of yet another remarkable American woman, gifted black contralto Marian Anderson.

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Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
Reading level: Young Adult

In Boy, Roald Dahl recounts his days as a child growing up in England. From his years as a prankster at boarding school to his envious position as a chocolate tester for Cadbury's, Roald Dahl's boyhood was as full of excitement and the unexpected as are his world-famous, best-selling books.

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