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Kamila is a 9-year-old girl living with her parents in a little blue house in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Their life is simple and easy. Both of her parents work and she attends school nearby. The family is very close, especially given that Kamila's abuela, whom she loves dearly, lives just blocks away. Life goes along at a beautiful pace, as it does on the island, until a family matter in Connecticut requires Kamila's mom, Stefany, to travel there to spend a few weeks helping her sister recover from surgery. Though Stefany's absence is an upset to regular life for the family, the situation is further intensified by the impending arrival of Hurricane Maria, the storm that decimated many islands in the Caribbean. Learn how this family prepares for the coming of the storm and deals with its aftermath. Through these experiences, some of which are tremendous losses, Kamila gains knowledge of what it means to be boricua (Puerto Rican), both as a daughter of the island and in spirit.Teachers: depending on your students this can be a level 2 or a level 3 book.

Kamila is a 9-year-old girl living with her parents in a little blue house in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Their life is simple and easy. Both of her parents work and she attends school nearby. The family is very close, especially given that Kamila's abuela, whom she loves dearly, lives just blocks away. Life goes along at a beautiful pace, as it does on the island, until a family matter in Connecticut requires Kamila's mom, Stefany, to travel there to spend a few weeks helping her sister recover from surgery. Though Stefany's absence is an upset to regular life for the family, the situation is further intensified by the impending arrival of Hurricane Maria, the storm that decimated many islands in the Caribbean. Learn how this family prepares for the coming of the storm and deals with its aftermath. Through these experiences, some of which are tremendous losses, Kamila gains knowledge of what it means to be boricua (Puerto Rican), both as a daughter of the island and in spirit.

After years of living with uncertainty, first with his mother and then in foster care, J.P.'s life is finally becoming more predictable, routine and even comfortable. Now that he is living with his father, his stepmother and his two half-sisters, J.P. finally has the opportunity to learn more about himself. As a fan of professional wrestling that he views on TV, he decides to pursue that sport at his new school. What he is not nearly as keen on is the idea of studying, mostly because it's hard for him. Nevertheless, he resolves to do well enough to ensure eligibility for participation on the wrestling team, as his sights are set on winning a state championship that year. J.P.'s father, Juan, is also learning. He is learning how to contend with the challenges that come with raising a teenager. Juan tries to better understand the son who recently came to live with him and attempts to connect with him further by letting J.P. know that he, too, was once a wrestler back in Mexico, a luchador mexicano. Wrestling serves as the topic of most of the father/son conversations as they get to know each other better at this stage of their lives - conversations that are peppered with J.P. constantly reminding his father of the desire to get his driver's license as soon as he turns 16. But there is a problem, one J.P. knows nothing about, and one that Juan hopes can be fixed before his son finds out.In this novel, readers are presented with a wealth of vocabulary and grammatical structures while delving into family and social issues. The cultural component is that of Mexican wrestling - la lucha mexicana.Teachers: depending on your students this can be a level 3 or a level 4 book.

As if teenaged friendships aren't hard enough...Marissa and Jack have been best friends for as long as they can remember, only having troubles when Jack wasn't always honest about himself. Despite their differences, their friendship endures. However, that friendship is challenged when a new student, Julio, moves to town and upsets the longstanding dynamic between Marissa and Jack.

Jamil and his family live in Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti. Their life, which is simple and good, becomes challenging when their earnings become insufficient to maintain the family. Both Jamil and his wife, Noémie, work two jobs in order to make ends meet. Concerned for the welfare of his family whom he loves, Jamil makes the difficult decision to undertake the voyage by boat to the United States to search for work in hopes of earning the money needed to support his family. How will Jamil fare navigating the rough waters of the Caribbean and what effect does his absence have on the loved ones he leaves behind? ok.Teachers: depending on your students, this book can be considered a level 2 or a level 3.

Alexis has a secret about her-...er, himself. Well, it's not really a secret-at least not outwardly-but it hasn't been expressed aloud to anyone else, except the therapist. He hasn't told anyone yet, but plans on telling Sofía first, mostly because she lives thousands of miles away in Buenos Aires. Alexis and Sofía have been pen pals since the 6th grade, and since they have never actually met IRL (in real life), Alexis feels more comfortable telling her first.Sofía, too, has just learned of a secret that her parents have been keeping from her, one that upends her life and changes the way she thinks about everything. In a letter that Sofía inadvertently finds in her father's desk drawer, she learns that her abuelos-her mother's parents-are not only not her real grandparents, but who they are and, more importantly, who they were, are in direct conflict with who Sofía is and what she believes. While Alexis struggles with identity, so too does Sofía. In this story, two virtual friends work together to solve their own mysteries, one intensely personal and the other about how she now relates to her own family as the secrets of the past-the family's and the country's-become even more real.Teachers: depending on your students this can be a level 3 or a level 4 book.

June is a typical, if angst-y, teenager. She loves her friends and her hobbies. And she even likes school (though she might not ever tell you that). One thing that she is not terribly fond of...her looks. June cannot help but to criticize herself every chance she gets, and particularly when she can see her reflection. She is all but convinced that her looks are the sole reason that boys are not interested in her. Enter: even MORE self doubt. One night, June and her friends go out to a local café bookstore for a poetry slam, open-mic night. Per usual, June is nervous and antsy about her appearance, that is until she forgets all about how she looks when she, quite literally, bumps into Micha at the event. Micha is tall, attractive and very friendly. And to June''s surprise, he spends a lot of the evening talking to HER!The two teens happily carry their newfound friendship to the next level, Snapchat, and they even make plans to meet up the following week. At least that was the plan until, well, COVID. Undeterred, the two carry on virtually, getting to know one another better. June is astonished that such a great guy would be interested in her - and Micha feels the same about June. But all is not rosy in COVID-land, with the pandemic only serving as a backdrop to even more teenage trauma, the kind that is not fixed by a pint of Ben & Jerry''s. The pandemic wreaks havoc in so many ways? Will truths come out? June and Micha figure it out? And really, will they, or anyone, again ever be able to go out?

Sophia has been training hard for a long time for an important competition coming up in a few months: the Special Olympics. Sophia is a weightlifter who spends three days a week (her favorite days!) training to compete in the events of squats, bench presses and deadlifts. She likes it because she's good at it, but even more so, she loves going to the gym to spend time with all of her friends there.Yet one day, the easy lifting vibe in the gym is upset with the arrival of a new girl, Blue. Blue is definitely strong, which is great for fending off the bullies she has to deal with, but along with her brightly colored hair, she's also sporting an enormous attitude - one that gets in her way of her moving forward on so many levels, and one that is a potential problem for the folks at the gym.Will the weight of the new dynamic at the gym affect Sophia's progress?Will Blue be able to lift herself out of her troubles? This is a level 1 book with 5700 total words; 235 unique.

In Antigua, Guatemala......on the streets, on the farms, in the market and in many homes live lots of dogs and cats. Some are gray, some brown and still some are white; each living in different areas of the colonial city, such as the market, in the downtown and at Caoba Farms.The most important of all of the animals in Antigua (even he would say so) is Uno el Gato, a smart and pretty clever cat. Because he is able to escape the house where he lives, Uno acts as a messenger between all of the chuchos in the city. Though they are from different groups from different parts of the city, these chuchos, or street dogs, all rely on each other to stay safe. And, mostly, life is good for them.One day, however, Uno learns that a few of the dogs from Caoba Farms are missing and their chucho friends that live there are very worried. Where are the chuchos disappearing to? Which ones? How? And why? With the information that he learns on the streets, Uno el Gato calls on all of his skills in order to help out his amigos, the chuchos from Caoba Farms.Is Uno really as brilliant as he thinks, or is he just another cute cat who thinks he's 'all that'?

A story of the times. José and his family live in small town in the department of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. Their life, which is simple and good, becomes challenging when their earnings become insufficient to maintain the family. Concerned for the welfare of his family whom he loves, José makes the difficult decision to make his way to the United States in search of work opportunities. Based on a story told to the author, this book recounts José's journey north as well as examines the effect of his absence on the family he leaves behind.This is the same great story, now told in the past tense. Teachers, this book is suitable for level 2 with some knowledge of the past tense.

In Old Québec City, Canada... ...on the streets, on the farms, in the market and in many homes live lots of dogs and cats. Some are gray, some brown and still some are white; each living in different areas of the city, such as the marché, downtown and at Novalait, une ferme laitière. The most important of all of the animals in Vieux-Québec (even he would say so) is Un le Chat, a smart and pretty clever cat. Because he is able to escape the house where he lives, Un acts as a messenger between all of the chiens errants in the city. Though they are from different groups from different parts of the city, these chiens, all rely on each other to stay safe. And, mostly, life is good for them. One day, however, Un learns that a few of the dogs at Novalait are missing and their chien friends that live there are very worried. Where are the chiens errants disappearing to? Which ones? How? And why? With the information that he learns on the streets, Un le Chat calls on all of his skills in order to help out his amis, the chiens errants at Novalait. Is Un really as brilliant as he thinks, or is he just another cute cat who thinks he's 'all that'?Teachers: this is a level 1 book. 4700 total words; 240 unique.

One day Sebastián is a soccer phenom, dancing his way around the ball up and down the pitch.The next day he isn't.As if coming to terms with needing to use a wheelchair isn't enough at 14 years old, Sebastián also has to face more changes and all at once. Switching schools because of the family's move to a new neighborhood, and changes in the relationship with his father, due to the sudden absence of soccer in their lives, causes way too much stress. This new reality is NOT a good time for Sebas.Anthony is struggling in his relationship with his dad, too, mostly because he thinks his father wants him to be something he's not - or at least Anthony doesn't think he is. Instead of practicing his guitar and trying to be as good as a musician as his father, Anthony just wants to be left alone to play video games with his friends. The two boys meet at Sebastián's new school, and, after a bit of a rocky start, the boys develop a friendship. Later, with the help of a professional hockey player, who is also facing his own challenges, both Sebastián and Anthony begin to realize that what they think is reality is not the same as what really is. Teachers: this book is level 2/3, depending on your students.

Though it is a story that involves travel, it is not typical in any way... After some time living in San Francisco and with many signs indicating as such, Chelsea has a niggling feeling that it is time to leave that city. As an artist and a creative, she finds that life in the bay area is a little stale for her which seems to be affecting not only her art, but also every fiber of her being. So, she decides to build a new lifestyle for herself that will allow her to travel all over the world, practice her art, meet new people and build community with them. And she is going to do it all with her best pal, her motorcycle named The Phoenix. The journey is moving along swimmingly until that one day... Chelsea's new life and lifestyle are almost brought to an abrupt halt when a catastrophic event occurs while she and The Phoenix are riding - alone - in a Mexican desert. Will her trusty companion start again or will Chelsea's vision end before it really has a chance to begin?Teachers: This is a level 1 book, primarily in the present tense. 4600 words/300 unique words

Sofía has been training hard for a long time for an important competition coming up in a few months: the Special Olympics. Sofía is a weightlifter who spends three days a week (her favorite days!) training to compete in the events of squats, bench presses and deadlifts. She likes it because she's good at it, but even more so, she loves going to the gym to spend time with all of her friends there.Yet one day, the easy lifting vibe in the gym is upset with the arrival of a new girl, Bleu. Bleu is definitely strong, which is great for fending off the bullies she has to deal with, but along with her brightly colored hair, she's also sporting an enormous attitude - one that gets in her way of her moving forward on so many levels, and one that is a potential problem for the folks at the gym.Will the weight of the new dynamic at the gym affect Sofía's progress?Will Bleu be able to lift herself out of her troubles?

Beatrice is the new girl at the high school in town. She makes new friends easily, so it's not a surprise when she starts hanging out with a boy named Cooper. Like Cooper and many of the students at the school, Beatrice is very involved in sports, which is just one of the ways she and Cooper connect. But issues arise with their newfound friendship (romance?) with Cooper when their differences are highlighted by the adults in their lives.How do the teens navigate their lives given the demands of their parents and society?This book is intended as a reader for students learning Italian. While the story has a plot similar to the classic story of Romeo and Juliet or Tony and Maria, the vocabulary and grammar are simple and comprehensible even for those whose Italian is at the novice level.